“They’re doing their part - are you?”
STARSHIP TROOPERS
1997
Dir. Paul Verhoeven
Screenplay: Ed Neumeier
With: Casper Van Dien, Dina Meyer, Denise Richards, Jake Busey, Neil Patrick Harris, Patrick Muldoon, Michael Ironside
What is it about:
“What’s going on!”
“War, man! We’re going to war on the bugs!”
Those are the words that send thousands of innocent men and women to war against an enemy they were not ready for. Bugs. Huge bugs. The size of a small car and as intelligent as humans. They’re a little harder to step on and they give a nasty bite, and the military is out to destroy them for causing over 1 billion deaths on earth! This film focuses on the military and the personal struggles of a small group of men and women in the Military Infantry as they desperately fight for their lives on the battle field.
“Do you want to know more?”
The film takes place almost 600 years in the future but maintains a present day element in the scenery and music (as we hear Blur and Alisha’s Attic play in the background).
Cephas’ notes and spoilers:
GO SEE IT IN THE THEATRE!!
The special effects in this film are incredible. My friend Mike think sthat the special effects are better than Star Wars. Well, that may be pushing it, but not too much. We see literally hundreds if not thousands of bugs atacking a fortress at once! And the tanker bugs are incredible especialy when Rico (the hero of the film) jump on top of a tanker bug (aptly named) and shoot away at its shell to throw a grenade inside it. This scene was incredible because you don’t know where puppetry, computer animation, and actual props take over the other. Verhoeven makes up for SHOWGIRLS with this film and offers us more than he did with ROBOCOP.
The film does not take itself completely serious and I think that adds to the fun. I’d have to watch it a few more times to find any big mistakes worth mentioning, this film was just great! I was really upset when they kiled off Diz, not only was she an excellent character you love, but she also had a couple really nice topless scenes! As soon as I find the toys again I need to get me a Rico figure and a couple bugs. :-)
Cephas’ Rating:
GO TO THE THEATRE NOW!!!
Not many films can reach this magnitude of excitment. The last hour is all fighting as we go to war against the bugs and you just can’t get the same cinematic effect that these scenes have on a TV screen.
For more on this film, go see the following site:
Official STARSHIP TROOPERS site
A Starship Troopers Fan Page
This page has everything - including an early draft of the script to download!