A film by Paul Verhoeven
Starship Troopers is a look a very different future. Democracy has failed and the world is united under a fascist regime. This film is not about the differences between democracy and fascism (though there is mention of this), but rather this needs to be mentioned because this is the underpinning of what sort of society we are dealing with and how it has shaped the characters.
We open with a brief propaganda video (which we will see different versions of throughout the movie). The purpose is to instill national pride in the citizens. From here, we move into a high school setting where we meet our characters for the first time. Johnny Rico (Casper Van Diem), Dizzy Flores (Dina Meyer), Carmen Ibanez (Denise Richards) and Carl Jenkins (Neil Patrick Harris) are about to graduate from high school and they are deciding what to do with their lives. For various reasons, they all decide to enlist in the military (service guarantees citizenship, according to the propaganda video). Johnny and Dizzy are infantry, Carmen is to be a pilot, and Carl goes to military intelligence. For the first time in years, the four are separated. Carl disappears from the movie at this point, but we do follow the other three.
The big war the military is fighting is that against the bugs from Klendathu. These are nameless, faceless insects (though large and extremely dangerous). Though Johnny and Dizzy are being trained to fight against human opponents, we know that war will come against the bugs. And it does.
While Starship Troopers looks like a B-Grade sci-fi movie, it is much more enjoyable than that with a bit more depth. Even though this is more background than anything else, we get to see how a fascist society might have developed into and what sort of citizens it might have turned out. Starship Troopers is also a straight up sci-fi flick with humans in a war against bugs. The movie is a lot of fun, fast paced, and while I didn t care for it much the first time I saw, it has really grown on me. I don t know how well Verhoeven skewers fascist regimes with satire (as what the stated intent of the film), but this film can be intelligent as well as just an action packed ride.
Starship Troopers is a look a very different future. Democracy has failed and the world is united under a fascist regime. This film is not about the differences between democracy and fascism (though there is mention of this), but rather this needs to be mentioned because this is the underpinning of what sort of society we are dealing with and how it has shaped the characters.
We open with a brief propaganda video (which we will see different versions of throughout the movie). The purpose is to instill national pride in the citizens. From here, we move into a high school setting where we meet our characters for the first time. Johnny Rico (Casper Van Diem), Dizzy Flores (Dina Meyer), Carmen Ibanez (Denise Richards) and Carl Jenkins (Neil Patrick Harris) are about to graduate from high school and they are deciding what to do with their lives. For various reasons, they all decide to enlist in the military (service guarantees citizenship, according to the propaganda video). Johnny and Dizzy are infantry, Carmen is to be a pilot, and Carl goes to military intelligence. For the first time in years, the four are separated. Carl disappears from the movie at this point, but we do follow the other three.
The big war the military is fighting is that against the bugs from Klendathu. These are nameless, faceless insects (though large and extremely dangerous). Though Johnny and Dizzy are being trained to fight against human opponents, we know that war will come against the bugs. And it does.
While Starship Troopers looks like a B-Grade sci-fi movie, it is much more enjoyable than that with a bit more depth. Even though this is more background than anything else, we get to see how a fascist society might have developed into and what sort of citizens it might have turned out. Starship Troopers is also a straight up sci-fi flick with humans in a war against bugs. The movie is a lot of fun, fast paced, and while I didn t care for it much the first time I saw, it has really grown on me. I don t know how well Verhoeven skewers fascist regimes with satire (as what the stated intent of the film), but this film can be intelligent as well as just an action packed ride.