Starship Troopers

Starship Troopers (1997) Directed by Paul Verhoeven, loosely based on the novel by Robert Heinlein.

Starship Troopers is the story of Johnny Rico (Casper Van Dien) a BMOC in the future Buenos Aires. The world of the future has one government. Citizenship is not automatic; it is earned, by Federal Service, usually in the military. Space has been opened, an humanity is expanding outward.

But we are not alone; there is an insectile civilization, originating from Klendathu, that also is colonizing the stars. Utilizing their biological powers, they too travel, by casting their eggs through space, and they attack, by knocking asteroids out of orbit and towards the enemy. (One presumes this involves faster than light travel by some method, otherwise the attacks would have to have been launched millennia ago.

Rico is a BMOC, Captain of the Team, but like so many stereotypical jocks, not the sharpest tool in the shed. His best friend Carl (Neal Patrick Harris) is the sharpest tool in the shed, and probably telepathic to boot. His best girl, Carmen (Dennis Richards) is also a top brain. There in lies part of the problem; Johnny loves her totally. She holds back.

But playing Betty to Carmen's Veronica is Dizzy, (Dina Meyer) Dizzy is not brilliant, but she is a jock, and she has the deep heavy hots for Johnny.

Carmen's Math Scores are such that she is a shoo in for the Fleet; she is going to enlist. Johnny, fearing to loose her decides to enlist as well. Of course, they are assigned to different units; Carmen to fleet, Carl to Military Intelligence, and Rico to Mobile Infantry.

While the Sports gave us a view of the extreme nature of the future's outlook at physicality, Boot Camp tells a whole new story. The ability of the Medical Arts to repair almost any injury means that a much more casual approach to violence. Drill Sergeant Zim (Clancy Brown) proves this, breaking one recruits arm, beating Dizzy unconscious, and pinning Ace's (Jake Busey) hand to a wall to demonstrate why a knife is useful in a nuke fight "Your enemy can not push a button if you disable his hand! Medic!"

Johnny rises, and falls, through the ranks. The bugs hit Buenos Aires, wiping it off the map, and all out war with the Bugs is declared. Johnny is on his way to Klendathu.

The road is not smooth. Carmen sends him a Dear Johnny letter; she is going career. Later, it becomes obvious to Johnny that Carmen is interested in fellow pilot Zander Barceló (Patrick Muldoon). Once again, we see what no holds barred means in the future.

On Big K, Johnny is taken down, listed as killed in action, but a few days in a healing tank, and he's good as new. Of course, Carmen only reads the death notice.

Reassigned after Klendathu, Johnny, Dizzy and Ace are surprised to see Mr. Rascal (Michael Ironsides) Johnny's and Dizzy's old polisci teacher, is once again Lt. Rasczak, and the commanding officer of the Roughnecks. The new plan is to go in and clean out the Bug Planets, one at a time; fleet carpet bombs, and Mobile infantry mops up. Johnny kills bugs good, and finds himself moving up the ranks once more. He also takes Rasczak's advice, and stops passing on a good thing. He and Dizzy hook up.

The adventures with the bugs are far from over. What does the new development of brain sucking bugs mean? Is there a brain bug caste? Can humanity defeat this implacable foe?

This movie hits several themes with all the subtle tact of a rampaging rhino. The first is the Media. Reminiscent of the cold war propaganda films (which is the era in which the book was written ) there are two other memories it evokes. One, the Ministry of Truth broadcasts on Babylon 5, when the illegal totalitarian government seized control of all media, and two, Fox News. There is a polished slick, but sophomoric feel to the newscasts, which always end with the catchphrase, "Would you like to know more?"

Another theme is the nature of the government itself. Unified, homogenized, pervasive, the film presents the system of government in a strange light. There is a mixed message here. While some of the disdain for the media is evident here, the respect Heinlein had for the concept of personal responsibility is still present. As Johnny Rico said in a eulogy, "Someone once asked me if I knew the difference between a civilian and a citizen. I know now. A citizen has the courage to make the safety of the human race their personal responsibility. Dizzy was my friend. She was a soldier. But most important she was a citizen of the Federation."

This movie has an unbelievable production value. It was nominated for an Oscar, and eleven other awards. It won three awards, for special effects, and costuming. Combined with the physical perfection of the actors and actresses, it is a very visually stunning movie. Of course, only a cad would suggest the movie was watchable merely for the coed nude shower scene.

The coed nude shower scene makes the movie watchable on its own merits. In an interesting side bar, the director was also nude for the shooting of this scene, challenged by an actor to put up with what his actors had to go through.

The movie is not high art, but as an action flick, its hard to beat. As a sly social commentary, the movie achieves a higher level, though the joke eluded many people, and caused them to rate it lower.

All and all, an excellent action flick. Drama, trauma, action, explosions, space travel and Casper Van Dien's butt; this movie has it all.