Starship Troopers (1997)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

Paul Verhoeven

Writers (WGA):

Edward Neumeier (screenplay)
Robert A. Heinlein (book)

Release Date:

7 November 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

Genocide doesn't compare to this.

Plot:

Humans of a fascistic, militaristic future do battle with giant alien bugs in a fight for survival.

Plot Keywords:

Military | Future | Alien | Insect | Asteroid

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 3 wins & 11 nominations

Cast

Casper Van Dien	...	Johnny Rico
Dina Meyer	...	Dizzy Flores
Denise Richards	...	Carmen Ibanez
Jake Busey	...	Ace Levy
Neil Patrick Harris	...	Carl Jenkins
Clancy Brown	...	Sgt. Zim
Seth Gilliam	...	Sugar Watkins
Patrick Muldoon	...	Zander Barcalow
Michael Ironside	...	Jean Rasczak
Rue McClanahan	...	Biology Teacher
Marshall Bell	...	General Owen
Eric Bruskotter	...	Breckinridge
Matt Levin	...	Kitten Smith
Blake Lindsley	...	Katrina
Anthony Ruivivar	...	Shujimi

MPAA:

Rated R for graphic sci-fi violence and gore, and for some language and nudity.

Runtime:

129 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | SDDS (8 channels) | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Australia:PG (TV rating) | Iceland:16 | South Korea:15 (video rating) (cut) | South Korea:18 (original rating) | Canada:18A (Canadian Home Video rating) | Argentina:13 | Australia:MA | Belgium:KNT | Brazil:16 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:R (Manitoba/Ontario) | Chile:14 | Denmark:11 | Finland:K-16 | France:-12 | Germany:Not Rated (SPIO/JK) (video rating) (uncut) | Germany:18 (theatrical rating) (uncut) | Hong Kong:IIB | Ireland:18 | Italy:T | Japan:PG-12 | Mexico:C | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:R16 | Norway:15 | Portugal:M/16 | Singapore:M18 | Singapore:PG (cut) | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 (original rating) | UK:18 (video rating) | USA:R (No. 34343) | Germany:BPjM Restricted

Filming Locations:

Agoura Hills, California, USA

Company:

TriStar Pictures

Trivia:

Casper Van Dien (Johnny) broke a rib during a stunt involving jumping off a "tanker bug".

Goofs:

Continuity: A bug's leg pierces Carmen's shoulder when she is captured. After rescue by Johnny, the blood remains, but her uniform has no visible hole. She also seems noticeably unaffected by the injury, able to use her shoulder easily.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Newsreel announcer: Young people from all over the globe are joining up to fight for the future.
Soldier #1: I'm doing my part.
Soldier #2: I'm doing my part.
Soldier #3: I'm doing my part.
Young kid dressed up as a soldier: I'm doing my part too.
[Soldiers laugh]
Newsreel announcer: They're doing their part. Are you? Join the Mobile Infantry and save the world. Service guarantees citizenship.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Stargate SG-1: The Scourge (#9.17)" (2006)

Soundtrack:

Pier Thirteen

Best satire since Dr. Strangelove

Starship Troopers is a subtle and insidiously subversive movie that proved frighteningly prescient in the wake of post-9/11 uberpatriotism. Both Heinlein's book and Verhoeven's film are valid and interesting political statements at opposite ends of the spectrum. Heinlein's novel was criticized as fascist at the time of its publication, and for all his obvious talent as a writer I'm inclined to agree. The movie is as much a sendup of the original novel as it is a satire of jingoist American politics. It really is a shame that despite the squeaky-clean heroes plucked straight from the soaps, the Mormon extremists, the multiple-amputee mobile infantry retirees and the propaganda shorts masquerading as news, the vast majority still seems to regard Starship Troopers as a stupid action movie and, for some reason, absolutely refuse to consider that it might be something more.

10/10