 |
Johnny Rico: Casper Van Dien Dizzy Flores: Dina Meyer Carmen Ibanez: Denise Richards Jean Rasczak: Michael Ironside Ace Levy: Jake Busey Carl Jenkins: Neil Patrick Harris Sergeant Zim: Clancy Brown Directed by Paul Verhoeven. Screenplay by Ed Neumeier, based on the novel by Robert A. Heinlein. Running time: 129 minutes. Rated R (for graphic violence and gore, language and nudity). |
You don't know how much I wanted to like this movie. From the trailers to the gossip on the Internet, I was obsessed with Starship Troopers. It was all I could talk about that year. I make it a rule not to recommend movies until I see it first. When I see a preview that is favorable, I merely inquire it to people. When I saw the trailer for Starship Troopers in the theatre, I became a lobbyist for the movie. The movie had potential to include the epic battles in Ran, the unrelenting raw acts of war in Braveheart and the intensity and adrenaline of Aliens. Needless to say, I've shut my mouth ever since this movie. I learned my lesson.
The story takes place in the distant future. How distant? Well, the opening scenes take place in Latin America where the whole population is white, devoid of any Spanish or Portuguese people. Where did they all go? Anyway, mankind is engaged in a war with a vicious race of giant insects called Bugs. They colonize the galaxy by hurling their spores into space, which eventually hit the planet, causing massive destruction. The Bugs seem to have no purpose in life, but to attack, kill and consume. The movie does not bother explaining the questions that come to mind when we meet a new species like their existence, their way of life or how we ever discovered them. They are just a mere plot point in the movie that gives the producers a reason to show some flashy special effects.
The movie follows the adventures of three high-school friends from Buenos Aires, Johnny (Casper Van Dien), Carmen (Denise Richards), and Carl (Neil Patrick Harris). Carmen seems to have a problem with her teeth because she is always smiling. Carl has an affixation towards acting like Quentin Tarintino. Johnny looks like the poster boy for the Aryan race.
Johnny has a crush on Carmen, but Carmen isn't as committed. When she signs up to become a starship trooper, Johnny does too. Carl also decides to sign up, just for the hell of it. Of course they all get separate jobs. Carmen becomes a pilot. Carl becomes an intelligent officer. It seems that the agency likes to dress in uniforms that are similar to the Third Reich. (There seems to be a theme somewhere that I just can't put my finger on.) Our so-called hero, Johnny becomes a grunt. They are all sent to fight the Bugs.
Heinlein's "Starship Troopers" proposed a society in which citizenship is earned through military service, and values are learned on the battlefield. The movie remains loyal to the theme, but portrays it like a cross between satire and a teen comedy.
Many flaws are evident when you watch the movie. The humans strategy to kill the Bugs, are to shoot a thousand rounds of bullets at them only to find it has minimal effect. Instead of finding alternative ways to kill them, their solution is to have more troops on one bug. It takes ten soldiers to kill one bug, only after the bug kills ten soldiers. Wouldn't it have been easier to use grenades or tanks even, which weren't used in the movie? Now what army does not have any all-terrain vechiles when you have a land invasion. Are you telling me that we can master intergalactic travel, yet not be able to send some heavy artillery down to one planet. The military didn't even use air support. Finally we did employ the use of nuclear weapons, but isn't there something we call radiation.
Another flaw is the story of our main characters. The problem is that one exists. The movie did not have to address the relationship between Johnny and Carmen. It could have been easier if there was none at all. The movie also took an enormous amount of time in getting to the battle between the Bugs. We just want to see the battles not the romance.
One of the biggest flaw is that it never makes sense. Unlike Independence Day, where you questioned the movie afterwards, I started to have doubts during the first half-hour i.e. Latin America problem. Did you notice how pretty everyone was too? Starship Troopers was too ridiculous to even follow the story. We care none for these characters at all. Actually I was looking forward to see them all die.
The saving grace was the few action sequences in the movie. The special effects are impressive, as we see all types of these insects like firebreathing beetles, flying insects, and giant Bugs that erupt from the earth. All very elaborate, but the Bugs are not interesting in that we only see them fight. How do they live? What do they do during peacetime? More importantly, what do they eat? The Bugs live on desert worlds with no evidence of other living species.
The movie is narrated using futuristic newsreels on the web. After a brief summary, it ends with "want to know more?" An ironic statement since the movie doesn't provide more when we do want more. I can think of twenty questions right now.
When I walked out of the theatre, I was speechless. Speechless of how disappointing the movie was and how I manipulated was into thinking that it would be something different from the regular Hollywood action films. All I kept thinking after I left the theatre, was why not nuke the whole planet and save us the trouble of watching the whole movie. Grade: C-
MAIN MENU
MOVIES A-F
MOVIES G-M
MOVIES N-T
MOVIES U-Z