Starship Troopers (film)

Starship Troopers
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Paul Verhoeven
Produced by	Jon Davison Alan Marshall
Screenplay by	Edward Neumeier
Based on	Starship Troopers  by Robert A. Heinlein
Starring	Casper Van Dien Dina Meyer Denise Richards Jake Busey Neil Patrick Harris Patrick Muldoon Clancy Brown Michael Ironside
Music by	Basil Poledouris
Cinematography	Jost Vacano
Editing by	Mark Goldblatt Caroline Ross
Studio	TriStar Pictures Touchstone Pictures
Distributed by	TriStar Pictures (USA) Buena Vista International (INT)
Release dates	November 7, 1997 (1997-11-07)
Running time	129 minutes[1]
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$105 million
Box office	$121,214,377

Starship Troopers is a 1997 American military science fiction action film directed by Paul Verhoeven and written by Edward Neumeier, originally from an unrelated script called Bug Hunt at Outpost Nine,^[2] but eventually licensing the name Starship Troopers, from a science fiction novel by Robert A. Heinlein. It is the only theatrically released film in the Starship Troopers franchise. The film had a budget estimated around $105 million and grossed over $121 million worldwide.

The story follows a young soldier named Johnny Rico and his exploits in the Mobile Infantry, a futuristic military unit. Rico's military career progresses from recruit to non-commissioned officer and finally to officer against the backdrop of an interstellar war between mankind and an insectoid species known as "Arachnids".

Starship Troopers was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects at the 70th Academy Awards in 1998. Director Verhoeven says his satirical use of irony and hyperbole is "playing with fascism or fascist imagery to point out certain aspects of American society... of course, the movie is about 'Let's all go to war and let's all die.'"^[3]

In 2012, Slant Magazine ranked the film #20 on its list of the 100 Best Films of the 1990s.^[4]

Plot

In the future, Earth has become a spacefaring Federation. While colonizing new planets, humans have encountered an insectoid race known as the Arachnids or "Bugs", with their home being the distant world Klendathu. The bugs appear to be little more than killing machines, though there are suggestions that they were provoked by the intrusion of humans into their habitats.

In the Federation, citizenship is a privilege earned by serving through such activities as military service; citizens are granted opportunities prohibited to others. John "Johnny" Rico, his girlfriend Carmen Ibanez, and best friend Carl Jenkins attend high school in Buenos Aires. Fellow student Dizzy Flores is in love with Rico, but he does not reciprocate. They enlist in Federation service after graduation. Carmen becomes a spaceship pilot while psychically gifted Carl joins Military Intelligence. Rico enlists in the Mobile Infantry expecting to be with Carmen, but is surprised to find Dizzy, who wanted to be near him.

At Mobile Infantry training, brutal Career Sergeant Zim leads the recruits. Rico is promoted to squad leader and befriends Ace Levy. He later receives a Dear John letter from Carmen, as she desires a career with the fleet and serves under Rico's high school sports rival, Zander Barcalow. After a live-fire training incident that kills one of Rico's squad, he is demoted and flogged. Rico resigns and calls his parents, but the call is cut off when an asteroid, launched by the Arachnids, obliterates Buenos Aires, killing his family and millions more. Rico rescinds his resignation and remains with the Infantry as an invasion force is deployed to Klendathu.

The first strike on Klendathu is a disaster, with heavy casualties. Rico is wounded and mistakenly classified KIA, causing Carmen to believe he is dead. Rico, Ace and Dizzy are reassigned to the Roughnecks, commanded by Lieutenant Jean Rasczak, Rico's former high school teacher. The Roughnecks respond to a distress call from Planet "P", where they discover an outpost that has been decimated by Bugs. The distress call ends up being a trap and the Arachnids swarm the outpost. Rico euthanizes a mortally wounded Rasczak and Dizzy dies in Rico's arms as they are rescued by Carmen and Zander. Rico and Carmen reconnect and encounter Carl, now a high-ranking intelligence officer, at Dizzy's funeral. Carl reveals that there is reason to believe an intelligent "brain bug" is directing the other Bugs and can learn about the humans. He field-promotes Rico to Lieutenant and gives him command of the Roughnecks, ordering the infantry to capture the brain bug.

As Rico's Roughnecks join the mission, the Fleet encounters fire from the Bugs and Carmen's ship is destroyed. The escape pod carrying Carmen and Zander crashes into the Bug tunnel system near Rico. Unknowingly guided by a psychic suggestion from Carl, Rico takes soldiers Ace and Sugar Watkins into the tunnels to rescue both. They find Carmen and Zander surrounded by several types of Arachnids including the brain bug, which places its proboscis into Zander's skull and drains its contents. Before it can take Carmen's brain she cuts off the proboscis with a knife. Rico threatens the Bugs with a small nuclear bomb, so the brain bug allows them to leave. Arachnids pursue them and Watkins is mortally wounded, sacrificing himself by detonating the nuke to kill them while the others escape. After returning to the surface, they find that former Sergeant Zim, who had demoted himself to private so that he could serve, has captured the brain bug. Carl congratulates Rico and tells him and Carmen that the humans will soon be victorious, now that Intelligence can study the brain bug, which is found to be afraid. A propaganda clip is shown starring Carmen, Ace and Rico as model servicemen, encouraging the viewer to enlist.

Cast

Production

Badlands of Hell's Half Acre, Natrona County, Wyoming, where parts of Starship Troopers were filmed.

The "bug planet" scenes were filmed in the badlands of Hell's Half Acre in Natrona County, Wyoming.^[5] Several cameos in the film include producer Jon Davison as the angry Buenos Aires resident who says to the FedNet camera "The only good Bug is a dead Bug!" and screenwriter Ed Neumeier as the quickly captured, convicted, and condemned murderer in another FedNet clip. Former U.S. Marine Dale Dye, whose company Warriors, Inc. provided technical military advice on the film, appeared as a high-ranking officer following the capture of the Brain Bug ("What's it thinking, Colonel?"). Mark Wahlberg and James Marsden turned down the role of Johnny Rico, where it ultimately went to Casper Van Dien.

Two nude scenes were kept in the original version (coed shower and bedroom romp between Rico and Dizzy), although these were modified in the broadcast version.^[6][7] The cast agreed to do the co-ed shower scene only if Verhoeven agreed to direct the scene naked, which he did.^[5]

Director Verhoeven, producer Davison, writer Neumeier, creature effects designers Phil Tippett and Craig Hayes, and composer Basil Poledouris were all involved with the original RoboCop film. Actor Michael Ironside was also considered for the role of Murphy/RoboCop. Ironside appeared in Verhoeven's Total Recall.

In the commentary track on the DVD or Blu-ray release, Verhoeven remarks that he had hoped to cast actors whose age more closely matched that of the characters—and indeed of real-world soldiers—but that the producers felt such actors would look too young. The teacher and leader of the "Roughnecks" in the novel are combined into one role played by Ironside.^[5]

Test audience reactions led to several minor changes before the film was released. Originally, it was clear that Carmen was torn between Rico and Zander. Test audiences, regardless of gender, strongly felt that a woman could not love two men at once so scenes which portrayed this were cut. These audiences also felt it was immoral for Carmen to choose a career ahead of being loyal to Rico to the extent that many commented that, in so doing, Carmen should have been the one to die, instead of Dizzy. While admitting it may have been a bad commercial decision not to change the film to accommodate this, the directors did cut a scene from after Zander's death where Carmen and Rico kiss, which the audience believed made the previous betrayal even more immoral.^[5]

Comparison with the novel

There are many differences between the original book and film. While the original novel has been accused of promoting militarism, fascism and military rule,^[8][9] the film satirizes these concepts by featuring news reports that are intensely fascist, xenophobic, and propagandistic. Verhoeven stated in 1997 that the first scene of the film (an advertisement for the mobile infantry) was adapted shot-for-shot from a scene from Leni Riefenstahl’s Triumph of the Will, specifically an outdoor rally for the Reichsarbeitsdienst. Other references to Nazism in the movie include the Gestapo-like uniforms of commanding officers, Albert Speer-style architecture and the propagandistic dialogue. (Violence is the supreme authority!)^[10]

A report in an American Cinematographer article states that the Heinlein novel was optioned well into the pre-production period of the film, which had a working title of Bug Hunt at Outpost Nine; most of the writing team reportedly were unaware of the novel at the time. According to the DVD commentary, Paul Verhoeven never finished reading the novel, claiming he read through the first few chapters and became both "bored and depressed."^[2]

Themes

The film included visual allusions to propaganda films such as Why We Fight, Triumph of the Will, and wartime newsreels. The symbols, and certain clothing styles, of the Federation are modeled on those of the Nazis (e.g., windbreaker, suits, cap, etc.; moreover, the military intelligence officers' uniforms bear a striking similarity to those of the Allgemeine-SS). The satire was embedded in action sequences with special effects.^[11][12]

In the DVD commentary, Verhoeven states the film's message: "War makes fascists of us all." He evokes Nazi Germany—particularly through its use of fashion, iconography and propaganda—which he sees as a natural evolution of the post-World War II United States. "I've heard this film nicknamed All Quiet on the Final Frontier," he says, "which is actually not far from the truth." Edward Neumeier (who had previously worked with Verhoeven on RoboCop) broadly concurs, although he sees a satire on human history, rather than solely the United States. Since the filmmakers did not make these statements at the time of the film's release, viewers have interpreted it variously: as a satire, as a celebration of fascism or as a simple action film.^[5]

Release

Critical reception

Starship Troopers polarized audiences and critics alike. This is reflected in a slightly positive critical response with a 63% on Rotten Tomatoes,^[13] and 51% on Metacritic, indicating mixed or average reviews based on 20 critics.^[14] Starship Troopers was nominated for a number of awards in 1998, including the Academy Award for Visual Effects; the film won Saturn Awards for Best Costumes and Best Special Effects at the 1998 Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films, USA Awards.^[15]

On August 15, 2013, Fathom hosted a RiffTrax Live event featuring Starship Troopers.^[16]

Legacy

Sequels

Hero of the Federation was a sequel to the theatrical film released direct-to-video in 2004, directed by Phil Tippett. In May 2006, MovieHole.net reported that Ed Neumeier would be writing and directing a second sequel, Marauder, and also stated that original cast members would be returning.^[17] This movie was released directly to DVD in August 2008. Starship Troopers 3: Marauder was considered an improvement over the second film and the return of Casper Van Dien as Johnny Rico was well received by fans. However, the third installment was criticized for its poor storyline, special effects and wooden acting. Starshiptroopersfans.net has reported that a fourth Starship Troopers film has been given the green light and will be a full-length CG feature.^[18] A trailer video was released in March 2012.^[19] Starship Troopers: Invasion was released in Japan on July 21, 2012 and it was released in North America on August 28, 2012 as a direct-to-DVD title.

Remake

In December 2011, film producer Neal Moritz announced plans to remake the film.^[20]

Merchandise

In 1997, Avalon Hill released Starship Troopers: Prepare For Battle!, a board game based on the film version rather than Heinlein's book. Its gameplay focused on limited skirmishes rather than larger battles. The "Skinnies" do not appear, nor is there a political element.^[21] Avalon Hill had previously released a game called Robert Heinlein's Starship Troopers in 1976.^[22] A real-time tactics video game titled Starship Troopers: Terran Ascendancy was released in 2000. This game also incorporated the powered suits in Heinlein's novel into the Verhoeven version of the Mobile Infantry. It was developed by Australian software company Blue Tongue Entertainment. A first-person shooter game also titled Starship Troopers was released November 15, 2005. This version was developed by Strangelite Studios and published by Empire Interactive. Set five years after the events of the film, the game also featured van Dien voicing the in-game version of Johnny Rico. Sega Pinball released a pinball machine based on this movie.^[23]

The film was released simultaneously with a graphic novelization, which retold events from the film. There were also additional series that were released based in the Verhoeven universe, though not directly related to the film. Further series were published by Dark Horse Comics and Markosia. The film was followed by the CGI animated television series Roughnecks: Starship Troopers Chronicles, which is loosely set inside the events of the film just after Rico and Diz join the Roughnecks but before Rico gets promoted (though the events and tone of the show differ from those of the film).

References

External links

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Starship Troopers (film)

• Starship Troopers at the Internet Movie Database
• Starship Troopers at the TCM Movie Database
• Starship Troopers at Box Office Mojo
• Starship Troopers at Rotten Tomatoes
• Starship Troopers at Metacritic