Starship Troopers (1997)

Directed by Paul Verhoeven. Starring Casper Van Dien, Dina Meyer, Denise Richards, Jake Busey, Clancy Brown, Neil Patrick Harris, Michael Ironside, Patrick Muldoon, Seth Gilliam, Marshall Bell, Brenda Strong. [R]

Robert A. Heinlein’s right-wing, militaristic science fiction novel is turned into a deadpan satire and a space-war/special effects extravaganza in the hands of director Paul Verhoeven and scribe Edward Neumeier. In the 23rd century, a bunch of privileged white citizens living in Buenos Aires (hmmm…) join the military, just in time for an interstellar attack by a race of insectoid aliens to send them off to combat. Wooden acting from the young cast of twenty-something high school grads, whether intentional or just a stroke of luck, only adds to the fabrication of gung-ho automatons happily serving a fascist state, while the “Would you like to know more?” FedNet interludes are reminiscent of the wicked sense of humor found in Verhoeven’s earlier Hollywood hits, RoboCop and Total Recall. There’s repetition in the battle scenes, and some of the “teen soap” melodrama could’ve used a sharper rewrite (or removal), but it’s an entertaining show even without an awareness that all the glorification of totalitarianism and fetishization of weapons and warfare is subversive—you can laugh at Doogie Howser in an SS-inspired uniform, or you can cheer at “bugs” getting blasted to kingdom come, but if you don’t have a good time in some way, well, that’s on you. The alien worlds are on the generic side, but they’re enhanced by terrific visual effects and creature designs from Phil Tippett’s team (Craig Hayes, Jules Roman, et al). Music by Basil Poledouris.

78/100