In the distant future high school kids are encouraged to become citizens by joining the military. What they don't know is that they'll soon be engaged in a full scale war against a planet of alien insects. The fight is on to ensure the safety of humanity.Written by
Christopher Van Pelt
Casper Van Dien was thrilled that Paul Verhoeven and Edward Neumeier--the director and writer-producer of the film--and Alan Marshall all wanted him, exclaiming, "I was super impressed that that was the case. And I get on the set, and Captain Deladier, who was the Marine who was training all of us, we had done a boot camp and everything, the entire film all he would do is go, "Rico!" I don't know if he knew who I really was, but he'd go, "Rico! Make sure the troops have all the water!" So I'd, as Johnny Rico, I'd have to go around to my two battalion commanders, and then I'd have to go down to each squad leader and then platoon leader and then each person and ask how they were doing on the water, so you know, sometimes we had 1,400 extras and I'd go and talk to every single one of them. So it was amazing." See more »
Goofs
While defending the fort, Rico removes his helmet to make a radio call. When he does this, his hair is messed up. However, before placing the helmet back on, he is seen again with perfect hair. See more »
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.
See more »
Alternate Versions
The Australian Cable, VHS, DVD, and theatrical releases are uncut. The free-to-air TV version makes a few cuts in order to receive an 'M' rating so that the movie may be shown at an earlier 8:30pm time-slot. Nudity and language are intact, and the following scenes are cut for violence:
The decapitation/trench run at the beginning is cut by a few seconds. In the middle of the movie where the scene is replayed, it is still cut. The death of the cameraman is not shown and cuts to Rico shooting the bug still.
The 'knife' scene is cut. The knife is thrown, but it is not actually shown going into the hand, let alone Zim calling out Medic! when he pulls the knife out.
Shujumi's death is cut, the Bug doesn't carry him around before chucking him away.
One of the announcement breaks are cut, The one when the reports of Mormons settle on a military base, with the corpses being shown.
When the Radio Technician is picked up by a Flying Bug, the initial stinging of him is cut.
When Rasczak has his legs bitten off, the shot of Rico fully plays out over the gunshot wound to Rasczak, instead of cutting to the shot.
The three victims of the Tanker Bug are cut.
The showing of Farley with his brains gone is cut.
Numerous cuts occur on the attack on the military base.
Dizzy's death is cut, the initial 2 stabs are in, the next 2 stabs are cut and the pulling out of the claw is cut too, just Rico and Levy carry her back to the lifeboat.
A shot of Carmen wincing in pain after she gets stabbed by a Bug is cut
The scene where the brain bug sucks Zander's brains out is cut; it cuts away to a shot of Carmenafter the head is pierced.
This film is about the ignorance of conquerors and the fact that war makes fascists of us all. Now that doesn't sound like a lot of fun, does it. But guess what: it is fun (by the truckload - at least if you have a pitch-black sense of humour and you do realise what this film is and what it wants to achieve).
Paul Verhoeven was a master at making Sci-Fi films which worked both as perfect mainstream popcorn cinema and as very intelligent social commentary on the direction - he felt - society was headed. And despite the fact that the over-the-top satirical elements and highly political undercurrents in his two previous sci-fi extravaganzas Robocop and Total Recall were only appreciated by a few critics at the time, those two films became huge hits at the box office: because they also offered great action, amazing special effects and overall great entertainment.
My guess is that Verhoeven felt encouraged by that success, and so with Starship Troopers, he didn't just sneak in some subversive parts: he went full-blown satire. Sadly, that didn't go down too well with audiences and critics alike; apparently most viewers didn't get the film at all (the - seemingly - good guys wear Nazi uniforms? What the heck?). Verhoeven even got accused of being a fascist, and it took the director's commentary on the DVD to finally make it once and for all clear what Starship Troopers is about and what the writer's and the director's intentions were.
I wonder whether the studio execs realised what Verhoeven was up to with that film; maybe the director just took their 100 million dollars and ran with it. The result, in any case, is a unique oddity that I personally feel is on par with films like District 9 or even Stanley Kubrick's Dr. Strangelove. It's a masterpiece. And much like another glitch in the Hollywood machine, David Fincher's Fight Club, films like that rarely get made (and not with such budgets), because more often than not, they end up as flops.
Apart from the underlying themes, on the surface Starship Troopers also has a lot going for it: amazing effects that still hold up very well and insanely intense battle scenes with more blood and guts than even the meanest gore-hound could wish for. So no matter how it came about that a studio ever green-lit this and gave Verhoeven a 100 million dollars - I for one will forever be grateful for this unique subversive masterpiece. My vote: 10 out of 10
This film is about the ignorance of conquerors and the fact that war makes fascists of us all. Now that doesn't sound like a lot of fun, does it. But guess what: it is fun (by the truckload - at least if you have a pitch-black sense of humour and you do realise what this film is and what it wants to achieve).
Paul Verhoeven was a master at making Sci-Fi films which worked both as perfect mainstream popcorn cinema and as very intelligent social commentary on the direction - he felt - society was headed. And despite the fact that the over-the-top satirical elements and highly political undercurrents in his two previous sci-fi extravaganzas Robocop and Total Recall were only appreciated by a few critics at the time, those two films became huge hits at the box office: because they also offered great action, amazing special effects and overall great entertainment.
My guess is that Verhoeven felt encouraged by that success, and so with Starship Troopers, he didn't just sneak in some subversive parts: he went full-blown satire. Sadly, that didn't go down too well with audiences and critics alike; apparently most viewers didn't get the film at all (the - seemingly - good guys wear Nazi uniforms? What the heck?). Verhoeven even got accused of being a fascist, and it took the director's commentary on the DVD to finally make it once and for all clear what Starship Troopers is about and what the writer's and the director's intentions were.
I wonder whether the studio execs realised what Verhoeven was up to with that film; maybe the director just took their 100 million dollars and ran with it. The result, in any case, is a unique oddity that I personally feel is on par with films like District 9 or even Stanley Kubrick's Dr. Strangelove. It's a masterpiece. And much like another glitch in the Hollywood machine, David Fincher's Fight Club, films like that rarely get made (and not with such budgets), because more often than not, they end up as flops.
Apart from the underlying themes, on the surface Starship Troopers also has a lot going for it: amazing effects that still hold up very well and insanely intense battle scenes with more blood and guts than even the meanest gore-hound could wish for. So no matter how it came about that a studio ever green-lit this and gave Verhoeven a 100 million dollars - I for one will forever be grateful for this unique subversive masterpiece. My vote: 10 out of 10
Favorite films: IMDb.com/list/mkjOKvqlSBs/
Lesser-Known Masterpieces: imdb.com/list/ls070242495/
Favorite Low-Budget and B-Movies: imdb.com/list/ls054808375/
Favorite TV-Shows reviewed: imdb.com/list/ls075552387/