Subject: Review: Starship Troopers (1997)

From: James Berardinelli <[email-masked]>
Date: 5 Nov 1997 17:36:15 GMT

STARSHIP TROOPERS

A Film Review by James Berardinelli

RATING: *** OUT OF ****

United States, 1997
U.S. Release Date: 11/7/97 (wide)
Running Length: 2:09
MPAA Classification: R (Extreme violence, profanity, nudity)
Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1

Cast: Casper Van Dien, Dina Meyer, Denise Richards, Jake Busey, 
      Neil Patrick Harris, Clancy Brown, Michael Ironside, Seth Gilliam, 
      Patrick Muldoon, Marshall Bell
Director: Paul Verhoeven
Producers: Alan Marshall and Jon Davison 
Screenplay: Ed Neumeir based on the novel by Robert A. Heinlein 
Cinematography: Jost Vacano
Music: Basil Poledouris
U.S. Distributor: TriStar Pictures

     Whenever a motion picture tackles a literary classic of any genre, 
fans of the written work hold their collective breaths, hoping for the 
best, but dreading the worst.  On rare occasions, something like THE 
GODFATHER emerges -- a movie that not only fulfills the promise of the 
book, but improves upon it.  Unfortunately, most of the time, we're 
saddled with atrocities like BRAM STOKER'S DRACULA or LEO TOLSTOY'S ANNA 
KARENINA.  And, while it's unfair to lump science fiction writer Robert 
Heinlein into the same category as Tolstoy, the author is a recognized 
great in his chosen genre, and 1959's STARSHIP TROOPERS represents one 
of his best-known novels.  So what about the film?  Those anticipating a 
rigorous adaptation will be dismayed.  On the other hand, anyone in the 
mood for a "popcorn movie" experience will find that STARSHIP TROOPERS 
fills the role handsomely.

     Probably the best way to approach STARSHIP TROOPERS is to divorce 
it from its intelligent and gripping pedigree.  Many of the most 
intellectually stimulating aspects of the book have been stripped away, 
and those that remain are only shadows of their former selves.  (It's 
still a lot smarter than INDEPENDENCE DAY, however.)  Viewers offended 
by the "watering down" of themes in this summer's superlative motion 
picture version of CONTACT will be horrified by what has happened here.  
Nevertheless, taken on its own terms, the movie entity STARSHIP TROOPERS 
offers an enjoyable two hours.  At its best, the film recaptures the 
kind of taut, visceral thrills offered by James Cameron's ALIENS.  At 
its worst, it replicates the feel of a futuristic episode of TV's 
BEVERLY HILLS 90210.  

     STARSHIP TROOPERS represents director Paul Verhoeven's comeback 
attempt after the disastrously-received NC-17 cult favorite, SHOWGIRLS.  
This time around, Verhoeven returns to the genre that has been most kind 
to him.  STARSHIP TROOPERS is his third science fiction endeavor, 
following in the footsteps of ROBOCOP and TOTAL RECALL.  And, as was 
true for both of those films, Verhoeven applies his own unique style to 
the material.  Much of STARSHIP TROOPERS is presented tongue-in-cheek, 
and the level of violence and gore (bodies being ripped limb-from-limb 
and so forth) is so extreme that viewers will quickly become 
desensitized to it.

     The story begins sometime in the future on Earth, where society has 
evolved into what producer Jon Davison calls a "fascist utopia."  It's 
there, in the city of Buenos Aires, that we meet STARSHIP TROOPERS' 
protagonist, Johnny Rico, played by relative newcomer Casper Van Dien.  
Rico, along with classmates Carmen Ibanez (Denise Richards), Carl 
Jenkins (Neil Patrick Harris, TV's Doogie Howser), and Dizzy Flores 
(Dina Meyer, from DRAGONHEART), is preparing for the future as high 
school graduation approaches.  All four friends are considering joining 
the Federal Service -- the futuristic equivalent of today's military.  
Carmen wants to be a pilot, Carl wants to enter the intelligence ranks, 
and Rico and Dizzy are headed for the infantry.  To add a little spice 
to their interaction, a romantic triangle has developed between Rico, 
Carmen, and Dizzy.

     While the early sequences of STARSHIP TROOPERS can seem like a 
prime time soap opera, complete with cheesy dialogue and unconvincing 
character development, it's clear that Verhoeven knows what he's doing.  
None of this is played completely straight; at times, STARSHIP TROOPERS' 
first half-hour treads a line between overblown melodrama and parody.  
Plus, there are the ROBOCOP-like propaganda "news breaks" that are used 
to provide expository material and advance the narrative.  Although none 
of the characters are fleshed out much beyond the comic book level, we 
nevertheless find our sympathies aligning with them.  The largely no-
name cast is not heavy on dramatic acting ability, but everyone is 
appealing and enthusiastic.  The stars of STARSHIP TROOPERS, especially 
Van Dien and Dina Meyer, manage to maintain a certain level of human 
interest in a film that eventually becomes special effects-driven.  

     Following the high school portion of the film, the setting shifts 
to the infantry military school where Rico and Dizzy suffer through 
basic training under the tutelage of a hard-nosed instructor (Clancy 
Brown).  We've seen this stuff many times before, most recently in G.I. 
JANE.  The most memorable sequence of this segment is a co-ed shower 
scene designed to remind us that Verhoeven has no compunction about 
displaying the naked human body, even in a science fiction epic.

     Eventually, we get to the action.  Humanity is at war with a race 
of lethal bugs who hail from the planet Klandathu, located halfway 
across the galaxy.  They nuke an Earth city and mankind retaliates by 
launching an invasion of their homeworld.  Rico and Dizzy are members of 
the invading army, and Carmen pilots the ship taking them there, but the 
campaign turns into a debacle.  The death toll is phenomenal and the 
enemy scores a clear victory.  The war, however, is just beginning.

     If viewers are going to gripe about any aspect of STARSHIP 
TROOPERS, their complaints will be registered against the first half of 
the film, not the second.  Once the war starts, there's hardly any time 
for relaxation.  Verhoeven orchestrates the battles between CGI aliens 
and human actors with consummate skill, creating extended sequences that 
crackle with tension and excitement.  STARSHIP TROOPERS is essentially 
an old-fashioned war movie in a science fiction setting, and the film 
makers adhere to many of the conceits of that genre.  The humans are 
good and the bugs are bad, and there's little room for sentimentality 
amidst all the machismo.  John Wayne would have felt very much at home.

     Technically, STARSHIP TROOPERS is a mixed bag.  Some of the scenes, 
such as an endless wave of spider-like aliens swarming across a rocky 
desertscape or a crippled spaceship breaking in half, involve impressive 
displays of motion picture magic.  On other occasions, however, the 
effects work looks fake.  Perhaps we've gotten to the point where we 
expect such precision and perfection from special effects that anything 
less is immediately noticeable.

     In the final analysis, STARSHIP TROOPERS is flawed but fun, and, if 
marketed correctly, will likely make a healthy profit (although it will 
be interesting to see how the "R" rating affects its ultimate box-office 
performance).  And, while the outline of Heinlein's story and many of 
the characters remain intact, only echoes of the rich and controversial 
political subtext have survived.  If you want content, read the book.  
If you want a skillfully-directed, fast-paced ride through space and 
into war, see the movie.  In a year when so many blockbusters have 
disappointed, STARSHIP TROOPERS ranks as one of the better examples of 
lightweight, big budget entertainment.

Copyright 1997 James Berardinelli

- James Berardinelli
e-mail: [email-masked]

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