Plot: What’s it about?
OK. I like this one a lot…despite the fact I think I disliked this greatly the first time around when I saw it in the theaters. This has to be one the most successful badly reviewed and misinterpreted films I have ever seen.
On a surface level, if you like action you will like this film. If you like special effects, you will like this film. If you like ultra-violence you will REALLY like this film.
And most importantly, if you are a fascist, you will enjoy this film. Yeah, you heard me right…fascist.
What is this film…itÆs a fascist propaganda film…really.
And if you look real hard and like a director that likes to play head games, you will likely become a huge fan.
At first glance this film seems to be a prototype for the most mindless of action films. In one sentence here is the plot:
Are you ready?
OK: The universally super-good looking young humans, being led by the universally ugly and hideously deformed elders fight a war against the giant ugly bugs at a far point in the universe. Almost everyone dies a gloriously, hideously glorious, death.
The script couldnÆt be simpler or more insepid. The acting is cardboard, as is the plot. If you arenÆt looking all you will see is a very mindless action film.
But donÆt let the brilliant political and social allegory [is that the right word, I may have to look it up] slip past you.
Verhoeven, the brilliant director of “Robocop”, “Soldier of Orange” and “Total Recall” is playing with your head. He is making you root for the bad guys. He is trying to suck you in and dumb you down. To revert you to your most primitive and primal basics. To get you drooling with a lust for bug blood.
But get this…the bugs are the good guys! Really. The humans are the bad guys. WE are the bad guys, even though you might never know it.
What is “Starship Troopers”:
- and action film: [yes, but just as a means to an end…a tool to suck you in]
- a faithful interpretation of a Robert A. Heinlen novel [not even close. The resemblance doesnÆt go any further than the name.]
- a fascist propaganda film
C. Its “C”. Verhoeven and the screenwriter Ed Neumeier have created a film to suck out all your brain cells, compassion and reason and turn you into a fighting machine…a couch potato fighting machine.
Watch the film closely. We are the bullies. The humans have stepped into the bug realm of the universe and are big bullies. The bugs are simply protecting themselves and the homeland. Everything you see in the film is dished out by the war and history scarred humans to convince the now pretty and soon to be dead or scarred youth to wage war on what is a non-offensive species of big bugs.
Bugs are people too.
If only you could see them through bug eyes, you would see their beauty, understand their culture and their will to live and to fight for that right.
This is a movie to watch 1st for id, then for the ego, then for the super ego.
ItÆs a film to watch when you want to dumb down or brighten up.
You can watch it either way, but this certainly is not a dumb film. ItÆs much brighter than 90% of the audience that paid good money to be manipulated. I suggest you watch it and appreciate just how well a super fine director can manipulate the masses.
Video: How does it look?
Fantastic, in all its widescreen glory. It’s anamorphically enhanced…
Audio: How does it sound?
Fantastic again, but I may have to move. There are key sequences of combat when my subwoofer kicked into overdrive. If the sound were any more dynamic I may have the co-op board asking me to find new digs. So if you donÆt live in a soundproofed environment restrain yourself and keep the volume down. Then take a day off and wait till everyone in your apartment building, co-op or condo has gone to work and then, and only then. Blast the sucker. DonÆt do this to help understand the allegory. Do it when you want to kill those damn ugly bugs. The only good bug is a dead bug!
Supplements: What are the extras?
This has audio commentary that MUST be listened to! I had theories about what Verhoeven was doing with this film. I wondered if he would æfess up about playing head games with the audience and he does.
If someone, ANYONE wears black, itÆs Bad, Bad, BAD!!!!, Verhoeven says early in the commentary with a gusto that proves his unique flavor and also glimpses a reaction to how poorly interpreted and reviewed this film has been. Screenwriter Neumeier and Verhoeven put it all on the table. You will start to question the intention of every dumb action film you ever see after you see what a great director can do to manipulate you.
Overall-Buy it, just buy it. If your dumb and like mindless films you will love it. If you are really sharp, youÆll like it even more. So, if you are dumb, buy it, pretend you are smart and impress your smart friends. If you are smart, buy it and impress all your dumb friends.
ItÆs a win, win proposition. Now the only question is what to do with all those bugs…
