Serious Sci-Fi # 7

Welcome back class, today I’m throwing you a curve ball, with the not so serious Starship Troopers, this 1997 Paul Verhoeven film stars a young Casper Van Dien as Rico and a cast of young Hollywood types . This film is based on a serious Science fiction book by Robert A. Heinlein published in 1959. The book itself deals with many social issues such as fascism and war, the movie though takes the action to the ground as our Troops encounter bug like aliens in the distant future.

This movie is typical summer fair with heavy visual effects and, at the time bloody war scenes of troops being torn apart by these huge stink bug like aliens. The visuals are of top quality and the overall story is well done. I must add that   the film has a number of flaws most notably the human starship commanders and some   unexplainable wounds healing. But I nitpick, on to the fun part the movie itself and the pace established by the filmmakers.

The movie takes place like a future web page where embedded reporters, report in real time    on troop activities and the audience is quickly thrown into the thick of battle. Now this film did not perform as the studio expected but in time the film has aged well. The cast of notables include Denise Richards, Dina Meyer and a young Gary busey, I’m kidding, his son Jake Busey in a brilliant but minor role. I feel the film works because the characters are allowed to grow and as the leads are thrown into the thick of battle, many die heroically and some comically but the action is kept crisp and coherent.

Many feel this film fell way below the book and while this is true our concern here is for well made Sc-Fi and this one delivers in spades. This film does have a notable quote of use in our times and its one of my personal favorites, ” To kill the bug, you must become the bug “. This concludes our little detour into popcorn Sci-Fi. Next on the agenda another classic, 1983’s Brainstorm staring none other then Mr.cowbell himself Christopher Walken. End of line.