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Starship Troopers (Special Edition)

Starship Troopers (Special Edition)

List Price: $27.95
Your Price: $22.36
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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Paul Verhoven's Messin'with your Mind
Review: This seems to be a minority view, in that only about one in five reviews I've read see it this way, but I'm convinced that this film is one of the greatest cinematic jokes ever. It seems to me that the film is a very, very clever comment on propaganda film. I think the idea behind it is that it is exactly the sort of film that a patriotic director in Heinlen's fascistic Starship Troopers society would produce to motivate people to get behind the war effort. Therefore, you have the attractive stars, the heroic action and most importantly, the dehumanization of the enemy. The fact that the enemy are bugs is the device he uses to get a late 20th century audience to fall for the trick, but when you take a step back, what the film actually tells you as fact about the bugs is only that they were attacked first by humans and fought back: there is no other reason to think the bugs evil or deserving of slaughter other than the viewer's (cleverly manipulated) anti-bug prejudice. Substitute for "bugs" Jews, Germans, Communists, etc, etc. . . Get it?

I suspect Verhoven would regard the fact that most reviewers see the film only as a moderately successful (if slightly over-the-top) action movie as confirmation of his point about the power of well-crafted propaganda.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Fast-paced, large scale sci-fi/action film dosed with comedy
Review: Paul Verhoeven is definitely a hit or miss director. He's had a fairly uneven career and to say Starship Troopers is his best film might not say a whole lot despite the fact it is a fine film. It has everything that appeals to teenagers: lots of action, gory violence, big budget special effects, young hot teen actors, and a moderate amount of sex/nudity.

Starship Troopers takes place in the future, presumably not anywhere near the present day. Citizens are the ones who protect the planet. The film focuses on a group of teens who become citizens. There's Johnny Rico (Casper Van Dien), who signed up mobile infantry basically so he could keep contact with his girlfriend Carmen Ibanez (Denise Richards), who is training to become a pilot. Then there's Dizzy Flores (Dina Meyer), one of Rico's classmates and has a huge crush on him so she follows him to infantry. From there, after receiving training and hearing of a war with the giant insects on the planet Klendathor, they must prepare for combat against a seemingly intelligent enemy.

Filled with large scale action sequences obviously inspired by the likes of Aliens and Zulu, this is very much an exciting and tense film. The first half focuses mainly on humor, combat training, and some social satire. The second half is an exercise in non-stop action, and it does feature some of the best action sequences in a sci-fi/action film.

As for the comedy, the film probably wouldn't have worked without it. They aren't just cheap jokes but rather well-done humor portrayed by cocky young men and women along with some funny political and social satire.

There's also the special effects which are quite simply spectacular. The sight of thousands of swarming giant arachnids is frightening and mind-boggling in its sheer size. Some of the effects do venture on the disgusting, as the film does feature an extreme amount of blood and gore, along with some ugly-looking creatures.

For some reason, whenever I discuss this film with my friends they always seem to mention the shower scene. I suppose a lot of teens did partially go to watch the film for the nude shower scene, which is a bit gratuitous.

With all the pluses going for it, Troopers is not a perfect movie. There's the acting, which is considerably the weakest aspect of the film. Casper Van Dien is pretty flat. There are some moments where he shows some charisma, particulary during the battle scenes, but it's fairly rare. Denise Richards and Dina Meyer are both very good-looking women, but only one of them shows good acting ability and that's Meyer. After a wooden performance in Dragonheart she displays a lot of fun machismo in a role that would usually supply a man instead of a woman. Richards, on the other hand, stumbles through her role, delivering her dialogue in a laughable manner. This performance wasn't just a fluke as she has proved herself a dreadful actress after The World is Not Enough. Jake Busey is okay as comic relief, but he would be fairly bad in this film as anything other than that. Neil Patrick Harris basically plays the genius again, only this time he's a pretty hard-edged character, at least in the second half of the film. Patrick Muldoon basically sleepwalks through his role. The real scene stealer of the film is Clancy Brown, as the mobile infantry Drill Sergeant Zim.

Despite a 90210 love triangle, some poor performances, and the fact that all the characters have Hispanic names (but are clearly not Hispanic), Starship Troopers is clearly a very entertaining, exciting, humorous, and action-packed film that should thrill sci-fi/action fans.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: It was a great ride!
Review: ok! so it isn't the best scrip in the world.. But the story will hold just enough to get you to the action.. this is not a big movie for thought but it is a fun ride!

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: A Lot of Effects, But Where's the Beef?
Review: "Starship Troopers" may not be the worst film ever made, but it certainly ranks up there. Director Paul Verhoeven once again demonstrates his preference for excess detail in his production design and action scenes rather than concentrate on such minor things as character, plot and motivation. The characters in this adaptation of Robert Heinlein's best novel are flat and dull. Very few of them can act, and those who can't have to rely on their Barbie and Ken doll good looks to get them through their scenes. People joke about William Shatner's wooden performances in Star Trek, but the so-called acting in this movie makes Shatner's work appear Oscar-worthy. The story itself jerks between moralizing about democracy, being a spoof on fascism, a pathetic love story with lots of T&A (especially in the shower scene -- Verhoeven seems particularly enamoured with group nude scenes (Robocop, for example)) with little chemistry, and a war against an insect race that is portrayed as solely a monster with little understanding as to why they do what they do.

The effects were astounding, and if you love effects then you'll love this film. Phil Tippet's work on the bugs is spectacular, and the space ship shots occasionally rival the best Star Wars has to offer. Other than that, the movie isn't worth the price of a bargain matinee.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Coulda been better.
Review: This film has many genuenly intelligent undertones that are never realized. The Arachnids are incredable and it has some the coolest looking starships I've ever seen. Only watch this film for it's special effects.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Very unrealistic
Review: To be perfectly honest, the special effects and sound for the movie was amazing. If it wasnt for that I would have probably tossed the DVD out. I find it kinda a silly movie which ABSOLUTELY 0% portrays the real way the human race would deal with a problem such as that. First of all, we would NEVER attempt to send in troops armed with pretty much water guns against a gigantic insect with jaws that are able to rip apart a tank. Secondly, we would NEVER get rid of air support or tank support and move to just troops. Unless we are fighting chickens with sticks who the heck would send in troops against a big bug? We would carpet bomb, blast the area and pick up scraps later. A bug with a brain would not be the first thing we would care about, we would care about winning and being on top! They could have done a better job with it.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Unquestionably the worst movie ever made.
Review: The title says it all.

This movie is so bad, it actually causes me physicl pain whenever I catch sight of it on cable.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: I'm Doing my part....
Review: This is a briliant view of what the future should be like. A one world government with Vetran rule. Earn the right to vote. A common enemy to focus energies at. Yes, this is a true vision of a perfect world. If you liked the book, you will love the movie. Even though the book is a different animal.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: The worst movie ever made?
Review: Bad. Hated it. Hated it. Really hated it. If it had been done with deft humor, it could have been really funny (maybe), but the film takes itself so seriously that it isn't even laughable as a campy B movie such as Plan 9. The big "smart bug", the pseudo-science, the psychobabble/esp stuff is just too barfy. The WWII movie bootcamp and combat scenes come across not as campy nor as "making a social statement", but as just plain corny at best or "gag me with a spoon" at worst. This is, I believe, the worst movie I've ever seen. Doesn't deserve even one star.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: GREAT "SPECIAL" EFFECTS ; - )
Review: Not a bad idea for a movie but not a lot of talent in it. Neet creaturs, cool battles, and a couple nice love scenes.


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