If you love author Robert Heinlein's novel, you're going to be sorely disappointed... scratch that. If you love Robert Heinlein's novel, you're going to be infuriated by this adaptation in name only of Starship Troopers. On the other hand, if you loathe that novel, or at least what you perceive or have heard about the ideals and principles that it presents, then you're likely also going to be let down by the brainless and ham-fisted satire it attempts. But if you simply like 90's sci-fi action movies, it's kind of entertaining.
Directed by Paul Verhoeven and written by Edward Neumeier, they attempt to port the formula they used to great effect with RoboCop over to Starship Troopers, but the magic just isn't there. I never agreed, at least as an adult, with RoboCop's heavy handed (and hypocritical) anti-corporate take, but at least there it felt organic (no pun intended) and never overwhelmed the story. Maybe that's because it was an original story and not an "adaptation".
But, for all of its many faults, the handling of the action in Starship Troopers (1997) isn't one of them. Set to the militaristic bombast of the late, great composer Basil Poledouris and led by a cast of beautiful actors, many of whom are gloriously awful at their craft, it's actually quite fun so long as the alien bugs are swarming.
Rating Starship Troopers (1997) was difficult. I love the novel, and so this dimwitted butchering rates as a one. But I do appreciate smart satire, even at the expense of the things I believe in, so I would be willing to go higher if the movie was more intelligent, which if you've managed to read this far, you know that I feel it is not. But as a 90's action movie, I'd probably give it a 6. Maybe even a 7 on a good day. So ultimately I settled on a five and I hope this rambling review at least gives that rating some context.
Directed by Paul Verhoeven and written by Edward Neumeier, they attempt to port the formula they used to great effect with RoboCop over to Starship Troopers, but the magic just isn't there. I never agreed, at least as an adult, with RoboCop's heavy handed (and hypocritical) anti-corporate take, but at least there it felt organic (no pun intended) and never overwhelmed the story. Maybe that's because it was an original story and not an "adaptation".
But, for all of its many faults, the handling of the action in Starship Troopers (1997) isn't one of them. Set to the militaristic bombast of the late, great composer Basil Poledouris and led by a cast of beautiful actors, many of whom are gloriously awful at their craft, it's actually quite fun so long as the alien bugs are swarming.
Rating Starship Troopers (1997) was difficult. I love the novel, and so this dimwitted butchering rates as a one. But I do appreciate smart satire, even at the expense of the things I believe in, so I would be willing to go higher if the movie was more intelligent, which if you've managed to read this far, you know that I feel it is not. But as a 90's action movie, I'd probably give it a 6. Maybe even a 7 on a good day. So ultimately I settled on a five and I hope this rambling review at least gives that rating some context.