After reading the book, I definitely notice the difference between reviews of the book readers and those that didn't. Unfortunately the director was satirizing a book he didn't understand and many viewers didn't understand his satire.
@@SwingDancer61 maybe that's for the better...I found Robert Heinlein's arguments positively exciting and thought provoking but I don't exactly want it being dug up by today's mainstream
@Nobody's Shadow The book made it clear that people who served got the right to vote. The movie also included that, but was easy to miss given all of the fascist imagery. That imagery shows what the director thought of the source material.
@Nobody’s Shadow Insisting that the book was exclusively about military tactics is hugely reductionist. Its about civil development, self-discovery through discipline, post-prejudice culture and the necessity of finding a way to end war with minimal casualties on both sides. Also, existential morality that Verhoven might have agreed with if he only read the fucking thing.
@@SwingDancer61 Are you serious? Please tell me that the original book was also a satirizing a misunderstanding. Please tell me that we're 3 levels deep.
TitanFind, Your opinion does not matter, you are just as useless as me and people who don't like stormshittroopers. Like the movie though, but lets not turn it into something more than it is.
People should really check out the "Roughnecks: Starship Troopers Chronicles" series. Although it was intended as a 'saturday morning cartoon', it was actually pretty good, and managed to take the silly concepts of this movie and make it serious, and some really good Science Fiction. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roughnecks:_Starship_Troopers_Chronicles
Can confirm. I just saw season 8 of Game of Thrones. I could see more details in a coal mine at midnight with a blindfold on and with my eyes gouged out than I did in episode 3.
Came back here just because of this xD. Just seeing people missing the goddamn point so hard by saying stuff like "I can't relate with something that looks that different from me". Congratulations, you just self-reported xD Was there any reason the discussion flared up again? Was it Helldivers or did it just suddenly happen?
@@Towerofhelldefinitely helldivers. Made a huge splash and so OGs are pointing out that starship troopers was a big source of inspiration for the game.
I remember Verhoeven remarking in one of his interviews how he wanted to make a film with satire so obvious people who understand it will be forever tormented by those who don't.
Robert Heinlein writes a novel and gets accused of promoting fascism. Paul Verhoeven believes this and without reading the book makes a movie adaptation attempting to satirize it and gets accused of promoting fascism. Its like poetry.
Shame. I saw the movie when I was young and obviously loved it being an adolescent boy haha I read (listened on Audible) the book in December and wow was it different. I didn't get a sense of fascism from it either. I don't recall freedom of speech being outlawed in the Federation.
Fascism doesn't mean lack of freedom of speech. The problem with this book being called fascist lies with people who's brains operate on Boolean logic (i.e. true or false and nothing in-between or outside). Both fascism and the human society in the book are modeled after the first Roman Republic so no wonder there are some parallels. But calling the later (and the book in total) fascist is as wrong as calling dolphins fishes on the grounds of both being vertebrates living in water.
Spown being based on it doesn't equal it. Freedom of Speech was just an example as it is an attribute of Fascism. The society described in the book didn't strike me as Fascist for many reasons. Overall I agree with you.
The novel certain does promote fascism, but it's more of a roman republic style of fascism (the same government that the US sought to emulate at its conception) than the variety of fascism which people associate with 1940s Italy and Germany. I wouldn't want to have lived under Mussolini, but a Heinleinian military republic sounds like a step up from what the US currently has.
I don't think the novel is trying to promote this as a universally good way to govern society. If I remember it right Rico is taught that this system is more or less a pragmatic solution to having a stable governing body over the entire human population. It's not argued that the volunteers are smarter, more patriotic, or more moral than others. It is explained that it just works. It's almost like this bug fighting Sci-Fi society tried the citizen soldier thing on a whim and kept it because it randomly yielded good results. This is one of the few ideas in this book that isn't justified with solid reasoning. I'd guess it's a way of Heinlein winking at the reader to let them know that this isn't practical unless you live in the "Starship Trooper" universe. I think people also get too caught up in this because the ideas brought up through the political landscape are the least discuss. I think the major themes more have to do with self-betterment through trial and conflict. Sort of that what doesn't kill us makes us stronger kind of thing.
Definitely remember ten-year old me watching the ending of this movie completely missing the point just thinking there was gonna be a cool ass sequel coming. Not even a shred of irony detected from my part
As a kid I remember I was 99.9% oblivious-- but there was always a weird little twinge of "something isn't quite right here" every time I watched it. I think the satire detectors in your brain don't /fully/ form until at least your early 20's.
I first saw this movie at around 8 or 9 and I never saw the end until I was a teenager because I got too scared from seeing everyone get torn to shreds and asked my mom to turn it off (she was not happy to find out what I was watching at 1am lol)
Yeaaah me too, but i do remember slightly feeling like some stuff didnt make sense for a normal movie, like what they showed here where as they were practicing someone gets shoot and killed and the dude screams medic xD. That type of stuff and the mindless atitude some scene had, made me go "hmm?" but never really though much about it.
My favorite part of the movie is towards the end, when johnny rico says to Ace Levy "we're the old guys now." And up until that point, they've only been in 2 battles. So it takes 2 battles for 95% of your squad to be completely wiped out, to where you only have 3 or 4 veterans left. That's some 40k imperial guard numbers right there.
I was in that movie. I'm in a backless, tangerine-colored dress in the dance scene just behind Casper and Denise. Most fun I had as an 18-year-old hanging out in L.A. for the summer. :)
Why? The government IN THE MOVIE virtually never used big propaganda once. Why would they start? Unless you think televising how many people died and that being in the MI is basically suicide is good propaganda.
@@kerenton5897 they’re literally showing you propaganda news reels that the government in the movie made... throughout the entire movie! On top of that, it’s all they pushed as propaganda in school and in basic training. Did you miss the whole movie? It’s EXACTLY what the government in the movie would’ve made as a propaganda film lmao. It’s basically their space marine version of triumph of the wills. The news reels stuff is basically the only moments where the movie breaks character to wink at the audience just to sell this entire idea. The movie ENDS in a news reel promoting fascism lmao.
@@tacky4237 Would you deny that the government depicted in the movie is at the very least leaning towards authoritarian? Because while any direct implication of fascism is hidden in the details there seems to be a lot fascist tendencies underlying their society.
This movie is definitely worth a re-watch. My friends were cast as extras in it and I remember going to see it to support them and have a laugh. It was an entertaining, whizz-bang, cheesy sci-fi action movie and I loved it. I think I saw it at least 2 or 3 times. The satire wasn't lost on me then but it really didn't resonate back in 1997. I had forgotten about the movie but saw it again years later on cable or DVD. It was a few years after 9/11 It suddenly wasn't just a dumb action flick. The entire mood of the country changed after that attack. Normally mild mannered citizens were talking like the guy in Buenos Aires saying things like "The Only Good Bug is a Dead Bug" Paul Verhoeven created an eerily prophetic vision of a not-too-distant future. He has since become one of my favorite directors because of his unique style and visionary satire. He didn't need to see the WTC collapse to imagine a world where we are 1 catastrophe away from a militaristic culture where "KILL EM ALL!!" is always the answer in a never-ending war against inhuman, evil boogeymen from another country...oops, I mean planet. And we all cheer at the end.
Coronavirus is the new bug but it's those unvaccinated Trumpers who are going to be the death of us all, spreading variants like crazy. If any anti-vaxxers catch Covid I say keep 'em locked out the hospital and let 'em die!
Expansionist empire uses a terrorist attack as a casus belli to lay a desert civilization to waste in search of resources. The empire's soldiers capture the enemy leader, torture him and declare victory for propaganda purposes, but it's not clear what has been won. What is clear is that millions of lives have been lost. Starship Troopers or The War on Terror? Well... both.
A Crossfire parody. So that would be CNN. However, FOX fits, also. The days are over, where you can disparage everything with "Leftist." Keep trying, if You insist, but it's a futile mission. Wait, on second thought, Pat Buchanan was on Crossfire. He's pretty left-wing, right? John McLaughlin, the host? Geez, the lefties are everywhere.
If you're a kid watching, you'll like because of the sci-fi elements, if you're an adult wacthing, you'll like because of the sci-fi elements and the satire.
one of my favourite parts, is when, during training, the other guy accidentaly gets his head blown, and his brain is all over the floor. And then Rico goes: "Medic!!" Lmao
100% protocol. Set list of shit you do asap in set emergencies even if in retrospect or even currently you know it's fruitless. I didn't mind the "medic!" But that scene was fucked
Kind of a similar joke in the opening of Tropic Thunder where a guy gets shot in the head and has a Tarantino-esque blood fountain spraying out of his clearly dead face as the medic tries to patch him up. Maybe an homage.
@@GenericProtagonist7 Guess he should have screamed: "meeedic... Coorp!" then. Uh mate? Edit: Sarcasm aside, heres what happened friend. I watched that scene, and my brain, for a brief while, nanoseconds if you will, removed it out of context, and so the scene itself became funny, gave me a chuckle. All this, at the same time, recognizing that, in context, the scene itself is brutal, and with consequences within the movie. Seems the Human brain is a wonderfull thing, and it can actually do both: find something funny, while knowing its silly to think thats funny, at the same time. :) cheers
@@Rastek19 It seems funny now.... but it's sort of explainable. Broadcast TV via rabbit ears on tiny CRT TV's that are between 8 and 30" black and white or maybe color TV's. If you didn't go slow and steady with holding shots, no one on the other end would know what they were looking at.
The secret to good looking CGI is to plan ahead what you need animated and plan the shots accordingly, and then giving the animators enough time to do it right. Better computers don't mean much when you just shot some stuff to "fix it in post" and give the animators one month to work. CGI in Jurasic Park looks great, CGI in Lord of the Rings looks great. You just have to treat it as something that needs time and care, not something you can quickly slap together to fill holes.
I think our brains are kind of hard wired to accept a leggy scuttling thing is a real creature, so no uncanny valley effect as with CGI humans. Also they took the very clever decision to reduce the legs from six to four, which made them distinct looking not just like ants or termites. It also saved a fortune in rendering time on the computers back then.
@@royw-g3120 Nah, there are some awful looking CGI creature effects in film, and it isn't wholly dependent on our familiarity with the depicted creatures.
Since dutch is my first language i've got an interesting anecdote about how this movie got made from Paul Verhoeven himself. In 2006 Verhoeven received the 'gouden kalf' (dutch version of the oscars) for the movie Zwartboek. During the celebrations he talked on dutch tv about his career in Hollywood and how he learned that inside info about the studios was crucial to make movies. When he presented the rough cut of starship troopers to the board of Sony he knew they were going to get replaced before the next meeting. So he ignored all the comments and changes they wanted. Sony (according to Paul Verhoeven) went through difficult times then. Next meeting he did the same and so forth until there was no time left before the release. I also remeber everybody laughing in the audience after the reveal because he had this triumphant smile on his face.
Because when it released, everyone was just viewing the film superficially. Half like the big dumb bug fight with the cool Troopers and the other half were like SPACE NAZI's never noticed it was making fun of them! Honestly I don't think it was until Team America that both sides got the hint/joke.
I was like 8 when I saw this. Mom rented it from Blockbuster cuz she thought it was a "Star Wars kinda movie" She's pops it on the TV and goes to do laundry, bout 30 minutes goes by and my dad calls her from work to see what's up. Mom: Oh yeah, Seth is downstairs watching a movie. Dad: Oh what movie? M: Starship Troopers D: WHAT, TURN IT OFF Mom runs downstairs and I'm hiding under my blanket during the "first invasion" scene. First time seeing boobs, 10/10
Satire works best when it leaves you feeling unsure about whether to take it seriously or not. That's why Starship Troopers works. That's also probably why it bombed.
@@gundamzerostrike Erm, kind of. They are a fascist state even though they're working together. The film is essentially lambasting that though, rather than promoting it.
@@IAMShteve They are not fascist, they are a republic like most western countries today, the only difference is they don't have universal suffrage because it leads to massive problems. Problems like we see modern countries have now and how people will vote themselves other people's money and parties that are more than willing to do that if it means they have power. Fascism is state control from the top down where the people answer to the state and not the other way around (just read Mussolini, the socialist that developed fascism). What we see in the movie (not just the book) is that non-citizens (civilians) enjoy every freedom except the right to vote (which comes with extra responsibilities). Rico's dad runs a successful business and his family is quite wealthy enjoying freedom (both economic and movement) even though they are not citizens, and they actively try to discourage Rico from getting his citizenship because it means responsibilities toward the people (aka society) and not just their own personal responsibilities. To quote Rasczak: "Something given has no basis in value." It is neither fascist to promote responsibility, nor is it fascist to suggest that the people that vote and control the government have responsibilities to the people and society.
@@nerofl89 I'd say it's more neo-fascist than a republic. Yes, the people can vote, but only if they earn the right through designated public service, primarily the military. If you've been indoctrinated through the military, then you can play a part in how the world is managed. Authoritarianist.
@@IAMShteve It's not fascist in any form, universal suffrage for republics is only a brand new concept, and one that is proving to be a very bad idea. Neither in the movie, nor the book do they say the military is the only/predominant option (unlikely to be predominant just look at modern governments where militaries are a very small percentage of civil jobs). We are following a person joining the military so of course all we will see is the military side of the equation. Also, authoritarianism is a strong centralized government that limits freedoms of the people to conform to the will of the state, but we know from the book and movie that civilians (non citizens) enjoy every freedom they only lack ability to vote, that is not by any definition authoritarian or fascist. The only differences between civilians and citizens is the ability to vote and the responsibilities that come with that right to vote. If you want to discuss why the military uniforms appear similar to Nazis, that is irrelevant to anything other than appearances which is the director's fault (Verhoeven has made it clear he did not read the book so any fascistic appearances are entirely on his framing and not in either the screenplay or book).
@@nerofl89 if you read the book it goes into the history of how their government was created. I would not call it fascist. Literally anybody capable of understanding the oath of enlistment is allowed to enlist. And most people who enlist don't go into the mobile infantry because they are not good enough.
It's weird, isn't it? CGI is more realistic than ever before, yet movies feel so lifeless. It is like subconsciously there is a part of our brain that isn't tricked no matter how far we take CGI, but for some reason even cheesy older special effects are more immersive.
I thought the point was that the bugs were going to be the perpetual enemy needed to maintain the fascist state. Kind of like Oceania, Eurasia, and Eastasia being intentionally locked in an eternal war in "1984."
I just rewatched this in 4k. Something I noticed is on the first contact when Ace doesn't know what to do and Rico takes over and says kill em all; the bugs are holding back. They aren't attacking. They don't attack until the humans do.
I noticed that too, both bugs and humans are standing on the battlefield looking at each other not fighting and then the trigger happy troopers shoot first and then get absolutely destroyed by the bugs.
The bugs aren't holding back..... they were forming up. You can clearly see more and more of them breaking off from where they were going to assist the ones in front of the troopers. What you are seeing is the 1st time in combat inexperience of the troopers as they realize they are in over their head with how much it took to take down one bug and they see a massive enemy force in the background. You have also been shown earlier in the film what happens when you don't follow orders and currently there is no one there in charge. The scene perfectly shows what happens to green troops in their first combat experience.
@@ChadGatling The movie can be about the bad guy humans without every single scene showing it. Considering the outpost was in their territory, we're already supposed to find the humans being there bad.
@@frankmerker630 if you were raised on the Heinlein novel the movie is tough adjustment. I hated the movie originally for that reason. Over time I grew to appreciate what they were trying to do, but it’s not really Heinlein’s starship troopers.
lednerg I wonder if Strangelove is more readily accepted as satire because modern viewers are looking back at a presentation form (50s-ish) as reflexively silly already?
My favorite part about any red letter media stuff is that when Mike brings up Star Trek, you can immediately tell Jay is not super excited about having to watch whatever episode is being referenced to be able to edit clips in
You forgot to mention Phil Tippett and his team hand animated a lot of the bugs as well but people think they were CG because how smooth and lifelike the moved.
Sure, because governments denouncing something in public and endorsing it behind closed doors never happened in history... especially fascist governments :)
@@DanielleTinkov hell I can believe that Mormon separatists would defy a Governments warnings to settle somewhere dangerous so that they can practice polygamy, after all it has happened before
@@DanielleTinkov yea... but... -the government didnt know the bugs lived there -there is no proof the government endorsed the mormons, in the books however it is very clear the mormons are seperatists -the government is not fascistic, but a republic. -the government shows accountability, and the conversation is openly had to conversate with the bugs in some diplomatic way... then BUENOS AIRES HAPPENS.
I was watching this movie just last night, and during the ending credits I noticed something interesting. "Mr. Busey's Violin Coach: Martine Verhoeven." At the time, I thought, "That's a funny coincidence." Then I did a quick Google search and found out that she's Paul Verhoeven's wife, and her only movie credit is that she helped Jake Busey learn to play the violin. That's something that I feel deserves more credit, or at the very least to be more well known. On an unrelated note, this episode of re:View makes me feel a little guilty. I did notice all (most) of the military propaganda and satire in the first half of the film, but I also really like the second half. Big dumb sci-fi action is definitely one of my guilty pleasures, and I'm not sure how sad it is to say that I almost always prefer that to stuff that tries to make you think.
There's nothing wrong with that, I think. Good satire works on several levels, and the best satire can smoothly replace the thing it's satirising while also elevating the content with commentary. As an audience member, you get to enjoy both at once - that's what makes ST so special
Personally. The visual metaphor of Rico, after he shouts “come on you apes you wanna live forever!”, where he dawns his helmet and then just fade into the crowd of troopers was the most spine tingling. Rico is now just a drone in a society of drones, no better or worse. A visual metaphor of the soul vanishing into the grey mass all individuality gone forever. (Which is why there shouldn’t have been a sequel because the whole point of the story is the death of innocence and the complete loss of individuality. Whether Rico lives to be 120 years old or died that day in battle, he was already dead in that scene.)
What a load of shit. This society is BASED ON INDIVIDUALITY. Everyone is born a civilian and given the 100% BORN RIGHT to become a citizen, his parents even don't want him to (as they are millionaires as civilians) but it's HIS CHOICE. Citizens are in the minority, most are civilians who can do everything -but- vote. Not a fascist soulless society, but a well governed one where the rejects and leeches can't vote for selfish things.
Post 9/11 or if this was made in the cold war the satire would've been more obvious, but it came out at a time where people had a huge false sense of security
This was right around the time of operation desert storm, the satire was on point. It was just too smart for general audiences and mostly went over people's heads, there was no internet to see fat schlubs from wisconsin explain the movie
@@meryatathagres1998 We are the Finns. Russia has been a threat ever since the Soviet Union collapsed. Constant border violations, espionage, threats, etc.
@@salted6422 Bullshit. Niinistö and Putin are friends. Finnish defence is also capable of inflicting way too much pain at Russian invaders, that it's simply not practical for them. And if there's one thing Russian dictators like, it's practical solutions and relations. "Constant border violations, espionage, threats, etc." LOL! Besides, Finland has couple nukes stashed away and Putin knows it. They might only be 100 kilotons, but they'll fuck up st. Petersburg.
When this was released I was 16. I went to see it 3x because of the violence and the cheese. I knew it was satire. But it’s production value, action and SE were amazing! Nothing but fun.
I remember I was in cross country in high school and I twisted my ankle during the warm up. My friend ran and asked if I was okay. I just turned to him and said "Rico, you know what to do!" In his voice and everything. Unfortunately he had no idea what I was referencing lol.
Damn, man. You ran the risk of him actually knowing what you were referencing, and then he'd shoot you in the chest. You are brave, man... very brave indeed. Lol
My dad came up to me when I was 18 and he said "son I have 2 words for you..........STARSHIP TROOPERS". My dad was a sci-fi artist and he dragged me to see it. I ended up seeing this movie about 5 times in theatres with him. He was a great father and my best friend. I just recently lost my father to a heroin overdose. I miss you dad. I will always love you. You are out there exploring the universe like you always wanted to. You are now free.
You know what this movie, that was meant to be a joke, has that movies today don't? The story actually makes sense and everything can be explained without jumping through hoops.
Yes. The writers explained more by not trying to explain more. The more you try to explain what actually only happens because the writer says so the less believable the explanation becomes.
@@darkstar4494 sure, but the problem has gotten worse because the same disregard for a well crafted narrative is now mixed together with "world-building" that confuses quantity of tedious (and self contradictory) detail for putting together an interesting setting
The quality of the sound effects in the movie are seldom talked about. They're so _good_ Some of my personal favorites: The crack of the whip during Rico's punishment All of the bug screeches The slurpy/sippy straw sound as the brain bug dines on the guy Rico and his "final stand" with the shotgun The turrets during the base defense scene
It's even more brilliant considering it was basically an outline of how the War on Terror would go just a few years later. Verhoven is a damned time traveller.
Jimmy Seaver so is Hideo Kojima. When did Metal Gear Rising come out? 2013? 2014? at the end, Raiden fights a nanomachine-enhanced psycho President who yells he'll "make America great again."
Not necessarily. MGS2 was in development before and released soon after 9/11, yet more or less predicts government surveillance of electronic communications.
When I was in middle school, I did an apprenticeship with one of the guys who built the model ships for this movie. They had car batteries and shit in them
Dale Stafford that is one of the reasons I love this movie. It was one of the last movies to use models instead of CGI rendering. Compare them to the stupid Nabu fighters and queen amidala's shuttle in the phantom menace.
I've always been perplexed by my reaction to this movie, cuz I saw it when it came out, and thought it was the stupidest thing ever. Then, by chance I saw it in like 2004 or so, right after the Iraq invasion, and I suddenly appreciated the brilliant satire. Not sure why I didn't get it at first, but after "freedom fries" and color-coded terrorism threat forecasts, it all suddenly hit home. Guess Im kinda dense.
Nah, time makes you see things differently. No matter your age. Sometimes I'll hate a movie for whatever reason, but when I see it years later it clicks for me. I just suddenly see it differently and have a greater appreciation for it.
@Danny Tallmage yes because it would be a net negative if Russia proved to the rest of the world that brutality and savagery will work, and annexing your neighbors will draw minimal consequences as long as you threaten nuclear annihilation when you start losing. Ukraine wasn't some Mormon colony that landed in Russia and attempted to seize land. It has a right to exist and to determine its own destiny, including if that means distancing itself from Putin's Russia and opening itself to the West.
@@psilobom “it would be a net negative if Russia proved to the world that brutality and savagery work…” Very naive. So NATO is fighting against savagery and brutality, right? The US has a growing number of politicians on the right who are calling for an invasion of their neighbor Mexico. If Biden is voted out and one of these dopes replaces him, the US might very well send troops there next. Humor me for a moment. How will NATO react, do you think? Would they fight alongside Mexicans against US savagery and barbarism? Do you think the member states of NATO will kick the US out?😂 Never for an instant believe the US and Western Europe are allied for any reason beyond the cynical pursuit of their own interests abroad. They are not the world police.
@@psilobom Oh man sure would be a shame to show the world that brutality and savagery work. How many countries has the US invaded in the last 20 years? 22? Oops. Oh wait and the CIA funded a coup in Ukraine in 2014? Well golly gee.
If you didn't get that this was satire after "Mobile Infantry made me the man I am today" you may have some problems with the satire center of your brain. I still don't get that people don't get this.
Chris Eveley I think when the film came out most people saw it as a sifi war film with satire added in, not as a wholly satirical film. It took me three screenings to realize it was satirizing fascism and wasn’t just a cool Star Wars rip-off
I saw the film when it was released and knew it was a satire. But it didn't seem relevant. I was in High School and wasn't as aware of US Foreign policy as I should have been. It wasn't until 9/11 and then the invasion of Iraq that I'd have a political awaking regarding growing fascism in the US and be able to appreciate this movie.
When I first watched this (in my mid-teens, I'd guess) I recall seeing that scene and considering it more of a gag or comedic moment. In a subsequent viewing, what caused the lightbulb to burst out my head was one of the propaganda sequences, where a bug mauling a cow is pointedly censored, followed immediately by footage of an "unauthorized settlement" attacked by bugs, wherein horrifically mutilated human remains are displayed in all their sickening glory. It dawned on me how purposeful this was; how it was not just an obvious warning from the government to its people ("See what happens when you disobey?"), but a display of just what that government thinks of humans who don't fall in line: less worthy of pity, respect, or dignity than a common cow. I was flat-out awestruck.
Actually the space Marines were almost direct rip offs of the book mobile infantry. Which makes it more amazing that the guy who didn't read the book effectively created a copy of the imperial guard from a book that space Marines were copied from... It's like the emperor is doing inception with people who are tasked with working with the IP....
Well in 2014 the US government whitelisted propagandizing their own citizens and we're involved in about 3 wars currently. The movie is more relevant than ever.
Funny thing is that I watched that movie when I was a kid. I was so impressed with the bugs and the ships, I didn't even know the plot was actually more interesting than my kid self experienced.
This flick came out when I was in high school, and it was my favorite movie as a teenager. Upon rewatching multiple times through the years, the viewing lens has certainly evolved and what I’d get out of it today would be drastically different from back then. However, the fond memory of the joy this movie brought me when I was much younger still buoys my opinion of it as a timeless classic. Really wish the sequels could’ve been on the same level.
I remember having almost no friends who shared my love for this film when it came out. Glad the younger generation gets it now. It deserves the praise it gets.
I remember this playing at 4am while sleeping over at my GP house when I was 5 instantly became my favourite movie and that has never changed, the satire and action mix makes coming back for a rewatch so easy
Haha, I watched this video to find a comment like this. I'm also from casper, and some family members of a coworker of my dad were extras in it. I think about that every time I'm driving down that highway lmao
"We are going in with the 1st wave...Theres more bug for us to kill. YOU SMASH THE ENTIRE AREA, KILL EVERYTHING THATS GOT MORE THAN 2 LEGS,YOU GET ME" " WE GET YOU SIR"
Or...hear me out. They are so radically different from humans, and it is t just perception. Battles between human and arachnid is like this, humans see every life as important, an individual. Arachnids view thier arachnid soldiers how humans view ammunition, like bullets. If it takes 500,000 arachnids to hold a planet then it does. Humans wouldn't look at the battle that way. The arachnids are by it's very nature an EXISTENTIAL threat to humans. This isn't a minor property line dispute. You can't reason with something you can't communicate with and that values it's lives and your own so radically different.
My impression at the time of its release is it was marketed as a straight action movie and most people considered it a pretty cheesy action movie. The marketing did not focus on it being Verhoeven or that it may be social commentary.
Well the audience and especially critics at the time of coming out (1997 in cinema and probably 1998 on VHS) didnt like it. it also didnt do well on the box office. now its more appreciated today and especially the visuals hold up very well
Saw it opening weekend. I was 22. Loved it, my best friend loved it. Our girls, not so much. Practically wore out the tape when it hit the video store. The internet wasn’t much of a thing yet, so we had no idea it wasn’t appreciated in its time.
Y'all, what MADE this film for me (aside from the tits, hey, I'm biased) were the shots above Klendathu. The Fleet being hit by the bug shots. Man, I had NEVER seen anything like it. The way those ships break apart, I had NEVER seen that. They went SO intricate. We saw decks ripped apart. Those ships, holy hannah. Up until then, we saw space ships blown up in a fireball. But Starship Troopers, they DID it. And, yes. You are totally correct. The special effects stand up, even today. Thanks for reminding me of that.
In 2001 my father lived in the US while me my mother and sister lived in a small town in mexico with no electricity, he then brought us to live in Connecticut, first thing he did was buy us a TV and a cassette player with 3 movies. Starship Troopers, Terminator 2 & Dude Where's my Car. Very odd choices I know but as kids we lived these movies lol. Which is why T2 and SST hold a place in my heart.
I was born in 1987, and I remember a time when my parents would rent me Starship Troopers, Terminator, Robocop, Predator. It's that alien action movie, go ahead and put it on for the kids!
Even though the satirical themes and true underlying message was lost on me during my initial viewings as a young 90's kid I DO remember just being completely off-put by the characters and the society as a whole. Even though I must have been around 7 or 8 at the time I do vividly recall more of a disgust with the human characters than I had with the actual bugs. The movie does a great job at making you realize that the true mindless drones are the ones FIGHTING the bugs.
I loved everything about it, Kind of made me want to live in the world for some aspects. the bugs may not actually be bugs but propaganda against an intelligent alien species to make them seem as worthless as bugs. humans have a natural disgust for bugs so if you can brainwash and convince people that what you are killing are nothing but bugs you'll gladly do it.
Sounds like you COMPLETELY missed the subtext of the entire movie and bought into the fictional human fascist propaganda (which kind of defeats the entire point of the movie). I'd recommend re watching it from a viewpoint of knowing the masses are lied to and lead by a war-centered military society that STARTED the war, educates through indoctrination and brainwashing, and committed multiple atrocities upon their own people, which they blamed the bugs for, goading them into retaliation and then the inevitable start of the war. If it's not blatantly obvious to you that the entire production is a complete and total parody of fascists ideologies then you either took the movie at face value (defeating the point of the movie) or you're probably too close to those very ideals they're parodying to realize it (a.k.a you're a fascist).
Whale Cannon I was a neonazi as a kid so I liked the societal structure of the SS (Starship Troopers) Federation. My issue with democracy is simple. It pretends that its the best social structure ever and the ultimate good, YET: 1)It ultimately relies on violence just as any totalitarian regime. Try to break a law, armed thugs will come knocking on your door coming to strip you of human rights in an instant. 2)Pretends how personal ownership is the best thing ever, YET you have to pay taxes for your car and house, which means that the government owns your car and a house and you are just paying rent to them for these things. 3)Individual citizen has basically no power to change anything whatsoever. 4)Its not even democracy as demos means people and the power is held by politicians which are usually only rich people as nobody else can afford a political campaign. So whether you like it or not, your "democracy" is a mildly totalitarian communistic politocracy/oligarchy.
Hmmm, deliberately empathizing with an aggressive enemy that wants to murder you and destroy your society? Trying to make it seem like the guys who are trying to prevent that are in fact the evil ones? Sounds familiar. I bet you think jihadists just need a hug.
I'm not "trying to make it seem like" anything brah. Its in the fucking movie. It is VERY evident that the humans are the bad guys and responsible for the entire war. Turn your brain on first and then give it a view. Its not exactly a secret the movie is anti-fascism while the book is the complete opposite. "The idea behind “Troopers,” according to Verhoeven (the director), was to create a story that “seduced the audience” on one level, but then make it clear to the audience what they were admiring was actually evil. “Our philosophy was really different [from Heinlein’s book],we wanted to do a double story, a really wonderful adventure story about these young boys and girls fighting, but we also wanted to show that these people are really, in their heart, without knowing it, are on their way to fascism,” Verhoeven said." Once again, if you can't see the fact that the humans are the bad guys then (like the last guy) you missed the point of the entire movie.
Yeah, the movie is truly wonderful. The combination of horrific violence, satire, astonishing effects that still hold up,dark humour and genuinely gripping action make it.
One of my favorite movies ever. One thing you didn't mention is that there is actually people who see the society as fascist. Rico's father clearly is anti military. There is also the debate whether bugs can think of not. It's actually suggested that they do, although immediately dismissed. By having the"brain bug" verhoeven actually confirms that bugs are smarter than we thought. One correction though : the mormons went into an exclusion zone, it was already known that there were bugs. Some have suggested that the federation set this up to go sideways with the bugs to have an excuse to fight, but maybe that's taking it too far. One thing you didn't mention is how fast they are field promoted, like the way is that huge meat grinder. But not only that the characters internalize that fact "until i die or you find better". They acknowledge that they aren't humans anymore, just tools
one of my all time favourite films, we watched it after an all night rave and on LDS on release day in a theatre here in the UK! Amazing... Michael Ironside LEGEND!
I'm surprised so many people missed the point. Hell look at all these youtube comments still missing the point. I can understand that it's quite different from the book and maybe fans were disappointed but the movie stands on its own as hilarious violent satire.
Burgled a lot of them seem to assume the Buenos Aires attack was the start of the conflict. in the biology class, and elsewhere, it is implied the war was been going on for a while.
I guarantee the book is nowhere near as popular or widely read for the reason to be "fans of the book were disappointed" why it was rated low. Hell, it wasn't until LoTR (and also Harry Potter) where fantasy and sci-fi genres kind of blew up into the mainstream. If you were reading sci-fi and fantasy in the 90's or earlier, you were still very much an outcast nerd.
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How is this 7 years old. I’m going to have a fucking stroke
Glad your here 4 days ago. I’m goin through it lmao
I feel older every day...
I couldnt believe it either, feels like yesterday I watched it.
@@tc9694 same! I remember watching it the day it came out!
Same thought man - those pandemic years.
Sound like a couple of bug apologists if you ask me...
After reading the book, I definitely notice the difference between reviews of the book readers and those that didn't. Unfortunately the director was satirizing a book he didn't understand and many viewers didn't understand his satire.
@@SwingDancer61 maybe that's for the better...I found Robert Heinlein's arguments positively exciting and thought provoking but I don't exactly want it being dug up by today's mainstream
@Nobody's Shadow The book made it clear that people who served got the right to vote. The movie also included that, but was easy to miss given all of the fascist imagery. That imagery shows what the director thought of the source material.
@Nobody’s Shadow Insisting that the book was exclusively about military tactics is hugely reductionist. Its about civil development, self-discovery through discipline, post-prejudice culture and the necessity of finding a way to end war with minimal casualties on both sides. Also, existential morality that Verhoven might have agreed with if he only read the fucking thing.
@@SwingDancer61 Are you serious? Please tell me that the original book was also a satirizing a misunderstanding. Please tell me that we're 3 levels deep.
i love how even the love square is solved by violence, and of course its completely romantically unfulfilling and depressing
Well, violence forced a conclusion. It didn't "solve" anything.
But they're all hot as fuck.
@@AWISECROW Sure it did. They wanted to be together, their partners died, problem gone.
If violence doesnt solve your problem, is because you didnt use enough violence...
@@trauko1388 sure pal but you should really stop hitting your head against those brickwalls there's not a lot left up there
Michael Ironside is really an underrated actor.
Sam fisher
@@newerest1 yep. I'll never forget him as Sam Fisher. Truly one of the best voice performances in a videogame ever.
Love him in scanners
He was a badass in "V" Mini-series
Man is a legend. You would be surprised how many roles he's had.
I don't trust people who don't like Starship Troopers.
WhatAboutTheGame? They're just stupid. Their opinions can be discarded.
TitanFind, Your opinion does not matter, you are just as useless as me and people who don't like stormshittroopers.
Like the movie though, but lets not turn it into something more than it is.
I don't trust people who like Starship Troopers without realizing it's satire.
Srithor, except, you know, for the part where US American whatevers are not invading Mexico like Starship Troopers are invading the bug planet.
People should really check out the "Roughnecks: Starship Troopers Chronicles" series. Although it was intended as a 'saturday morning cartoon', it was actually pretty good, and managed to take the silly concepts of this movie and make it serious, and some really good Science Fiction.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roughnecks:_Starship_Troopers_Chronicles
Modern audiences may love this movie even more because bright lighting is such a novelty for them
LOL!
Can confirm. I just saw season 8 of Game of Thrones. I could see more details in a coal mine at midnight with a blindfold on and with my eyes gouged out than I did in episode 3.
And no shaky cam or shitty green screen. Special effects are pretty good.
And male Characters who speak with human voices instead of a CG merger of Animal & Throat Cancer
That and they actually want big all powerful government...
With the renewed discourse around this movie, it’s nice to come back here and listen to two adults who are media literate talk about it
Came back here just because of this xD. Just seeing people missing the goddamn point so hard by saying stuff like "I can't relate with something that looks that different from me". Congratulations, you just self-reported xD
Was there any reason the discussion flared up again? Was it Helldivers or did it just suddenly happen?
@@Towerofhell Probably Helldivers 2, which is funny to me because no one cared about the first one other than a very small community.
@@Towerofhelldefinitely helldivers. Made a huge splash and so OGs are pointing out that starship troopers was a big source of inspiration for the game.
people who use the term "media literacy" are fookin retodded
I remember Verhoeven remarking in one of his interviews how he wanted to make a film with satire so obvious people who understand it will be forever tormented by those who don't.
God, a Previously Recorded stream for Helldivers 2 would've been so damn good.
i used to love the chill pre rec streams. They werent like the streamers we have today
Saw this review when it first came out. Had to watch it again because of Helldivers 2. How bout a taste of liber-tea
Robert Heinlein writes a novel and gets accused of promoting fascism. Paul Verhoeven believes this and without reading the book makes a movie adaptation attempting to satirize it and gets accused of promoting fascism. Its like poetry.
Shame. I saw the movie when I was young and obviously loved it being an adolescent boy haha I read (listened on Audible) the book in December and wow was it different. I didn't get a sense of fascism from it either. I don't recall freedom of speech being outlawed in the Federation.
Fascism doesn't mean lack of freedom of speech. The problem with this book being called fascist lies with people who's brains operate on Boolean logic (i.e. true or false and nothing in-between or outside). Both fascism and the human society in the book are modeled after the first Roman Republic so no wonder there are some parallels. But calling the later (and the book in total) fascist is as wrong as calling dolphins fishes on the grounds of both being vertebrates living in water.
Spown being based on it doesn't equal it. Freedom of Speech was just an example as it is an attribute of Fascism.
The society described in the book didn't strike me as Fascist for many reasons.
Overall I agree with you.
The novel certain does promote fascism, but it's more of a roman republic style of fascism (the same government that the US sought to emulate at its conception) than the variety of fascism which people associate with 1940s Italy and Germany. I wouldn't want to have lived under Mussolini, but a Heinleinian military republic sounds like a step up from what the US currently has.
I don't think the novel is trying to promote this as a universally good way to govern society. If I remember it right Rico is taught that this system is more or less a pragmatic solution to having a stable governing body over the entire human population. It's not argued that the volunteers are smarter, more patriotic, or more moral than others. It is explained that it just works. It's almost like this bug fighting Sci-Fi society tried the citizen soldier thing on a whim and kept it because it randomly yielded good results. This is one of the few ideas in this book that isn't justified with solid reasoning. I'd guess it's a way of Heinlein winking at the reader to let them know that this isn't practical unless you live in the "Starship Trooper" universe.
I think people also get too caught up in this because the ideas brought up through the political landscape are the least discuss. I think the major themes more have to do with self-betterment through trial and conflict. Sort of that what doesn't kill us makes us stronger kind of thing.
what a couple of bug apologists
REMEMBER BUENOS AIRES REMEMBER KLENDATHU
Space Asteroids can't wreck big cities.
BUG JUICE CANT MELT JET BEAMS!
pinkmrdoom j
Shjsdjdkd
It was BUGS.....covered in thermite paint! - Gov. Ventura
XZaapryca you listen to opie and anthony huh
Definitely remember ten-year old me watching the ending of this movie completely missing the point just thinking there was gonna be a cool ass sequel coming. Not even a shred of irony detected from my part
That was how I enjoyed it, down to the last detail, same age too
As a kid I remember I was 99.9% oblivious-- but there was always a weird little twinge of "something isn't quite right here" every time I watched it. I think the satire detectors in your brain don't /fully/ form until at least your early 20's.
I first saw this movie at around 8 or 9 and I never saw the end until I was a teenager because I got too scared from seeing everyone get torn to shreds and asked my mom to turn it off (she was not happy to find out what I was watching at 1am lol)
Oh Kinawa here’s a curveball for ya: I’m Swedish
Yeaaah me too, but i do remember slightly feeling like some stuff didnt make sense for a normal movie, like what they showed here where as they were practicing someone gets shoot and killed and the dude screams medic xD.
That type of stuff and the mindless atitude some scene had, made me go "hmm?" but never really though much about it.
Mike: Starship Troopers is the anti-star trek
Alex Kurtzman: Hold my beer
Fuck Alex Kurtzman , what a douche bag !
😂🤣
Not here to make friends With u 3 months ago we were. & nobody was ever holding an object other than a beer.
@Oh Kinawa Those are another good option.
Oh Kinawa STC is fantastic
My favorite part of the movie is towards the end, when johnny rico says to Ace Levy "we're the old guys now." And up until that point, they've only been in 2 battles.
So it takes 2 battles for 95% of your squad to be completely wiped out, to where you only have 3 or 4 veterans left. That's some 40k imperial guard numbers right there.
@@davidwhidden9337 and edited in order too apparently. Nothing planned at all.
Verhoeven is probably secretly an avid WH40k player.
I thought everyone knew it was "Imperial Guard Vs Tyrranids 5,000,000 points The Movie"
It's definitely the most Warhammer-like movie out there
it's tied with event horizon I would say
I was in that movie. I'm in a backless, tangerine-colored dress in the dance scene just behind Casper and Denise. Most fun I had as an 18-year-old hanging out in L.A. for the summer. :)
oh shiiiiiiiiit thats awesome if true
big if true
i found you! Thanks for being in the movie Megan =]
puu.sh/yCjvK/e08aca0a7e.png
have any meetings with Mr Weinstein?
MeganKOlsen REMEMBER BUENOS AIRES
the best way i've heard it described is "it's a film that the government in this movie would make as propaganda."
Why? The government IN THE MOVIE virtually never used big propaganda once. Why would they start? Unless you think televising how many people died and that being in the MI is basically suicide is good propaganda.
@@kerenton5897 they’re literally showing you propaganda news reels that the government in the movie made... throughout the entire movie! On top of that, it’s all they pushed as propaganda in school and in basic training. Did you miss the whole movie? It’s EXACTLY what the government in the movie would’ve made as a propaganda film lmao. It’s basically their space marine version of triumph of the wills. The news reels stuff is basically the only moments where the movie breaks character to wink at the audience just to sell this entire idea. The movie ENDS in a news reel promoting fascism lmao.
@@kerenton5897 Are you trolling?
@@itsd0nk you've been blinded by propaganda of your own if you think starship troopers is somehow facistic in nature.
@@tacky4237 Would you deny that the government depicted in the movie is at the very least leaning towards authoritarian? Because while any direct implication of fascism is hidden in the details there seems to be a lot fascist tendencies underlying their society.
This movie is definitely worth a re-watch. My friends were cast as extras in it and I remember going to see it to support them and have a laugh. It was an entertaining, whizz-bang, cheesy sci-fi action movie and I loved it. I think I saw it at least 2 or 3 times. The satire wasn't lost on me then but it really didn't resonate back in 1997.
I had forgotten about the movie but saw it again years later on cable or DVD.
It was a few years after 9/11
It suddenly wasn't just a dumb action flick.
The entire mood of the country changed after that attack. Normally mild mannered citizens were talking like the guy in Buenos Aires saying things like "The Only Good Bug is a Dead Bug"
Paul Verhoeven created an eerily prophetic vision of a not-too-distant future. He has since become one of my favorite directors because of his unique style and visionary satire. He didn't need to see the WTC collapse to imagine a world where we are 1 catastrophe away from a militaristic culture where "KILL EM ALL!!" is always the answer in a never-ending war against inhuman, evil boogeymen from another country...oops, I mean planet.
And we all cheer at the end.
Coronavirus is the new bug but it's those unvaccinated Trumpers who are going to be the death of us all, spreading variants like crazy.
If any anti-vaxxers catch Covid I say keep 'em locked out the hospital and let 'em die!
@@fredgarvinMP you realise you put yourself in the over reactive fascist government role right?
@@Reynolds69er That's exactly what I was going for. There are people that actually talk like that though!
@@fredgarvinMP judge them not, for they know not what they do. They’re just mislead retards. -Jesus or something
Expansionist empire uses a terrorist attack as a casus belli to lay a desert civilization to waste in search of resources. The empire's soldiers capture the enemy leader, torture him and declare victory for propaganda purposes, but it's not clear what has been won. What is clear is that millions of lives have been lost.
Starship Troopers or The War on Terror? Well... both.
"I find the idea of an intelligent bug offensive!"
Sounds like something you would hear today.
Fox News
@@stevendurham9996 more like every leftist ever
A Crossfire parody. So that would be CNN. However, FOX fits, also. The days are over, where you can disparage everything with "Leftist."
Keep trying, if You insist, but it's a futile mission.
Wait, on second thought, Pat Buchanan was on Crossfire. He's pretty left-wing, right?
John McLaughlin, the host?
Geez, the lefties are everywhere.
gondor532 it’s more like a right wing thing because they see the left and minorities as people who want to you know exist
Wait. There are people who didn't get it was satire?
I was 8 when I saw it and I got that it was satire.
Dritan Brati when i first saw it i thought venerhoven was just super weird and thats why the movie was strange
Oda Swifteye That's a very good point.
I bet the studio itself didn't fully understand it either.
If you're a kid watching, you'll like because of the sci-fi elements, if you're an adult wacthing, you'll like because of the sci-fi elements and the satire.
one of my favourite parts, is when, during training, the other guy accidentaly gets his head blown, and his brain is all over the floor. And then Rico goes: "Medic!!" Lmao
100% protocol. Set list of shit you do asap in set emergencies even if in retrospect or even currently you know it's fruitless. I didn't mind the "medic!" But that scene was fucked
Kind of a similar joke in the opening of Tropic Thunder where a guy gets shot in the head and has a Tarantino-esque blood fountain spraying out of his clearly dead face as the medic tries to patch him up. Maybe an homage.
The medical Corp also deals with corpses, mate.
@@GenericProtagonist7 Guess he should have screamed: "meeedic... Coorp!" then. Uh mate?
Edit: Sarcasm aside, heres what happened friend. I watched that scene, and my brain, for a brief while, nanoseconds if you will, removed it out of context, and so the scene itself became funny, gave me a chuckle. All this, at the same time, recognizing that, in context, the scene itself is brutal, and with consequences within the movie. Seems the Human brain is a wonderfull thing, and it can actually do both: find something funny, while knowing its silly to think thats funny, at the same time. :) cheers
RICO. YOU HAVE BEEN RELIEVED OF SQUAD COMMAND!
Oh god that Gorn fight. Such amazing choreography and intense action.
🤣🤣🤣
That’s some fast paced action right there
@@Rastek19 It seems funny now.... but it's sort of explainable. Broadcast TV via rabbit ears on tiny CRT TV's that are between 8 and 30" black and white or maybe color TV's. If you didn't go slow and steady with holding shots, no one on the other end would know what they were looking at.
@@wrayday7149sure, cause the 3 Stooges in the 1930s moved like molasses.
Jake Busey playing a neon green violin is probably the most random thing I've ever seen in a movie.
LOL
May I introduce you to Big trouble in Little China?
Nah those green neon violins where a 90s thing
Acrylic neon green was big i the day
20 years ago, cgi bugs look better than most things done today
The secret to good looking CGI is to plan ahead what you need animated and plan the shots accordingly, and then giving the animators enough time to do it right.
Better computers don't mean much when you just shot some stuff to "fix it in post" and give the animators one month to work.
CGI in Jurasic Park looks great, CGI in Lord of the Rings looks great. You just have to treat it as something that needs time and care, not something you can quickly slap together to fill holes.
for sure. I'm always surprised by this. This movie isn't alone in that regard
I think our brains are kind of hard wired to accept a leggy scuttling thing is a real creature, so no uncanny valley effect as with CGI humans. Also they took the very clever decision to reduce the legs from six to four, which made them distinct looking not just like ants or termites. It also saved a fortune in rendering time on the computers back then.
@@royw-g3120 Nah, there are some awful looking CGI creature effects in film, and it isn't wholly dependent on our familiarity with the depicted creatures.
@@royw-g3120 But there's always been something about the weight, solidity and movement of Tippett's ST bugs that just looks terrific.
Since dutch is my first language i've got an interesting anecdote about how this movie got made from Paul Verhoeven himself. In 2006 Verhoeven received the 'gouden kalf' (dutch version of the oscars) for the movie Zwartboek. During the celebrations he talked on dutch tv about his career in Hollywood and how he learned that inside info about the studios was crucial to make movies. When he presented the rough cut of starship troopers to the board of Sony he knew they were going to get replaced before the next meeting. So he ignored all the comments and changes they wanted. Sony (according to Paul Verhoeven) went through difficult times then. Next meeting he did the same and so forth until there was no time left before the release. I also remeber everybody laughing in the audience after the reveal because he had this triumphant smile on his face.
The cheese factor was so high in this movie I have no clue why the satire flew over everyone's heads. Also the practical effects were awesome.
Because when it released, everyone was just viewing the film superficially. Half like the big dumb bug fight with the cool Troopers and the other half were like SPACE NAZI's never noticed it was making fun of them!
Honestly I don't think it was until Team America that both sides got the hint/joke.
"Hiroshima was the greatest thing ever" - Mike Stoklasa, 2017
It may have avoided 20 million Japanese casualties.
Weird thing to think about considering its possibly a true statement depending how you look at it
Still is
Even better than 9/11 ?
Don’t let Twitter know about this.
No love for Clancy Brown? Sgt. Zim purposefully demoted himself to catch the Brain Bug.
DScin The first rule of Clancy Brown movies: you do not talk about Clancy Brown.
@@LimitedCheetah he's also Surly Joe.
@@Sapsche Are you feeling it now?
Don't forget Brother Justin in Carnivale. So good.
Tent Ringer he’s the voice of lex Luthor
I was like 8 when I saw this. Mom rented it from Blockbuster cuz she thought it was a "Star Wars kinda movie"
She's pops it on the TV and goes to do laundry, bout 30 minutes goes by and my dad calls her from work to see what's up.
Mom: Oh yeah, Seth is downstairs watching a movie.
Dad: Oh what movie?
M: Starship Troopers
D: WHAT, TURN IT OFF
Mom runs downstairs and I'm hiding under my blanket during the "first invasion" scene.
First time seeing boobs, 10/10
I had the exact same thing but with the South Park movie
LOL ur parents were babiessssds
@@Puppy_Puppingtonthat’s a weird way to spell “responsible parents”
I never realized how funny it is when Rico screams Medic after seeing the dudes head explode until I saw the clip of it in here
Seeing Denise Richards in this movie transitioned me from boy to man.
Alex Cazet Seeing her in the showers would have sped it up a bit.
I'd say Dine Meyer is the more attractive of the two but in the end I guess that's really just splitting hairs, they're both gorgeous.
Mah man Dina Meyer
Alex Cazet, though she did have plastic bits n bobs, she was real beautiful.
And only a year later she did Wild Things!
Satire works best when it leaves you feeling unsure about whether to take it seriously or not. That's why Starship Troopers works. That's also probably why it bombed.
I love being able to say "People were too stupid for Starship Troopers" with a straight face.
This.....is a very insightful point.....I'm gonna use that in my classroom!
@@krylancelo23
And what are people "too stupid" to get?
war1980 Yes
@@krylancelo23
That isn't an answer. Are you "too stupid" to understand the question?
Starship Troopers is a masterpiece.
People who think it promotes fascism or that it's 'just an action movie' don't get it.
@@gundamzerostrike Erm, kind of. They are a fascist state even though they're working together. The film is essentially lambasting that though, rather than promoting it.
@@IAMShteve They are not fascist, they are a republic like most western countries today, the only difference is they don't have universal suffrage because it leads to massive problems. Problems like we see modern countries have now and how people will vote themselves other people's money and parties that are more than willing to do that if it means they have power. Fascism is state control from the top down where the people answer to the state and not the other way around (just read Mussolini, the socialist that developed fascism). What we see in the movie (not just the book) is that non-citizens (civilians) enjoy every freedom except the right to vote (which comes with extra responsibilities). Rico's dad runs a successful business and his family is quite wealthy enjoying freedom (both economic and movement) even though they are not citizens, and they actively try to discourage Rico from getting his citizenship because it means responsibilities toward the people (aka society) and not just their own personal responsibilities. To quote Rasczak: "Something given has no basis in value." It is neither fascist to promote responsibility, nor is it fascist to suggest that the people that vote and control the government have responsibilities to the people and society.
@@nerofl89 I'd say it's more neo-fascist than a republic. Yes, the people can vote, but only if they earn the right through designated public service, primarily the military. If you've been indoctrinated through the military, then you can play a part in how the world is managed. Authoritarianist.
@@IAMShteve It's not fascist in any form, universal suffrage for republics is only a brand new concept, and one that is proving to be a very bad idea. Neither in the movie, nor the book do they say the military is the only/predominant option (unlikely to be predominant just look at modern governments where militaries are a very small percentage of civil jobs). We are following a person joining the military so of course all we will see is the military side of the equation. Also, authoritarianism is a strong centralized government that limits freedoms of the people to conform to the will of the state, but we know from the book and movie that civilians (non citizens) enjoy every freedom they only lack ability to vote, that is not by any definition authoritarian or fascist. The only differences between civilians and citizens is the ability to vote and the responsibilities that come with that right to vote. If you want to discuss why the military uniforms appear similar to Nazis, that is irrelevant to anything other than appearances which is the director's fault (Verhoeven has made it clear he did not read the book so any fascistic appearances are entirely on his framing and not in either the screenplay or book).
@@nerofl89 if you read the book it goes into the history of how their government was created. I would not call it fascist. Literally anybody capable of understanding the oath of enlistment is allowed to enlist. And most people who enlist don't go into the mobile infantry because they are not good enough.
Models need to make a come back. They add a layer of detail/realism to me that CGI just cant capture.
It's weird, isn't it? CGI is more realistic than ever before, yet movies feel so lifeless. It is like subconsciously there is a part of our brain that isn't tricked no matter how far we take CGI, but for some reason even cheesy older special effects are more immersive.
Something tangible really being in front of the camera makes a mountain of difference to CGI.
Real models in horror films are far scarier than cgi as well.
I saw this pop up on my phone and immediatly thought that I would like to know more
You win the comment section.
This is the most underrated comment ever. Lol
No mention of Sergeant Zim? The most badass guy in the movie.
The Great Clancy Brown, I was a little disappointed he went unmentioned here.
The end scene is a great example for the satire. He has to be the guy who caught it to serve as motivation for more brain dead infantry in the future.
I thought the point was that the bugs were going to be the perpetual enemy needed to maintain the fascist state. Kind of like Oceania, Eurasia, and Eastasia being intentionally locked in an eternal war in "1984."
clancy borwn knocks it out of the park again
What was your original comment?
I just rewatched this in 4k. Something I noticed is on the first contact when Ace doesn't know what to do and Rico takes over and says kill em all; the bugs are holding back. They aren't attacking. They don't attack until the humans do.
I noticed that too, both bugs and humans are standing on the battlefield looking at each other not fighting and then the trigger happy troopers shoot first and then get absolutely destroyed by the bugs.
Yep. Humans are clearly the bad guys, murdering stormtroopers in a fascistic system. For sci fi, it was just too realistic for me.
The bugs aren't holding back..... they were forming up. You can clearly see more and more of them breaking off from where they were going to assist the ones in front of the troopers.
What you are seeing is the 1st time in combat inexperience of the troopers as they realize they are in over their head with how much it took to take down one bug and they see a massive enemy force in the background. You have also been shown earlier in the film what happens when you don't follow orders and currently there is no one there in charge.
The scene perfectly shows what happens to green troops in their first combat experience.
@@wrayday7149 whoosh
@@ChadGatling The movie can be about the bad guy humans without every single scene showing it. Considering the outpost was in their territory, we're already supposed to find the humans being there bad.
"Everybody hates it"
Are you kidding me? i have never met a person in my life that doesn't like this movie.
The type of people who don’t like it is generally people who can’t distinguish a depiction of fascism and a promotion of fascism
Ask their significant others...
If they have any. Nerd!
It's a joke^
i think he talking about film critics and such, he talks about how it was given bad reviews when it came out
@@frankmerker630 if you were raised on the Heinlein novel the movie is tough adjustment. I hated the movie originally for that reason. Over time I grew to appreciate what they were trying to do, but it’s not really Heinlein’s starship troopers.
You gotta get out more lol. Find some people who read the book.
Starship Troopers is up there with Dr Strangelove as far as anti-war films go.
lednerg I wonder if Strangelove is more readily accepted as satire because modern viewers are looking back at a presentation form (50s-ish) as reflexively silly already?
Dr Strange is not an anti-war movie, I think you mean Avengers Civil War.
markweatherill - please tell me you're making a joke and not confusing Dr. Strangelove with Dr. Strange O.o
That is too hilarious, even for youtube...
Dormamu, I've come to barg......hey! There's no fighting in the War Room!
COME ON YOU APES
YOU WANNA LIVE FOREVER?
Starship Troopers AKA Warhammer 2.3k
My favorite part about any red letter media stuff is that when Mike brings up Star Trek, you can immediately tell Jay is not super excited about having to watch whatever episode is being referenced to be able to edit clips in
Best quote: "Michael Ironside is just the best". No truer statement exists.
And he even removed his own arm just for this part. That’s dedication.
@@Shozb0t The man is a professional.
I fucking love when Mike brings up Star Trek.
Does anyone remember what Half in the Bag it was when Rich and Mike go on about Star Trek as Jay zones out for 20 minutes
Idek anything about ST but i like seeing someone talk about something they love
@@ZBII1YI'm not sure, but it could have been their Rise of Skywalker HITB
How can anyone hate the movie that gave us Gestapo Doogie Howser?
Starship Troopers is always rewatchable, even 20 years later.
You forgot to mention Phil Tippett and his team hand animated a lot of the bugs as well but people think they were CG because how smooth and lifelike the moved.
I want the extended edition of this discussion. This feels too short.
Starship Troopers movie clearly stated in the news broadcast that the Mormon colonists defied warnings NOT to settle on that planet.
Sure, because governments denouncing something in public and endorsing it behind closed doors never happened in history... especially fascist governments :)
@@DanielleTinkov hell I can believe that Mormon separatists would defy a Governments warnings to settle somewhere dangerous so that they can practice polygamy, after all it has happened before
@@mikesully110 It's more the fact the Gov. knew it was buggy territory, so it wasn't like humanity purposefully pissed off the bugs.
@@DanielleTinkov yea... but...
-the government didnt know the bugs lived there
-there is no proof the government endorsed the mormons, in the books however it is very clear the mormons are seperatists
-the government is not fascistic, but a republic.
-the government shows accountability, and the conversation is openly had to conversate with the bugs in some diplomatic way... then BUENOS AIRES HAPPENS.
Bart Bols the movie has nothing to do with the books. One is nothing more than wartime propaganda, the other makes mockery out of it :)
I was watching this movie just last night, and during the ending credits I noticed something interesting. "Mr. Busey's Violin Coach: Martine Verhoeven."
At the time, I thought, "That's a funny coincidence." Then I did a quick Google search and found out that she's Paul Verhoeven's wife, and her only movie credit is that she helped Jake Busey learn to play the violin. That's something that I feel deserves more credit, or at the very least to be more well known.
On an unrelated note, this episode of re:View makes me feel a little guilty. I did notice all (most) of the military propaganda and satire in the first half of the film, but I also really like the second half. Big dumb sci-fi action is definitely one of my guilty pleasures, and I'm not sure how sad it is to say that I almost always prefer that to stuff that tries to make you think.
Occasionally, thinking is overrated.
There's nothing wrong with that, I think. Good satire works on several levels, and the best satire can smoothly replace the thing it's satirising while also elevating the content with commentary. As an audience member, you get to enjoy both at once - that's what makes ST so special
Personally. The visual metaphor of Rico, after he shouts “come on you apes you wanna live forever!”, where he dawns his helmet and then just fade into the crowd of troopers was the most spine tingling. Rico is now just a drone in a society of drones, no better or worse. A visual metaphor of the soul vanishing into the grey mass all individuality gone forever. (Which is why there shouldn’t have been a sequel because the whole point of the story is the death of innocence and the complete loss of individuality. Whether Rico lives to be 120 years old or died that day in battle, he was already dead in that scene.)
What a load of shit. This society is BASED ON INDIVIDUALITY. Everyone is born a civilian and given the 100% BORN RIGHT to become a citizen, his parents even don't want him to (as they are millionaires as civilians) but it's HIS CHOICE. Citizens are in the minority, most are civilians who can do everything -but- vote. Not a fascist soulless society, but a well governed one where the rejects and leeches can't vote for selfish things.
@@kerenton5897 We found the fascist.
@@kerenton5897 how's it feel to have so completely misunderstood the film while being exactly what it satirises
@@bluegum6438 It's not for everyone. Some people want this form of governance. He watched the same film you did and got something else out of it.
@@bluegum6438 yikes
It’s funny you said “90210 meets cgi bugs” when this came out, our nickname for it was “Melrose Space”
Hahaha.... holy crap.
haha, we called it Deep Space 90210
I called it Party of Bugs
I'd call it the DNC 2020 presidential election campaign! 😁
Bug Meets World? Rico's Modern Life? The Fresh Prince of Buenos Aires?
Post 9/11 or if this was made in the cold war the satire would've been more obvious, but it came out at a time where people had a huge false sense of security
Well, I suppose it's good I live next to Russia since they've always been an existential threat to my nation. No sense of security here!
This was right around the time of operation desert storm, the satire was on point. It was just too smart for general audiences and mostly went over people's heads, there was no internet to see fat schlubs from wisconsin explain the movie
@@salted6422 Get a bigger military, like the Finns.
@@meryatathagres1998 We are the Finns. Russia has been a threat ever since the Soviet Union collapsed. Constant border violations, espionage, threats, etc.
@@salted6422 Bullshit. Niinistö and Putin are friends. Finnish defence is also capable of inflicting way too much pain at Russian invaders, that it's simply not practical for them. And if there's one thing Russian dictators like, it's practical solutions and relations.
"Constant border violations, espionage, threats, etc." LOL!
Besides, Finland has couple nukes stashed away and Putin knows it. They might only be 100 kilotons, but they'll fuck up st. Petersburg.
Negotiations? with *BUGS?!* Try negotiating with the ants in your garden, the only good bug is a dead bug.
When this was released I was 16. I went to see it 3x because of the violence and the cheese. I knew it was satire. But it’s production value, action and SE were amazing! Nothing but fun.
I remember I was in cross country in high school and I twisted my ankle during the warm up.
My friend ran and asked if I was okay. I just turned to him and said "Rico, you know what to do!" In his voice and everything.
Unfortunately he had no idea what I was referencing lol.
Well that ignoramus killed the moment.
Damn, man. You ran the risk of him actually knowing what you were referencing, and then he'd shoot you in the chest. You are brave, man... very brave indeed. Lol
He should have!!
My dad came up to me when I was 18 and he said "son I have 2 words for you..........STARSHIP TROOPERS". My dad was a sci-fi artist and he dragged me to see it. I ended up seeing this movie about 5 times in theatres with him. He was a great father and my best friend. I just recently lost my father to a heroin overdose. I miss you dad. I will always love you. You are out there exploring the universe like you always wanted to. You are now free.
dude what the fuck
Can I have his stereo?
Jesus christ reddit... ah well... never mind
How old was he? If you don't mind me asking.
doug bouffard Heroin overdose? How did that happen?
i'm astonished at the number of people who had a bone to pick with this very straightforward review of starship troopers lol
Admiral Bonetopick
You know what this movie, that was meant to be a joke, has that movies today don't? The story actually makes sense and everything can be explained without jumping through hoops.
God how I miss that.
Yes. The writers explained more by not trying to explain more. The more you try to explain what actually only happens because the writer says so the less believable the explanation becomes.
ManufacturedFraud come on, there are plenty of terrible moves from every decade that make no sense.
@@darkstar4494 sure, but the problem has gotten worse because the same disregard for a well crafted narrative is now mixed together with "world-building" that confuses quantity of tedious (and self contradictory) detail for putting together an interesting setting
Janos Marothy agreed, trends come and go, but the ratio of good stuff to crap seems roughly constant for all of human history as far as I can tell.
One of my favourite movies too. It just doesn't get boring no matter how many times I watch it.
Red Lion I'M FROM BUENOS AIRES AND I SAY KILL 'EM ALL
seen it 5 times the past week , DO YOU GET ME
The quality of the sound effects in the movie are seldom talked about. They're so _good_
Some of my personal favorites:
The crack of the whip during Rico's punishment
All of the bug screeches
The slurpy/sippy straw sound as the brain bug dines on the guy
Rico and his "final stand" with the shotgun
The turrets during the base defense scene
It would really be worth sitting Mike down to play Helldivers
The existence of Starship Trooper toys is actually the cherry on top of this delicious satire cake. It's disturbingly fitting. :D
Never saw the ST toys, but I played with Robocop, Terminator, and Aliens toys when I was 9 or so
They made Robocop toys as well. They knew exactly what they were doing.
Yes, that's what I said.
I think they are made for the TV series which they hoped would take off, it is quite good though.
They even made toys for Toxic Avenger, Rambo, Demolition Man, and gruesome ones for Virus (1999). Better times, lol.
I just busted this out on Blu-ray last week. Love this movie to death, it's aged magnificently.
This movie should play in theaters every time ppl start cheering on another war.
It would be playing constantly then, wouldn't it?
Those effects are still fuckin awesome to this day. They don't just hold up, they out do most stuff today.
It's even more brilliant considering it was basically an outline of how the War on Terror would go just a few years later. Verhoven is a damned time traveller.
Jimmy Seaver so is Hideo Kojima. When did Metal Gear Rising come out? 2013? 2014?
at the end, Raiden fights a nanomachine-enhanced psycho President who yells he'll "make America great again."
Not necessarily. MGS2 was in development before and released soon after 9/11, yet more or less predicts government surveillance of electronic communications.
+shithoagie "Make America Great Again" is just a plagiarism of another cunt's shitty fucking campaign sologaneering: Ronnie Raygun.
+Sinister Gerbils There was also a scene where arsenal gear crashed into the WTC. But it was removed because 9/11 happened. kojima predicted 9/11
MGS2 didn't predict anything. It was a contemporary story about modern Japan. The Japanese had it way worse than the US sooner.
I mean...Michael Ironside...freakin' elevates any movie he's in -- even Highlander 2.
Clancy Brown's character was better in both franchises (though I do love me some Ironside)
Oh fuck dont make me think I have to watch highlander 2 now
@@eliyugend4660 h2 was a dissapointment, just stick with the first highlander ;)
Never speak of that movie, it shall not be named.
I always get nostalgic for the first Splinter Cell game whenever I hear his voice.
Starship Troopers is one of those movies that I could watch any day of the week.... def one of my all time faves.
This got pushed to me because of Helldivers 2. I thought it was new and was amazed to see Mike and Jay looking so fresh and well-groomed
"We're in this for the species, boys and girls!"
Fuck yea ✌
When I was in middle school, I did an apprenticeship with one of the guys who built the model ships for this movie. They had car batteries and shit in them
Why did they shit in their car batteries?
Dale Stafford that is one of the reasons I love this movie. It was one of the last movies to use models instead of CGI rendering. Compare them to the stupid Nabu fighters and queen amidala's shuttle in the phantom menace.
I've always been perplexed by my reaction to this movie, cuz I saw it when it came out, and thought it was the stupidest thing ever. Then, by chance I saw it in like 2004 or so, right after the Iraq invasion, and I suddenly appreciated the brilliant satire. Not sure why I didn't get it at first, but after "freedom fries" and color-coded terrorism threat forecasts, it all suddenly hit home. Guess Im kinda dense.
Nah, time makes you see things differently. No matter your age.
Sometimes I'll hate a movie for whatever reason, but when I see it years later it clicks for me. I just suddenly see it differently and have a greater appreciation for it.
No, not dense. Just brainwashed like most other Americans.
@Danny Tallmage yes because it would be a net negative if Russia proved to the rest of the world that brutality and savagery will work, and annexing your neighbors will draw minimal consequences as long as you threaten nuclear annihilation when you start losing.
Ukraine wasn't some Mormon colony that landed in Russia and attempted to seize land. It has a right to exist and to determine its own destiny, including if that means distancing itself from Putin's Russia and opening itself to the West.
@@psilobom “it would be a net negative if Russia proved to the world that brutality and savagery work…”
Very naive. So NATO is fighting against savagery and brutality, right? The US has a growing number of politicians on the right who are calling for an invasion of their neighbor Mexico. If Biden is voted out and one of these dopes replaces him, the US might very well send troops there next. Humor me for a moment. How will NATO react, do you think? Would they fight alongside Mexicans against US savagery and barbarism? Do you think the member states of NATO will kick the US out?😂
Never for an instant believe the US and Western Europe are allied for any reason beyond the cynical pursuit of their own interests abroad. They are not the world police.
@@psilobom Oh man sure would be a shame to show the world that brutality and savagery work. How many countries has the US invaded in the last 20 years? 22? Oops. Oh wait and the CIA funded a coup in Ukraine in 2014? Well golly gee.
If you didn't get that this was satire after "Mobile Infantry made me the man I am today" you may have some problems with the satire center of your brain. I still don't get that people don't get this.
Chris Eveley I think when the film came out most people saw it as a sifi war film with satire added in, not as a wholly satirical film. It took me three screenings to realize it was satirizing fascism and wasn’t just a cool Star Wars rip-off
I didn't get it after watching it but I have a small brain so
I saw the film when it was released and knew it was a satire. But it didn't seem relevant. I was in High School and wasn't as aware of US Foreign policy as I should have been. It wasn't until 9/11 and then the invasion of Iraq that I'd have a political awaking regarding growing fascism in the US and be able to appreciate this movie.
When I first watched this (in my mid-teens, I'd guess) I recall seeing that scene and considering it more of a gag or comedic moment. In a subsequent viewing, what caused the lightbulb to burst out my head was one of the propaganda sequences, where a bug mauling a cow is pointedly censored, followed immediately by footage of an "unauthorized settlement" attacked by bugs, wherein horrifically mutilated human remains are displayed in all their sickening glory. It dawned on me how purposeful this was; how it was not just an obvious warning from the government to its people ("See what happens when you disobey?"), but a display of just what that government thinks of humans who don't fall in line: less worthy of pity, respect, or dignity than a common cow. I was flat-out awestruck.
@@Zlarel ^ This
"It's Always Sunny In Klendathu"
Never realised how close this film was to 40k
Yeah its straight up imperial guard vs nids the movie
Everyone's doing their part...for the Emperor...
the original work the movie was made from was direct inspiration for 40k as well as the colonial marines from Aliens.
Starship Troopers + Dune = 40K
Actually the space Marines were almost direct rip offs of the book mobile infantry. Which makes it more amazing that the guy who didn't read the book effectively created a copy of the imperial guard from a book that space Marines were copied from... It's like the emperor is doing inception with people who are tasked with working with the IP....
This is a criminally underrated movie! I loved the violence as a kid, and I love the satire as an adult lol
I'm glad we're still talking about starship troopers even if it's stupid people not getting it
Well in 2014 the US government whitelisted propagandizing their own citizens and we're involved in about 3 wars currently. The movie is more relevant than ever.
Wait,this movie is 20 years old? Fuck I feel old
lisciatoredimele89 Same here.
I'm nearly 30! :(
Funny thing is that I watched that movie when I was a kid. I was so impressed with the bugs and the ships, I didn't even know the plot was actually more interesting than my kid self experienced.
Rich: Here's my highschool yearbook photo, why do you need it, Mike?
Mike: Oh no reason.
This conversation never happened.
Mike has photos, which rich isn't even aware of.
Who‘s here after playing Helldivers 2?
This flick came out when I was in high school, and it was my favorite movie as a teenager. Upon rewatching multiple times through the years, the viewing lens has certainly evolved and what I’d get out of it today would be drastically different from back then. However, the fond memory of the joy this movie brought me when I was much younger still buoys my opinion of it as a timeless classic. Really wish the sequels could’ve been on the same level.
I remember having almost no friends who shared my love for this film when it came out. Glad the younger generation gets it now. It deserves the praise it gets.
I remember having no friends
Mike's just picking on Rich because he has a crush on him ;)
On point as always mister President.
That's right Trump!
I hate sand....it's rough, it's coarse, and it gets everywhere
I’m old enough to remember when this was released. Everyone knew it was satire, even entertainment tonight.
I remember this playing at 4am while sleeping over at my GP house when I was 5 instantly became my favourite movie and that has never changed, the satire and action mix makes coming back for a rewatch so easy
Filmed outside my hometown of Casper Wyoming. My aunt and uncle were extras.
Haha, I watched this video to find a comment like this. I'm also from casper, and some family members of a coworker of my dad were extras in it. I think about that every time I'm driving down that highway lmao
That’s awesome dude!
Hometown of TH-cam celebrity Gothic King Cobra
@Jaded Joker thats like george carlin talking about swearing on the upside down backwards braile chinese bible with pages missing 😆
@@l.ronhubbard5445 TWU
"We are going in with the 1st wave...Theres more bug for us to kill. YOU SMASH THE ENTIRE AREA, KILL EVERYTHING THATS GOT MORE THAN 2 LEGS,YOU GET ME" " WE GET YOU SIR"
I think that little dude was 1st to get skewered, wasn't he? 😄
Also, it was brilliant to make the enemy completely alien and vile to look at. It's how we're trained to see our enemies. As completely inhuman
Or...hear me out. They are so radically different from humans, and it is t just perception. Battles between human and arachnid is like this, humans see every life as important, an individual. Arachnids view thier arachnid soldiers how humans view ammunition, like bullets. If it takes 500,000 arachnids to hold a planet then it does. Humans wouldn't look at the battle that way. The arachnids are by it's very nature an EXISTENTIAL threat to humans. This isn't a minor property line dispute. You can't reason with something you can't communicate with and that values it's lives and your own so radically different.
Who's here after playing hell divers 2 and then watching Starship Troopers
you did that in the wrong order bro
I'm surprised he thought everyone dislikes this movie. As far as I know everyone loves it including me!
My impression at the time of its release is it was marketed as a straight action movie and most people considered it a pretty cheesy action movie. The marketing did not focus on it being Verhoeven or that it may be social commentary.
This re:view is almost 2 years old, back then that was basically the case.
Well the audience and especially critics at the time of coming out (1997 in cinema and probably 1998 on VHS) didnt like it. it also didnt do well on the box office. now its more appreciated today and especially the visuals hold up very well
I saw this film on a bootlegged dvd in Thailand. Great film.
Saw it opening weekend. I was 22. Loved it, my best friend loved it. Our girls, not so much. Practically wore out the tape when it hit the video store. The internet wasn’t much of a thing yet, so we had no idea it wasn’t appreciated in its time.
Y'all, what MADE this film for me (aside from the tits, hey, I'm biased) were the shots above Klendathu. The Fleet being hit by the bug shots. Man, I had NEVER seen anything like it. The way those ships break apart, I had NEVER seen that. They went SO intricate. We saw decks ripped apart. Those ships, holy hannah. Up until then, we saw space ships blown up in a fireball. But Starship Troopers, they DID it. And, yes. You are totally correct. The special effects stand up, even today. Thanks for reminding me of that.
In 2001 my father lived in the US while me my mother and sister lived in a small town in mexico with no electricity, he then brought us to live in Connecticut, first thing he did was buy us a TV and a cassette player with 3 movies. Starship Troopers, Terminator 2 & Dude Where's my Car. Very odd choices I know but as kids we lived these movies lol. Which is why T2 and SST hold a place in my heart.
Good times
Had to rewatch this while fighting for Democracy
I was born in 1987, and I remember a time when my parents would rent me Starship Troopers, Terminator, Robocop, Predator. It's that alien action movie, go ahead and put it on for the kids!
I was born in 89, by the time I was 12 I had seen almost every Verhoeven film lol
Now they let you live in your bedroom with the internet
@@karlosthejackel69 Touché, my friend!
100%
Even though the satirical themes and true underlying message was lost on me during my initial viewings as a young 90's kid I DO remember just being completely off-put by the characters and the society as a whole. Even though I must have been around 7 or 8 at the time I do vividly recall more of a disgust with the human characters than I had with the actual bugs. The movie does a great job at making you realize that the true mindless drones are the ones FIGHTING the bugs.
I loved everything about it, Kind of made me want to live in the world for some aspects. the bugs may not actually be bugs but propaganda against an intelligent alien species to make them seem as worthless as bugs. humans have a natural disgust for bugs so if you can brainwash and convince people that what you are killing are nothing but bugs you'll gladly do it.
Sounds like you COMPLETELY missed the subtext of the entire movie and bought into the fictional human fascist propaganda (which kind of defeats the entire point of the movie). I'd recommend re watching it from a viewpoint of knowing the masses are lied to and lead by a war-centered military society that STARTED the war, educates through indoctrination and brainwashing, and committed multiple atrocities upon their own people, which they blamed the bugs for, goading them into retaliation and then the inevitable start of the war. If it's not blatantly obvious to you that the entire production is a complete and total parody of fascists ideologies then you either took the movie at face value (defeating the point of the movie) or you're probably too close to those very ideals they're parodying to realize it (a.k.a you're a fascist).
Whale Cannon I was a neonazi as a kid so I liked the societal structure of the SS (Starship Troopers) Federation. My issue with democracy is simple. It pretends that its the best social structure ever and the ultimate good, YET: 1)It ultimately relies on violence just as any totalitarian regime. Try to break a law, armed thugs will come knocking on your door coming to strip you of human rights in an instant. 2)Pretends how personal ownership is the best thing ever, YET you have to pay taxes for your car and house, which means that the government owns your car and a house and you are just paying rent to them for these things. 3)Individual citizen has basically no power to change anything whatsoever. 4)Its not even democracy as demos means people and the power is held by politicians which are usually only rich people as nobody else can afford a political campaign.
So whether you like it or not, your "democracy" is a mildly totalitarian communistic politocracy/oligarchy.
Hmmm, deliberately empathizing with an aggressive enemy that wants to murder you and destroy your society? Trying to make it seem like the guys who are trying to prevent that are in fact the evil ones? Sounds familiar. I bet you think jihadists just need a hug.
I'm not "trying to make it seem like" anything brah. Its in the fucking movie. It is VERY evident that the humans are the bad guys and responsible for the entire war. Turn your brain on first and then give it a view. Its not exactly a secret the movie is anti-fascism while the book is the complete opposite.
"The idea behind “Troopers,” according to Verhoeven (the director), was to create a story that “seduced the audience” on one level, but then make it clear to the audience what they were admiring was actually evil.
“Our philosophy was really different [from Heinlein’s book],we wanted to do a double story, a really wonderful adventure story about these young boys and girls fighting, but we also wanted to show that these people are really, in their heart, without knowing it, are on their way to fascism,” Verhoeven said."
Once again, if you can't see the fact that the humans are the bad guys then (like the last guy) you missed the point of the entire movie.
Yeah, the movie is truly wonderful. The combination of horrific violence, satire, astonishing effects that still hold up,dark humour and genuinely gripping action make it.
One of my favorite movies ever. One thing you didn't mention is that there is actually people who see the society as fascist. Rico's father clearly is anti military.
There is also the debate whether bugs can think of not. It's actually suggested that they do, although immediately dismissed.
By having the"brain bug" verhoeven actually confirms that bugs are smarter than we thought.
One correction though : the mormons went into an exclusion zone, it was already known that there were bugs.
Some have suggested that the federation set this up to go sideways with the bugs to have an excuse to fight, but maybe that's taking it too far.
One thing you didn't mention is how fast they are field promoted, like the way is that huge meat grinder. But not only that the characters internalize that fact "until i die or you find better". They acknowledge that they aren't humans anymore, just tools
Getting a ad from Orkin pest control while watching this. I see what you did there youtube.
Oh my GAWD!!!!
I can't stop clapping!
I'M GONNA CUM!!!
YOU JUST KEEP HITTING THE FUCKIN HOME RUNS!
Glenn B STARDESTROYERS !!!
Glenn B I craped when i saw it.
Chad Hotelling but to keep it going IS part of the joke!
(ATSTATSTATST!)
This movie is was and always will be amazing.
Saw it first as a child, read the novel and this holds a special place in my heart.
one of my all time favourite films, we watched it after an all night rave and on LDS on release day in a theatre here in the UK! Amazing... Michael Ironside LEGEND!
I'm surprised so many people missed the point. Hell look at all these youtube comments still missing the point. I can understand that it's quite different from the book and maybe fans were disappointed but the movie stands on its own as hilarious violent satire.
Burgled a lot of them seem to assume the Buenos Aires attack was the start of the conflict. in the biology class, and elsewhere, it is implied the war was been going on for a while.
Even if we accept that it is satire, a purposefully hard to watch movie is still hard to watch.
I guarantee the book is nowhere near as popular or widely read for the reason to be "fans of the book were disappointed" why it was rated low.
Hell, it wasn't until LoTR (and also Harry Potter) where fantasy and sci-fi genres kind of blew up into the mainstream. If you were reading sci-fi and fantasy in the 90's or earlier, you were still very much an outcast nerd.