Starship Troopers (1997)
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In a future where citizenship is earned through military service, a young man joins the fight against an insectoid alien threat.
The story
Set in the 23rd century, the story follows teenager Johnny Rico and his comrades as they serve in the military of the United Citizen Federation, an Earth-based world government engaged in an interstellar war against an alien species known as the Arachnids. Against his parents' objections, Rico enlists in the Mobile Infantry to remain close to his girlfriend, a spaceship pilot. After a series of trials and a tragic loss, Rico is promoted and eventually joins an elite unit, the Roughnecks, to fight the insectoid 'bugs' on various planets, facing the dangers of a high-stakes interstellar conflict.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In a future where the United Citizen Federation rules Earth, citizenship and rights are only granted to those who serve in the military. Johnny Rico, a teenager, enlists in the Mobile Infantry to stay near his girlfriend, Carmen Ibanez. After a training mishap leads to his demotion, Rico re-enlists following a devastating Arachnid attack on Buenos Aires that kills his parents. He eventually joins the elite Roughnecks unit under Jean Rasczak. After surviving a brutal battle on the planet Klendathu and a victory on Tango Urilla, Rico is promoted to corporal. The team is later sent to the Arachnid-controlled Planet P. During the mission, Dizzy Flores is killed, and Rasczak is left for dead. Following a strategic trap to find a 'Brain Bug', Rico is promoted to lieutenant. He leads his squad to rescue Carmen and Zander Barcalow, while the Brain Bug is captured by Sergeant Zim. The film ends with a propaganda broadcast celebrating the victory and encouraging more citizens to enlist.
- First release year
- 1997
- Runtime (minutes)
- 129
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Paul Verhoeven
- Writers
- Edward Neumeier · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Casper Van Dien · Johnny Rico; Dina Meyer · Dizzy Flores; Denise Richards · Carmen Ibanez; Jake Busey · Ace Levy; Neil Patrick Harris · Carl Jenkins; Patrick Muldoon · Zander Barcalow; Michael Ironside · Jean Rasczak; Clancy Brown · Sergeant Zim
- Genres
- science fiction; action
- Themes
- fascism; authoritarian governance
- Tone and mood
- satire; violent
- Premise and plot tags
- military; alien invasion; space opera
- Source material / true-story basis
- 1959 novel by Robert A. Heinlein
- Franchise connections
- Starship Troopers
- Content notes
- violence
- Reception
- Initially met with critical backlash for its perceived endorsement of fascism and violence, it has since been re-evaluated as a cult classic and a prescient satire.
- Awards and nominations
- Golden Satellite Awards · Best Motion Picture (Animated or Mixed Media) · nomination; Academy Awards · Best Visual Effects · nomination; MTV Movie Awards · Best Action Sequence · nom_nomination; Stinkers Bad Movie Awards · Worst Picture · nomination
- Production trivia
- The film's development began in 1991 as 'Bug Hunt at Outpost 7'.; Nearly half of the $100–110 million budget was spent on CGI and practical effects for the Arachnid creatures.; The cast underwent twelve days of military training in Hell's Half Acre.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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