Running Time: 129 minutes.
Media: Digital Download.
Wikipedia lists this movie as "a military science fiction thriller film"... Well, two out of three ain't bad, Wikipedia... It certainly has military elements, and it certainly has a very strong sci-fi feel to it... But for it to be classed as a thriller? I think the authors of this article of this film need to re-think their categorization skills!
I'm going to skip the main critique for a moment and go straight to the rating side of this review... I've given this movie 3½ stars... Why? Because in my opinion it's only a half-decent film... But it's not a decent one, I'll tell you that much... The acting is somewhat wooden, the actors a little more so, and the script is a little... something in the middle between "hilarious" and "pathetic"... I don't think there is a word, but if there was it would be something between these two extremes...
This film is set in the not-too-distant future, and we see our three main characters played by Casper Van Dien; the former Mrs Charlie Sheen, Denise Richards; and the former Doogie Howser, MD, Neil Patrick Harris who are located in a Buenos Aires high school, in a world which is in war with a world filled with large hostile insect-like aliens called Arachnids, or known better to the general population as "bugs"; and citizenship is a privilege, earned by serving in the military forces. Johnny Rico, played by Van Dien, signs up for the military to stay close to Carmen, played by Richards, who has signed up as a pilot. Their friend, Carl Jenkins, played by Harris joins up with the Military Intelligence group... There's also a redhead by the name of Dizzy Flores , played by Dina Meyer who in a way kinda stalks Rico by joining the military along with him... Ah, unrequited love...
The movie is sprinkled with a number of recognizable actors here and there, inclusive of Jake Busey (who has kinda grown up since his "stoner"-persona days), Clancy Brown (who may be recognizable as Victor Kurgan, from Highlander, as well as his voicing Lex Luthor in a number of Warner Bros/DC Comics animations), and Michael Ironside (who is well known for a number of "tough guy" roles, as well as his voice-acting as Darkseid in Superman: The Animated Series)... Beyond this, the movie has a number of scenes that are so hammy it will make a devout Jew say it's non-kosher...
There are a few saving graces, one which involves some partial nudity on the part of Dina Meyer... and also some rather poignant areas along the film where Michael Ironside says something profound... everything else seems a little over the top and over-done... I don't wish to stray from my 3½ star rating, and I won't... it's corny, but it has somehow developed into a bit of a cult-classic... The "so bad it's good defense", and so to rate it any less would take away from that... But to rate it any higher would give rise to calls that I have rated it higher than it deserves... And those that would say that would be correct... If I awarded it three stars, I would have to justify it... I'm choosing not to rate it any higher. Starship Troopers amazingly spawned two sequels... neither of which I have seen, but when I do, it will hopefully garner higher ratings than those that I have given to this movie.
This film is set in the not-too-distant future, and we see our three main characters played by Casper Van Dien; the former Mrs Charlie Sheen, Denise Richards; and the former Doogie Howser, MD, Neil Patrick Harris who are located in a Buenos Aires high school, in a world which is in war with a world filled with large hostile insect-like aliens called Arachnids, or known better to the general population as "bugs"; and citizenship is a privilege, earned by serving in the military forces. Johnny Rico, played by Van Dien, signs up for the military to stay close to Carmen, played by Richards, who has signed up as a pilot. Their friend, Carl Jenkins, played by Harris joins up with the Military Intelligence group... There's also a redhead by the name of Dizzy Flores , played by Dina Meyer who in a way kinda stalks Rico by joining the military along with him... Ah, unrequited love...
The movie is sprinkled with a number of recognizable actors here and there, inclusive of Jake Busey (who has kinda grown up since his "stoner"-persona days), Clancy Brown (who may be recognizable as Victor Kurgan, from Highlander, as well as his voicing Lex Luthor in a number of Warner Bros/DC Comics animations), and Michael Ironside (who is well known for a number of "tough guy" roles, as well as his voice-acting as Darkseid in Superman: The Animated Series)... Beyond this, the movie has a number of scenes that are so hammy it will make a devout Jew say it's non-kosher...
There are a few saving graces, one which involves some partial nudity on the part of Dina Meyer... and also some rather poignant areas along the film where Michael Ironside says something profound... everything else seems a little over the top and over-done... I don't wish to stray from my 3½ star rating, and I won't... it's corny, but it has somehow developed into a bit of a cult-classic... The "so bad it's good defense", and so to rate it any less would take away from that... But to rate it any higher would give rise to calls that I have rated it higher than it deserves... And those that would say that would be correct... If I awarded it three stars, I would have to justify it... I'm choosing not to rate it any higher. Starship Troopers amazingly spawned two sequels... neither of which I have seen, but when I do, it will hopefully garner higher ratings than those that I have given to this movie.
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