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BIPSY
Mar 3, 2004

EVERYTHING LOUDER THAN EVERYTHING ELSE
I like Heinlein, but I love Starship Troopers. Yeah the beginning was incredibly boring and I think I hated about 75% of the characters in the film (Casper Van Dien and Denise Richards ALMOST wrecked this movie for me...), but then they get to the part with the bugs and all is forgiven. Seriously, if you cannot watch the last half of this movie and not be happy you have no soul. Its Doogie Howser in a loving SS uniform putting his hand on a giant vagina-faced pustule and yelling "ITS AFRAID." That is beautiful. One of my top 10 favorite movies ever.


Also, I think the Death From Above tattooes are a great idea too. :)

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urim
Oct 1, 2003
DON'T FUCK WITH LOWTAX
I loved the book, and when I went to see the movie in theaters I quickly realized that it wasn't really the book. So being, I just sat back and enjoyed the action sequences and the boobs. It had cool CG and I liked the Starcraft feel at the time. Even now, its a fun movie to see just for the explosions.

Rating: 4/5

Mrens
Feb 21, 2004

I enjoyed this movie, I don't think I really got sucked into a plot or underlying character development, but the bug exploding was top notch.

4/5

Serjeant Snubbin
Feb 1, 2002

Pillbug

quote:

savinis_acolyte came out of the closet to say:
... I wanted to get a "Death From Above" tattoo on my arm ...
[url]http://us.saf.crysm.net/kimihia/200405/death-tattoo-small.jpg[/url]

Kynetx
Jan 8, 2003


Full of ignorant tribalism. Kinda sad.
sup NMN how r u doin?(by the way this is a review forum not a "sup guys I'd hit it lol vaginas lol" forum)

Somebody fucked around with this message at 10:56 on May 8, 2004

Boom316
May 28, 2003
tl ;dr is bannable
I liked the movie when I first saw it in theatres back when I was 13. A few years later I read the book.
Obviously I now hate that movie. Everything Heinlein did to make that one of my top 3 favorite books was completely lost in the movie. The politics, the powered armor, the story that was more narrative and less action was all lost on Verhoven.

I never heard of all these satire rumors, but I wouldn't believe a word of them. Satire is generally more obvious and/or more cynical than that movie seemed to be. It was tounge-in-cheek, I'll say that, but I doubt Verhoven is smart enough to do a satire. (Does anyone ever notice how often a director is blamed for a writer's shortcomings? I mean, at some point the director should be the problem too, but do they really deserve all the bad credit?)

Giving it a 1 because I doubt you're allowed to love both the book and the movie at the same time, at least, not as the same entity, with the same title.
I'd give the TV Cartoon Series a 2.5, because at least they included Skinnies, individual tube drops, and at least a semblance of powered armor. Also, one of the last episodes of the series had kind of an homage to my other favorite Heinlein book, The Puppet Masters, so it can't be all bad.

neckbeard
Jan 25, 2004

Oh Bambi, I cried so hard when those hunters shot your mommy...
This is a stupid movie, fortunately it's so over-the-top stupid that it's enjoyable.

As Lowtax mentioned, the first part of the movie is 90210: In Space. But once they're out of school, the enjoyable part of the movies arrives. What I like about the movie is everyone's enthusiasm for life in the neo-facist regime. The first time I saw it, it seemed stupid, but when you watch it thinking to yourself, "if Hitler won WW2, things would be like this" it's a lot more interesting.

The CGI work is incredible as well, and will probably hold up for quite some time.


3/5

toneh
Dec 16, 2003

I found hell
Starship Troopers is unique, in the fact i know its bad, in every respect, acting, script, story, infantry tactics, terrible lines, holes, etc etc etc etc

But, But, It's ssssooooooooooo addictive.

I can watch it over and over again, so on that score, it must be a good film!

Toneh

5/5

yersi
Dec 21, 2004

by Fistgrrl
The people who are voting Starship Troopers 1 or 2 are crazy. This movie loving owns.

When it was released back in 97, it flew right past people's heads. Critics were interpreting it as a defense of fascist ideals, and movie-goers were too lame to realize what an amazing entertainment movie it in fact was. The effects are awesome, the acting is perfect for the material and the social subtext is smarter than you might think it is at first.

4.5/5

a creepy colon
Oct 28, 2004

by Jeffrey of YOSPOS
This is one of those movies I can watch a dozen times a year and still not get sick of it. Its cheesy and over the top in every way but its just awesome. Its like a real life version of starcraft with subtle political commentary.

The movie eventually influenced me to read the book, which I found to be a stark contrast from the movie but I loved it just the same. The movie was more focused on action of course, while the book goes deep into philsophy, politics, militarism, and totaltarianism.

I loved the universe created by Heinlen and the movie so much that I eventually ran into the show based on the book and animated with CGI. The show is amazing and forms a perfect middle road between the book and the movie. Its got a ton of action but still retains all of the social commentary of the book, while forming better relationships and storylines that are leaps and bounds above anything in the book or movie.

Anyway the movie is easily in my top 15 and I urge anyone who missed the phenomenal show during its first run to go out and buy the dvds now. You wont be disapointed.

Movie gets a 5/5
Pros: Great action, good pacing, overall interesting story
Cons: The acting while not bad, isnt great

a creepy colon fucked around with this message at 22:19 on Feb 25, 2005

The Vikings
Jul 3, 2004

ODIN!!!!!

Nap Ghost
How you can totally gently caress up a story about marines fighting giant insects in space I don't know, but Starship Troopers the movie does just that. As was said many times before, it is nothing like the book it takes its name from. I don't really see the fascism/satire aspect of it, because the bugs attacked Earth so it seems reasonable to fight them.

The humans are alarmingly pathetic. Aside from the bad acting, the troops have lovely armor and weapons, run around like they are in a WWI era charge, and are incapable of killing bugs. The spaceships can't move around so well, as they are shot out of space by mortars from a planetary surface.

The basic bugs are the coolest part of the movie, and are pretty well done CG.

If you like finding a deep meaning where it is not there, this movie is for you. If you like good scifi, the book, or a good film, stay far away from this garbage.

.5/5

Afx_
Jul 5, 2003

I avoided watching this movie for the longest time as i just assumed it was going to be some horrendous cheesy gently caress up, and when i finally got round to it i realised i was right! Nonetheless it turned out to be really enjoyable and even the appearance of a leather clad doogie howser didnt ruin the experience.
4/5

sean10mm
Jun 29, 2005

It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, MAD-2R World
This movie loving sucks.

The characters are idiotic, the dialogue is stupid and the acting is terrible. And, aside from the bugs, the effects were really lovely. The space scenes were barely better than "Spaceballs." The action actually sucked; it looked good, but consisted of morons running around in random crowds with assault rifles while they got prison-raped by CGI bugs. It was stupid and boring once the shock value of the cool looking bugs wore off.

The "satire" is lame. It never gets any deeper than LOL LOOK HOW NAZIS ACT ARENT THEY FUNNY WITH THEIR PROPAGANDA AND BLACK-AND-SILVER ENSEMBLES AND DUMB PROPAGANDA LOL. And if it is a satire of the book, which I think is entertaining but no masterpiece or anything, it is the most stupid attempt at satire I can think of. As a satire of the book, it just makes no sense, unless they were too stupid to comprehend the book, which is saying quite a bit because the book is about as subtle as getting hit in the head with an aluminum softball bat.

1/5. Just watch Aliens again.

Edit: The director admitted to never reading the book. What a oval office.

sean10mm fucked around with this message at 15:59 on Nov 19, 2005

yippee cahier
Mar 28, 2005

BIPSY posted:

...Doogie Howser in a loving SS uniform...

This is my reasoning as to why this movie rocks.

5

Urkish Burpo
Oct 26, 2005

Last of the Burpos.
I guess I was entertained by this movie, which is the bottom line, right? I mean, what really impresses me about this film is that I enjoyed it despite the fact that everytime I saw a close up of the main character, I wanted to smack him in the face.
This movie is a lot like Titanic. For example, the only thing that makes either film worth while are the special effects, and these involve people dying in both movies. Also, I laughed when any of the main characters died. As I mentioned previously, both Leo DeCaprio and the main character in Starship Troopers are irritating to look at. The beginnings of both movies are pretty boring too. It's when people start getting their poo poo ruined that the level of enjoyment really takes off.
God, what a triumph! 5/5

git apologist
Jun 4, 2003

I thought this movie was a brilliant satire of consumerism, nationalism, militarism, racism, you name an ism and I'm there. The Orwellian attitude in the "Would you like to know more" segments and the general political impetus of the world portrayed in this film is a spot on attack of doublethink in modern society. The one dimensional love stories have just the right amount of cheese to be an inspired pisstake.

I love the plastic feel that the whole thing has, and the whole Zerg rush aspect is fantastic. 4.5.

Potato Pancakes
Jun 22, 2005

I'm using technology.
Well I came in here to make the joke about 90210: In Space but it appears that Lowtax already did that.
Anyway, I loved the movie. It was funny and fast-paced and just generally entertaining. Also, I loved the book as well and I don't care that they're totally different from each other.

Anthropolis
Jun 9, 2002

LorneReams posted:

I know, I mean I really understand at a basic level, that I shouldn't have liked this movie as much as I did. It was clichéd into the ground, it was cheesy and unbelievable, but despite that, my brain released some sort of endorphin or something that made me suspend my disbelief and enjoy this movie. The worse part about this, is it seems to get better every time I watch it. I am a flawed human being.

4/5 for really no reason.

PS I bought the DVD so I could see the deleted scenes so I could understand the characters more. What the gently caress is wrong with me!

My experience exactly: Normally I hate the massive waste of producing and watching movies ironically and I've never considered paying for an "awesomely bad" movie before Starship Troopers. Something about this movie is intensely watchable, recently I had a chance to see it rerun at an independent theatre and it is just as much fun as ever. 4/5

I sell out for boobs
Feb 23, 2001

The above posters who said you should love this movie for all the wrong reasons are completely spot on. Although, the film's great because it tries to make you love it for the wrong reasons rather than just being so far beyound absolute poo poo that it's hilarious. It never takes itself seriously. I first saw this movie when I was 13 and thought it was absolute crap because I came expecting a serious space action movie. Upon viewing it again nearly a decade later it's so much more enjoyable. I can't help but sit back and laugh at how overdone everything is, literally every aspect of the movie. If you can't laugh at this movie you're not getting it. Oh, and I have to agree with everyone above, it rocks as a drinking movie.

4/5

Tony Montana
Aug 6, 2005

by FactsAreUseless
Yeah it's 'campy'. Yeah it's so bad that maybe someone considers it 'good'.

It's a werid story for me. I liked the drat film, I really did. Watched when it came out in the cinemas and thought 'hell, that was fun'. I won't bore you with why because the reasons have already been covered and it's nothing deep anyway. It was fun and I like 'action sci-fi', or science fiction set in wars and stuff.

Then I read the book.

SomethingAwful.com kicked some serious rear end in a thread about science fiction and what was missing from a lot of it. Some well read members pointed me in the direction of some classic sci-fi works I had not read (all of which I've polished off in the last few months) and one of these was Starship Troopers.

Well, well.

Now I think the movie sucked. Purely because of what it missed, the actual quality of it's original text and the cheese factor that is completely no-existant in the book. Yeah I know what you're thinking 'The book is always better, blah blah' but this was seriously chalk and cheese. I thought the movie was ok because I just let it stand on it's own for a bit of fun, you know, just one of those films that you forget quickly but say 'oh yeah, that was ok' when someone mentions it.

The book is something ill always remember and is an example of what I consider high quality, adult science fiction.

So if I don't compare them. The movie was ok. 3 out of 5 I guess, there as some cool CG (yawn). If I think about the book and what Starship Troopers really means to me? It's a 1.

Nairbo
Jan 2, 2005
Lack of acting, cliche as poo poo storyline and everything seemed to retardedly random. I didn't like this for one minute and I cannot understand the nostolgia of this movie - I saw its sequal and it was even more terrible but that doesn't matter in this case.

2 because I think a 1 or 1.5 is saved for the absolute worst of the worst.

Madama Butterfly
Apr 6, 2005

All who dare to cross her course are swallowed by her fearsome force!

Linguica posted:

I STILL don't see what makes this such a brilliant piece of satire.

Wow, I can't believe that people completely missed how hilariously Orwellian this entire movie is. It all but hits you over the head with it.

For me, I laughed but also felt uneasy by how commonplace the total lack of privacy was for the characters. They didn't even notice that they were spied on 24/7, or if they did notice, they didn't care. It just seemed so natural to them. Creepy.

Oh, and just because Michael Ironside is in this film, I give it 4.5/5.

Voodoofly
Jul 3, 2002

Some days even my lucky rocket ship underpants don't help

I love the book, yet this movie is a great guilty pleasure. I just call it Starcraft Troopers now, and it deserves its 4/5.

Cornstore
May 22, 2003
It's not over until it's over, and when it's over it's still not over!
This is one of those movies like "Independence Day" that everyone loves but I hate with a burning passion. Terribly acted, starring z-list actors like Casper van Diem, Michael Ironside and Doogie Howser. Also like "Independence Day", this is a big, special effects filled, explosion-laden dumbass of a movie. If I could express my contempt for this film by voting less than zero I would.
By the way, can it still be considered satire if it beats you over the head with it like a hammer? Yes yes Orwellian society, I get it! It's about as subtle as brick to the face.
.5/5

nyarlathotep667
Sep 5, 2005

Shazbot!
Terrible, terrible, terrible. There isn't anything I can say about this film that hasn't already been said: Terrible acting, terrible script, Veerhoven's raping of the license, the "political satire" (despite Veerhoven never even had read the book he's satarizing), and so on.

Requires copious amounts of mood altering substances to become enjoyable and/or entertaining; though the bulk of said enjoyment will be directly from said substances, not this celluloid atrocity. Skip this and instead watch any other number of sci-fi bug hunts.
1/5

nyarlathotep667 fucked around with this message at 07:52 on Dec 20, 2005

Meckel
Jul 16, 2003
You know the scene where all the troops are being overrun in the temporary base while their waiting for transport?
WHY DID THEY NOT THROW 1 SINGLE GOD drat GRENADE?!

weasel sack
Sep 11, 2001

NIANOCRAD eternally spins and has hundreds of light tunnels that shoot out from the pits of a unique and self-contained HELL
I even liked the "Beverly Hills/90210 in Space" theme. This is Verhoeven running on a full engine here. Great fun, great satire, and deliberately cheesy and synthetic. A lot of people don't "get" Verhoeven - keep in mind this is the first guy to ever show up to the Razzie Awards to accept a Razzie in person.

He rarely takes himself seriously and rarely takes his work seriously. It's all supposed to be cheesy, engaging, satirical fun backed with cool special effects and a killer sci-fi dystopian setting (with lots of mind-numbing violence). People who hated this movie often hated Total Recall and Robocop for the same reasons.

4.5/5

Reverse Jesus
Dec 25, 2004
Come on Cranky! Take it to the fridge!
A solid, if completely illogical action movie. Seems that the only people who hate it are those who read the book and can't see any further than that.

3/5

Shaffness
Jan 15, 2001
One of my favorite movies of all time. It is a movie dichotomies stupid and brilliant, satirical and campy. I give the movie a 4.5 by itself and it get's a +1 NPH bonus.

I am a pretty big Heinlein and really like d the book ST and it is really funny to see all the fanboys up in arms about an unrealistic portrayal of Sci-fi.

Shaffness fucked around with this message at 19:42 on Feb 25, 2006

StrayChild
Feb 20, 2004

Considering how many terrible fighting alien movies there are I have always loved this one. It tells not only of humans vs. aliens but it has true character developement and the plot (although cheezy/cliche) is pulled off in a way that doesn't make me think "oh boy its like blade with bugs."

Anyways, resently I saw that a starship troopers 2 existed so I watched it on one of the movie channels hoping/expecting more of the same to be very sorely disappointed.

4.5/5

(1.5 for the sequel don't see it)

Dipes
Oct 24, 2003

kimihia posted:

Directed by: Paul Verhoeven
Starring: Casper Van Dien, Dina Meyer, Denise Richards

Avoid facism!

This movie is based more on the director's experience with Nazi facism during the Second World War than on the book that gave it its name.

In the movie, high school graduates go to fight for their country on distant planets against some unintelligent bugs. Is citizenship really that valuable? Is the war necessary? How stupid are the bugs?

There is a lot of character development throughout the film, as people change from being idealistic to succumbing to the constant propaganda.

The much decried last line of Dizzy Flores, where she says "It's OK, I got to have you" is in sharp contrast to the previous night where she had honestly said she loved Johnny Rico. Quite a change over such a short time. A stupid way to die, but it illustrates a point.

4/5

Come on you apes! You want to live forever?

Would you like to know more?

The book has absolutely nothing to do with facism. The book is about the greek ideals of the republic, how virtue strengthens the republic, how the republic can strengthen virtue, etc. The movie is just a pulpy sci-fi flick, but the book is an incredibly interesting social commentary by a lawyer-turned-sci-fi writer.

The movie gets a 3/5 from me.

Jesto
Dec 22, 2004

Balls.
Nevermind.

Jesto fucked around with this message at 17:17 on Jul 30, 2014

StrayChild
Feb 20, 2004

Jesto posted:

Caught this a few days with commercials in it and with the nudity cut out. Still a drat good film, though. As I had never heard of this movie before (well, I had watched ST:2 but never ST:1), I began to wonder why all the actors sounded so.. odd. As well as why everything seemed over over the top and how bugs could have launched an asteroid at giant earth city.

Then I remembered the end of Starship Troopers 2 and began to see the movie as if I were in some recruitment office being shown an motivational film, or rather, propaganda. And if I'm right, the asteroid was just some random asteroid, the bugs didn't have anything to do with it. The humans just wanted someone to blame for so many of their loved ones dying, something to get their rage out against and boost recruitment numbers, rather than just accepting that sometimes poo poo happens.

That said, this movie, even with commercials, was worth missing sleep over. Having not read the book, I must give the movie 5.5/5. But even if I had, I find it unfair to try and judge a movie by its book, or vice versa, when they should be regarded as independant from one another except in that they share simularities.

Intresting note: if I remember correctly many of the propaganda since in the movie can be matched up (like camera angles etc.) with the nazi propaganda :eng101:

WhiskeyJuvenile
Feb 15, 2002

by Nyc_Tattoo
One of the best lovely action movies, but it completely fails to either have anything to do with the book or to act as commentary on the book. 4/5.

Guttlesswonder
Mar 17, 2006

I'll take two adult and two kids tickets for "Alien Erection" please
If you are looking for a movie with Oscar worthy acting then this movie isn't for you.If that is what you want go masterbate to a movie directed by Clint Eastwood.

This movie is all about politics. If you watch the movie with this in mind you should love it, unlesss you are a big promoter of civic republicanism. Since 9/11 the movie is even better because the storyline almost mirrors the feeling imediately after the attack on the twin towers.

Graphically this movie is great, which is why it won a lot of awards. Enough Said.

definately a 4.5/5 unless you really want good actors, then its like a 2/5

Guttlesswonder fucked around with this message at 04:03 on Mar 20, 2006

zimboe
Aug 3, 2012

FIRST EBOLA GOON AVOID ALL POSTS SPEWING EBLOA SHIT POSTS EVERWHERE
I'm literally retarded

Slo-Tek posted:

I'm going to have to give it a 1.

I'd give it a 3, if it had been called "Robocop Facist Techno-Dystopia redux: Melrose Space, Earth vs. the Buggers!"

But since it was called "Starship Troopers", gently caress that.

I don't truck with people who say "don't you see, it is brilliant satire!?! Verhoven made the movie lovely on purpose, because he didn't like R.A. Heinlein! Isn't that hillarious?!"

No powered armor, and a complete (regardless of intention) butchery of the politics, character, everything about the book (which Verhoven proudly claims not to have read) was a loving waste of the licence.

It fails as political commentary, it fails as military sci-fi (I know, let's travel across lightyears to do battle with an implacable insectoid foe, and carry only vietnam era smallarms and flack jackets!) and it fails as a skin flick. Dina Meyer's tits are distinctly forgettable.

The bug effects were pretty good, if you can get over the pathetic idea that it takes a squad of dozen people to kill one bug (with casualties) when humanity is outnumbered 1000 to one.

Well, some say that this is the far future if the NAZZIES HAD WON.
It fits, I think.

jBrereton
May 30, 2013
Grimey Drawer
Better than the book 4/5

Mordor She Wrote
Nov 17, 2014
Yeah gonna go ahead and say people not getting the satire part need to explain that to me cause it's pretty obvious, you can't very well run your fascist empire exploiting a war with what is literally an "inhuman" enemy forever if you win that war.

barkbell
Apr 14, 2006

woof
The greatest movie of our generation.

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super sweet best pal
Nov 18, 2009

It works both as satire and a completely straight-faced action pulp sci-fi/war movie. I don't know how good it is as a takedown of the original book but it also works as a parody of space opera in general, especially Star Trek's seemingly utopian Federation. It's just a fun story about impressionable youths coming of age in a time of war.

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