Review: Starship Troopers (1997)
'PUT YOUR HAND ON THAT WALL.'
★★★
There isn't a person on the planet who isn't aware of Starship Troopers. Released in 1997 and is based on the 1959 novel by Robert A. Heinlein, the film went on to be a "cult classic." It took me a while to get into this film, as I had others in mind first. Do I regret it? Perhaps. But I'll let my review speak for itself.
Set in the 23rd century, the story follows the journey of Johnny Rico (Casper Van Dien) and his comrades, who prepare and eventually go to war against Arachnids. I think these were the inspiration for Antlions in "Half-Life 2," but I could be mistaken. Regardless, these creatures are deadly and will literally eat your brains out, like zombies would.
Johnny is joined by his high school friend, Dizzy Flores (played by Dina Meyer), as well as a new acquaintance named Ace Levy (portrayed by Jake Busey). Based on his appearance, I can only assume that Ace is a big fan of Biff Tannen from Back to the Future. Also, in the army, but in the airforce pilots is Johnny's girlfriend, Carmen Ibanez (Denise Richards), who decides that her life and career are more important than her relationship.
The characters are what truly drive the story, rather than the plot itself. As mentioned earlier, the narrative focuses on Johnny and his journey, while his friends, girlfriend, and enemies also get their moments in the spotlight. However, I had several issues with the characters.
For instance, take the character of Dizzy. She had significant potential and genuinely cared for Johnny, regardless of her feelings for him. Even after Johnny repeatedly turns her down in the first half of the movie, she continues to care for him. Unfortunately, when they finally get together in the second half, she is killed off quickly. Her death felt rushed. While I understand that this reflects the reality of war, it’s important to remember that this is a story, not real life.
Other than Dizzy's rushed death, I thought there was no proper outcome for John and Carmen's relationship. In the beginning, she meets the opposing team's "Jump Ball" player, Zander Barcalow, and seems to be interested in him, however, she was in a relationship with Johnny at the time. This results in a "love triangle" type situation. Later on, when Carmen records a video message to John, she brings up the fact that she wants to focus on her new career as a pilot instead of making time for Johnny, so she ends things. When the two meet up before going off to war, John and Zander get into a physical fight, and Carmen does absolutely nothing about it. But what's funny is that earlier in the scene, she points out that John isn't happy to see her. What was she expecting after recording that video message? When John was presumed dead, Carmen did break into tears. Later, after the ambush on that death trap of a base, Carmen and Zander rescue John's squad and a dying Dizzy. John shows no emotion towards Carmen, but after Dizzy's funeral, they're completely fine with each other, like nothing happened. Was there a deleted scene that showed the two reconciling, or was it simply because John thought that being angry at a teammate, friend, and ex-lover wasn't ideal during war? Am I losing something here?
I understand that this movie is a satire, but I felt it was a bit broken. There are moments when the film tries to add some drama but quickly shifts back to comedy. The first half flows smoothly, but the second half feels a bit rushed, particularly towards the end. It's the kind of movie that, once it reaches a certain point, must conclude, hence the rushed finale. That said, it's still very funny, and I can acknowledge its status as a "cult classic."