Starship Troopers is a 1997 American
military science fictionMilitary science fiction is a subgenre of science fiction in which the principal characters are members of a military service and an armed conflict is taking place, normally in space, or on a planet other than Earth...
filmA film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
, written by
Edward NeumeierEdward Neumeier is an American screenwriter best known for his work on the science fiction movies RoboCop and Starship Troopers...
(
screenplayA screenplay or script is a written work that is made especially for a film or television program. Screenplays can be original works or adaptations from existing pieces of writing. In them, the movement, actions, expression, and dialogues of the characters are also narrated...
), directed by
Paul Verhoeven, loosely adapted from
Starship TroopersStarship Troopers is a military science fiction novel by Robert A. Heinlein, first published as a serial in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction and published hardcover in December, 1959.The first-person narrative is about a young soldier from the Philippines named Juan "Johnnie" Rico and his...
, a
science fictionScience fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
novel by
Robert A. HeinleinRobert Anson Heinlein was an American science fiction writer. Often called the "dean of science fiction writers", he was one of the most influential and controversial authors of the genre. He set a standard for science and engineering plausibility and helped to raise the genre's standards of...
. It is the only theatrically released film in the
Starship Troopers franchise. The film had an enormous budget estimated around $105 million and grossed over $121 million worldwide.
The story follows a young soldier named
Johnny RicoJuan "Johnnie" or "Johnny" Rico is the protagonist of Robert A. Heinlein's 1958 science-fiction novel Starship Troopers. He also appears in the films Starship Troopers and Starship Troopers 3: Marauder , and in the television series Roughnecks: Starship Troopers Chronicles.-Biography:In Starship...
and his exploits in the
Mobile InfantryThe Mobile Infantry is a fictional military force in Robert A. Heinlein's novel Starship Troopers and in the movies Starship Troopers, released in 1997, the 2004 sequel, Starship Troopers 2: Hero of the Federation, the 2008 film Starship Troopers 3: Marauder and the TV series Roughnecks: Starship...
, a futuristic military unit. Rico's military career progresses from
recruitRecruit or army recruit is a term often colloquially used to refer to the lowest military rank in various armed services. It usually implies that the soldier so labeled has not yet completed basic training....
to
non-commissioned officerA non-commissioned officer , called a sub-officer in some countries, is a military officer who has not been given a commission...
and finally to
officerAn officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...
against the backdrop of an interstellar war between mankind and an arachnoid species known as "
the BugsThe Bugs are an extraterrestrial race in the novel Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein, its film adaptation , sometimes also referred to as the Arachnids, although this is a misnomer, as the aliens are not related to Earth arachnids...
".
Starship Troopers was nominated for an Academy Award (visual effects) in 1998. Director Paul Verhoeven says his satirical use of irony and hyperbole is "playing with fascism or fascist imagery to point out certain aspects of American society... of course, the movie is about 'Let's all go to war and let's all die.'"
Plot
In the future, the humans have become part of a spacefaring Federation and have encountered a hostile species of large insects, the Arachnids or "
BugsThe Bugs are an extraterrestrial race in the novel Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein, its film adaptation , sometimes also referred to as the Arachnids, although this is a misnomer, as the aliens are not related to Earth arachnids...
," whose homeworld is the distant planet
KlendathuKlendathu is the fictional homeworld of the extraterrestrial race known as the Bugs , in the fictional universe of the Robert A...
and who contend with humans for possession of other planets. In the Federation, citizenship is not a birthright: it is a privilege granted to those who better society or risk their lives by serving in the military, and citizens are granted many opportunities that are limited for non-citizens. Athlete John "Johnny" Rico, his girlfriend Carmen Ibanez and best friend Carl Jenkins attend high school in
Buenos AiresBuenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
. Fellow student Dizzy Flores is in love with Rico, but he does not return her affections. After graduation all decide to enlist in Federation service. Carmen excels academically and becomes a spaceship
pilot- Science and technology :* Pilot experiment, a precursor to a full experiment* Pilot light, a flame kept continually burning and used to light burners on household appliances* Pilot signal, or pilot tone, in telecommunications- Biology :...
while Carl, who is mildly psychic, is assigned
Military IntelligenceMilitary intelligence is a military discipline that exploits a number of information collection and analysis approaches to provide guidance and direction to commanders in support of their decisions....
for scientific research on the Bugs. The less studious Rico enlists in
Mobile InfantryThe Mobile Infantry is a fictional military force in Robert A. Heinlein's novel Starship Troopers and in the movies Starship Troopers, released in 1997, the 2004 sequel, Starship Troopers 2: Hero of the Federation, the 2008 film Starship Troopers 3: Marauder and the TV series Roughnecks: Starship...
mainly to see Carmen in the force, but he is surprised to see Dizzy, who has also enlisted there to be with him.
At
Mobile Infantry trainingRecruit training, more commonly known as Basic Training and colloquially called Boot Camp, is the initial indoctrination and instruction given to new military personnel, enlisted and officer...
the brutal but effective Career Sergeant Zim heads the recruits. Rico is promoted to squad leader and finds a friend in Ace Levy, but his hopes for continued romance with Carmen are dashed when he learns that she desires a career with the fleet and now serves under Rico's high-school sports rival, Zander Barcalow. With their paths diverged, and after a
live-fire trainingA live fire exercise or LFX is any exercise in which a realistic scenario for the use of specific equipment is simulated. In the popular lexicon this is applied primarily to tests of weapons or weapon systems that are associated with the various branches of a nation's armed forces, although the...
incident that results in the death of one of Rico's squad members, he is demoted and publicly
floggedFlagellation or flogging is the act of methodically beating or whipping the human body. Specialised implements for it include rods, switches, the cat o' nine tails and the sjambok...
as punishment, deciding to resign. Rico calls his parents, but the call unexpectedly drops: an asteroid launched by the Arachnids has obliterated Buenos Aires, killing millions, including Rico's family. Rico rescinds his resignation and remains with the Infantry as an invasion force is deployed to Klendathu.
The first strike on Klendathu is a disaster, with heavy casualties in both the Fleet and Infantry. Rico's unit is nearly wiped out, and Rico himself is wounded and mistakenly labeled
KIAKilled in action is a casualty classification generally used by militaries to describe the deaths of their own forces at the hands of hostile forces. The United States Department of Defense, for example, says that those declared KIA need not have fired their weapons but have been killed due to...
, causing Carmen to believe he is dead. Rico, Ace, and Dizzy are reassigned to the Roughnecks, commanded by Rico's high school teacher Lieutenant Jean Rasczak. Dizzy also begins a romance with Rico, and The Roughnecks respond to a distress call from Planet "P", where they discover a deserted outpost that had been overrun by Bugs. The distress call was a trap: the Arachnids swarm the outpost, Rasczak is killed, and Dizzy is fatally wounded, dying in Rico's arms as they are retrieved by a rescue ship piloted by Carmen and Zander. Rico and Carmen reconnect at Dizzy's funeral, where they encounter Carl, now a high-ranking Intelligence officer. Carl reveals that the reason for the ill-fated mission on P was to confirm the existence of an intelligent "brain bug", directing the other bugs and showing that the bugs also have a desire to learn about their human enemy. He field-promotes Rico to lieutenant and gives him command of the Roughnecks, ordering the infantry to capture the brain bug.
As Rico's Roughnecks join the mission on the planet, the Fleet encounters fire from the Bugs, and Carmen's ship is destroyed. The dying Captain Deladier orders them to abandon ship. She and Zander leave in an escape pod but crash into the Bug tunnel system near Rico's location. The Roughnecks continue the search for the brain bug, while Rico, unknowingly guided by a psychic suggestion from Carl, takes Ace and teammate Sugar Watkins into the tunnels to rescue Carmen. They find a wounded Carmen and Zander disarmed in a cavern at the mercy of several Arachnids, including the brain bug. The brain bug drains the contents of Zander's
cranial cavityThe cranial cavity, or intracranial space, is the space formed inside the skull. The brain occupies the cranial cavity, which is lined by the meninges and which contains cerebrospinal fluid to cushion blows....
with a
proboscisA proboscis is an elongated appendage from the head of an animal, either a vertebrate or an invertebrate. In simpler terms, a proboscis is the straw-like mouth found in several varieties of species.-Etymology:...
but before it can do so to Carmen, she severs it with a knife. Rico threatens the Bugs with a small nuclear bomb, so the brain bug reluctantly allows them to withdraw with Carmen. When Arachnids pursue them, Watkins is mortally wounded and sacrifices himself by detonating the nuke while the others escape. After returning to the surface, they find that former Sergeant Zim, who had demoted himself to
privateA Private is a soldier of the lowest military rank .In modern military parlance, 'Private' is shortened to 'Pte' in the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth countries and to 'Pvt.' in the United States.Notably both Sir Fitzroy MacLean and Enoch Powell are examples of, rare, rapid career...
so that he could serve on the front lines, has captured the brain bug. Carl congratulates Rico and tells him and Carmen that the humans will soon be victorious now that Military Intelligence can study the brain bug.
Cast
- Casper Van Dien
-Early life:Van Dien was born and grew up in Milton, Florida, the son of Diane , a retired nursery school teacher, and Casper Robert Van Dien, Sr., a retired U.S. Navy Commander and fighter pilot. There is a long military tradition in Van Dien's family. Aside from his father, his grandfather was a...
as Pvt./Cpl./Sgt./Lt. Johnny Rico
- Dina Meyer
Dina Meyer is an American film and television actress, best known for her roles as Dizzy Flores in Starship Troopers and Detective Allison Kerry in the Saw films. She portrayed Mrs. Hong as a recurring guest star on ABC's Scoundrels.-Personal life:Meyer was born in Queens, New York...
as Dizzy Flores
- Denise Richards
Denise Lee Richards is an American actress and former fashion model of Croatian and Welsh descent. She has appeared in films including Starship Troopers, Wild Things, and The World Is Not Enough...
as Lt./Capt. Carmen Ibanez
- Jake Busey
William Jacob "Jake" Busey is an American actor, musician and film producer. He is sometimes credited as "Jacob Busey" or "William Busey".-Personal life:...
as Pvt. Ace Levy
- Neil Patrick Harris
Neil Patrick Harris is an American actor, singer, director, and magician.Prominent roles of his career include the title role in Doogie Howser, M.D., Colonel Carl Jenkins in Starship Troopers, the womanizing Barney Stinson in How I Met Your Mother, a fictionalized version of himself in the Harold...
as Col. Carl Jenkins
- Clancy Brown
Clarence J. "Clancy" Brown III is an American actor and voice actor. He is known for his roles in live action as The Kurgan in the cult classic film Highlander, Byron Hadley in the award-winning The Shawshank Redemption, Brother Justin Crowe in HBO's critically acclaimed Carnivàle, and Career...
as Career Sgt./Pvt. Zim
- Seth Gilliam
Seth Gilliam is an American actor. He is known for his HBO television roles, first as corrections officer-turned-prisoner Clayton Hughes on Oz, and later as Baltimore police detective promoted to sergeant Ellis Carver on The Wire. On both of these series, he co-starred with Lance Reddick and J.D....
as Sugar Watkins
- Patrick Muldoon
Patrick Muldoon is an American actor.-Early life:Muldoon was born in San Pedro, California, the son of Deanna, a homemaker, and William Patrick Muldoon II, a personal injury lawyer. He is of Irish descent on his father's side and of Croatian descent on his mother's side...
as Lt. Zander Barcalow
- Michael Ironside
Michael Ironside is a Canadian-born actor. He has also worked as a voice actor, producer, film director, and screenwriter in movie and television series in various Canadian and American productions. He is best known for playing villains and "tough guy" heroes, though he has also portrayed...
as Lt. Jean Rasczak
- Bruce Gray
Bruce Gray is a Puerto Rican-born Canadian actor.-Early years:Gray was born Robert Bruce Gray in San Juan, Puerto Rico to Canadian parents...
as Sky Marshal Dienes
- Marshall Bell
Archibald Marshall Bell is an American actor. He has appeared in many character roles in movies and television. His best-known movies are probably A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge , Stand by Me , Twins and Total Recall .-Early life:He was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he lived until...
as Gen. Owen
- Eric Bruskotter
- Career :Bruskotter started acting in the mid-80's appearing in television shows like Mr. Belvedere and Amazing Stories. He gained notoriety when he appeared in the film Can't Buy Me Love in 1987...
as Pvt. Breckinridge
- Brenda Strong
Brenda Lee Strong is an American actress and yoga instructor, known for her roles as as Capt. Deladier in the 1997 hit movie Starship Troopers and Mary Alice Young on the television show Desperate Housewives....
as Capt. Deladier
- Christopher Curry as Bill Rico
- Lenore Kasdorf
Lenore Kasdorf is an American actress.-Biography:Kasdorf was born in New York City to an army colonel father. She is best known for her role as the alluring and promiscuous nurse Rita Stapleton Bauer, whom she played from 1975 to 1981 in the soap opera Guiding Light, and for her performance as Mrs...
as Mrs. Rico
- Denise Dowse as Sky Marshal Meru
- Amy Smart
Amy Lysle Smart is an American television and film actress and former fashion model.-Early life:Smart was born in Topanga, California. Her mother, Judy Lysle , worked at a museum, and her father, John Boden Smart, was a salesman...
as Pilot Cadet/Lt. Lumbreiser
- Rue McClanahan
Rue McClanahan was an American actress, best known for her roles on television as Vivian Harmon on Maude, Fran Crowley on Mama's Family, and Blanche Devereaux on The Golden Girls, for which she won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in 1987.-Early life:McClanahan was born Eddie Rue...
as Biology Teacher
- Dale Dye
Dale Adam Dye is an American actor, presenter, businessman, and retired U.S. Marine captain who served in combat during the Vietnam War.-Early life & Marine service:...
as unnamed General
- Anthony Ruivivar
Anthony Michael Ruivivar is an American actor known for his portrayal of FDNY paramedic Carlos Nieto in the TV series Third Watch, and other law-enforcement roles in different TV series.-Background:...
as Shujumi
Production
The "bug planet" scenes were filmed in the
badlandsA badlands is a type of dry terrain where softer sedimentary rocks and clay-rich soils have been extensively eroded by wind and water. It can resemble malpaís, a terrain of volcanic rock. Canyons, ravines, gullies, hoodoos and other such geological forms are common in badlands. They are often...
of
Hell's Half AcreHell's Half Acre is a large scarp located about west of Casper, Wyoming on US 20/26. Encompassing , this geologic oddity is composed of deep ravines, caves, rock formations and hard-packed eroded earth...
in Natrona County, Wyoming.
Several
cameosA cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
in the film include producer
Jon DavisonJon Davison is a film producer.-Biography:His producing credits include Airplane! , RoboCop , RoboCop 2 , Starship Troopers , The 6th Day and Phasma ex Machina ....
as the angry Buenos Aires resident who says to the FedNet camera "The only good Bug is a dead Bug!" and screenwriter
Ed NeumeierEdward Neumeier is an American screenwriter best known for his work on the science fiction movies RoboCop and Starship Troopers...
as the quickly captured, convicted, and condemned murderer in another FedNet clip. Former
U.S. MarineThe United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
Dale DyeDale Adam Dye is an American actor, presenter, businessman, and retired U.S. Marine captain who served in combat during the Vietnam War.-Early life & Marine service:...
, whose company Warriors, Inc. provided technical military advice on the film, appeared as a high-ranking officer following the capture of the Brain Bug ("What's it thinking, Colonel?").
Director Paul Verhoeven, producer Jon Davison, writer Edward Neumeier, creature effects designers
Phil TippettPhil Tippett is a movie director and an award-winning visual effects supervisor and producer, who specializes in creature design and character animation.-Early career:...
and Craig Hayes, and composer Basil Poledouris were all involved with the original
RoboCopRoboCop is a 1987 American science fiction-action film directed by Paul Verhoeven. Set in a crime-ridden Detroit, Michigan in the near future, RoboCop centers on a police officer who is brutally murdered and subsequently re-created as a super-human cyborg known as "RoboCop"...
movie. Actor Michael Ironside was also considered for the role of Murphy/RoboCop. Ironside did appear in Verhoeven's
Total RecallTotal Recall is a 1990 American science fiction action film. The film stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rachel Ticotin, Sharon Stone, Michael Ironside, Ronny Cox & Mel Johnson, Jr.. It is based on the Philip K. Dick story “We Can Remember It for You Wholesale”...
. The cast agreed to do the co-ed shower scene only if Verhoeven agreed to direct the scene naked, which he did.
In the commentary track of the DVD release of the film, Verhoeven remarks that he had hoped to cast actors whose age more closely matched that of the characters—and indeed of real-world soldiers—but that the producers felt such actors would look too young. The teacher and leader of the "Roughnecks" in the novel are combined into one role played by
Michael IronsideMichael Ironside is a Canadian-born actor. He has also worked as a voice actor, producer, film director, and screenwriter in movie and television series in various Canadian and American productions. He is best known for playing villains and "tough guy" heroes, though he has also portrayed...
.
Test audience reactions led to several minor changes before the film was released. Originally it was clear that Carmen was torn between Rico and Lt. Zander. Test audiences, regardless of gender, strongly felt that a woman could not love two men at once so scenes which portrayed this were cut. These audiences also felt it was immoral for Carmen to choose a career ahead of being loyal to Rico to the extent that many commented that for choosing the career Carmen should have died instead of Dizzy. While admitting it may have been a bad commercial decision not to change the film to accommodate this, the directors did cut a scene from after Zander's death where Carmen and Rico kiss, which the audience believed made the previous betrayal even more immoral.
Comparison with the novel
There are many differences between the
original bookStarship Troopers is a military science fiction novel by Robert A. Heinlein, first published as a serial in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction and published hardcover in December, 1959.The first-person narrative is about a young soldier from the Philippines named Juan "Johnnie" Rico and his...
and film; some of these include:
- The novel features an all-male Mobile Infantry and very little actual combat is shown, while the film focuses on heavy action scenes and the love triangle with Johnny, Dizzy and Carmen. The romantic subplot does not appear in the novel; The Mobile Infantry is an all-male unit and the character of Dizzy Flores is a male trooper who dies in the first chapter.
- The novel is told exclusively from Johnny's point of view describing his hero's journey from indifferent high school student (Appreciation of Television is listed on his transcript) to elite "cap trooper", and details the maturation process that entails. The film changes point-of-view focus between Johnny and Carmen (who in the novel never had any relationship beyond friendship).
- The absence in the film of the "power armor" that was a central plot device in the novel, and had an entire chapter devoted to its description and use.
A report in an
American CinematographerAmerican Cinematographer is a monthly magazine published by the American Society of Cinematographers.American Cinematographer focuses on the art and craft of cinematography, going behind the scenes on domestic and international productions of all shapes and sizes...
article states that the Heinlein novel was optioned well into the pre-production period of the film, which had a working title of
Bug Hunt at Outpost Nine; most of the writing team reportedly were unaware of the novel at the time. According to the DVD commentary, Paul Verhoeven never finished reading the novel, claiming he read through the first few chapters and became both "bored and depressed."
Reception
Starship Troopers polarized audiences and critics alike. While much of this was the result of Verhoeven's departure from Heinlein's novel, some arguments did resemble the original issues that polarized readers of the novel 40 years before. A prominent theme of the film is the human practice of violence without reflection or empathy, which resembles the senseless aggression of the "Bugs". This is reflected in a mixed critical response with a 62% on
Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
.
Starship Troopers was nominated for a number of awards in 1998, including the
Academy Award for Visual EffectsThe Academy Award for Visual Effects is an Academy Award given for the best achievement in visual effects.-History of the award:The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences first recognized the technical contributions of special effects to movies at its inaugural dinner in 1928, presenting a...
; the film won Saturn Awards for Best Costumes and Best Special Effects at the 1998 Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films, USA Awards.
The film included visual allusions to
propagandaPropaganda is a form of communication that is aimed at influencing the attitude of a community toward some cause or position so as to benefit oneself or one's group....
films such as
Why We FightWhy We Fight is a series of seven war information training films commissioned by the United States government during World War II whose purpose was to show American soldiers the reason for U.S. involvement in the war. Later on they were also shown to the general U.S...
,
Triumph of the WillTriumph of the Will is a propaganda film made by Leni Riefenstahl. It chronicles the 1934 Nazi Party Congress in Nuremberg, which was attended by more than 700,000 Nazi supporters. The film contains excerpts from speeches given by various Nazi leaders at the Congress, including portions of...
and wartime newsreels. The symbols, and certain clothing styles, of the Federation are modeled on those of the Nazis (e.g.,
windbreakerA windbreaker is a thin outer coat designed to resist wind chill and light rain . It is usually of light construction, characteristically made of some type of synthetic material and often incorporating an elastic waistband and zipper...
, suits, cap, etc.; moreover, the military intelligence officers' uniforms bear a striking similarity to those of the
Waffen-SSThe Waffen-SS was a multi-ethnic and multi-national military force of the Third Reich. It constituted the armed wing of the Schutzstaffel or SS, an organ of the Nazi Party. The Waffen-SS saw action throughout World War II and grew from three regiments to over 38 divisions, and served alongside...
). The satire was embedded in action sequences with special effects.
In the DVD
audio commentaryOn disc-based video formats, an audio commentary is an additional audio track consisting of a lecture or comments by one or more speakers, that plays in real time with video...
for the film,
Paul Verhoeven states the movie's message: "War makes fascists of us all." He evokes Nazi Germany - particularly through its use of fashion, iconography and propaganda - which he sees as a natural evolution of the post-World War 2 United States. "I've heard this film nicknamed
All Quiet on theAll Quiet on the Western Front is a novel by Erich Maria Remarque, a German veteran of World War I. The book describes the German soldiers' extreme physical and mental stress during the war, and the detachment from civilian life felt by many of these soldiers upon returning home from the front.The...
Final FrontierStar Trek is an American science fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The core of Star Trek is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise...
," he says, "which is actually not far from the truth." Ed Neumeier (who had previously worked with Verhoeven on
RoboCopRoboCop is a 1987 American science fiction-action film directed by Paul Verhoeven. Set in a crime-ridden Detroit, Michigan in the near future, RoboCop centers on a police officer who is brutally murdered and subsequently re-created as a super-human cyborg known as "RoboCop"...
) broadly concurs, although he sees a satire on human history, rather than solely the United States. Since the filmmakers did not make these statements at the time of the film's release, viewers have interpreted it variously: as a satire, as a celebration of fascism or as a simple action film.
Sequels
Starship Troopers 2: Hero of the FederationStarship Troopers 2: Hero of the Federation is the 2004 direct-to-video sequel to the 1997 feature film Starship Troopers. It had a $7 million budget as opposed to the $105 million of the original. Even though the film received only a direct-to-video released in the United States, it was granted a...
was
direct-to-videoDirect-to-video is a term used to describe a film that has been released to the public on home video formats without being released in film theaters or broadcast on television...
in 2004, directed by
Phil TippettPhil Tippett is a movie director and an award-winning visual effects supervisor and producer, who specializes in creature design and character animation.-Early career:...
. In May 2006, MovieHole.net reported that Ed Neumeier would be writing and directing a second sequel,
Starship Troopers 3: Marauder, and also stated that original cast members would be returning. This movie was released directly to DVD in August 2008.
Starship Troopers 3: Marauder was considered an improvement over the second film and the return of
Casper Van Dien-Early life:Van Dien was born and grew up in Milton, Florida, the son of Diane , a retired nursery school teacher, and Casper Robert Van Dien, Sr., a retired U.S. Navy Commander and fighter pilot. There is a long military tradition in Van Dien's family. Aside from his father, his grandfather was a...
as Johnny Rico was well received by fans. However, it was also criticized for its poor low-budget special effects, confusing plot, and wooden acting. Starshiptroopersfans.net has reported that a fourth Starship Troopers movie has been given the green light and will be a full length CG feature using the most advanced computer graphic imagery, although no official press release has been issued yet.
Merchandise
In 1997,
Avalon HillAvalon Hill was a game company that specialized in wargames and strategic board games. Its logo contained its initials "AH", and it was often referred to by this abbreviation. It also published the occasional miniature wargaming rules, role-playing game, and had a popular line of sports simulations...
released
Starship Troopers: Prepare For Battle!, a boardgame based on the film version rather than Heinlein's book. Its gameplay focused on limited skirmishes rather than larger battles. The "Skinnies" do not appear, nor is there a political element. Avalon Hill released a game called Robert Heinlein's Starship Troopers in 1976. The 2000
real-time tacticsReal-time tactics or RTT is a subgenre of tactical wargames played in real-time simulating the considerations and circumstances of operational warfare and military tactics...
video game titled
Starship Troopers: Terran AscendancyStarship Troopers: Terran Ascendancy is a real-time tactics video game developed by Blue Tongue Entertainment and published by Microprose on October 28, 2000. The game is based on both the 1997 movie Starship Troopers and the book Starship Troopers by Robert A...
was released. This game also incorporated the powered suits in Heinlein's novel into the Verhoeven version of the Mobile Infantry. It was developed by
AustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n software company
Blue Tongue EntertainmentBlue Tongue Entertainment Pty. Ltd. was an Australian video game developer founded in 1995. It was acquired by THQ on November 17, 2004, and remained an internal development studio of THQ until its closure in August 2011...
. A
first-person shooterFirst-person shooter is a video game genre that centers the gameplay on gun and projectile weapon-based combat through first-person perspective; i.e., the player experiences the action through the eyes of a protagonist. Generally speaking, the first-person shooter shares common traits with other...
game also titled
Starship Troopers was released November 15, 2005. This version was developed by Strangelite Studios and published by Empire Interactive. Set five years after the events of the movie, the game also featured Casper van Dien voicing the in-game version of Johnny Rico. Sega Pinball released a pinball machine based on this movie.
The movie was released simultaneously with a
graphic novelA graphic novel is a narrative work in which the story is conveyed to the reader using sequential art in either an experimental design or in a traditional comics format...
ization, which retold events from the movie. There were also additional series that were released based in the Verhoeven universe, though not directly related to the movie. Further series were published by
Dark Horse ComicsDark Horse Comics is the largest independent American comic book and manga publisher.Dark Horse Comics was founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson in Milwaukie, Oregon, with the concept of establishing an ideal atmosphere for creative professionals. Richardson started out by opening his first comic book...
and
Markosia-History:Markosia was founded by Harry Markos in 2005. Markos has already published Harry Gallan's The Lexian Chronicles and the initial plan was to produce comic adaptations of books, like The Lexian Chronicles and G.P. Taylor's Shadowmancer. They secured the license to adapt Starship Troopers,...
. The film was followed by the CGI animated television series
Roughnecks: Starship Troopers ChroniclesRoughnecks: Starship Troopers Chronicles was a CGI animated television series based on both the novel by Robert A. Heinlein and the 1997 film adaptation directed by Paul Verhoeven...
, which is loosely set inside the events of the movie just after Rico and Diz join the Roughnecks but before Rico gets promoted (though the events and tone of the show differ from those of the film).
External links