MovieChat Forums > Starship Troopers (1997) Discussion > Call me haywire, but I genuinely think t...

Call me haywire, but I genuinely think this belongs on the top 250

posted 9 years ago by VVolfySnackrib
8 replies | jump to latest

Yes, Saving Private Ryan created the most realistic war effects ever put to screen, but I am one of the few who were only mildly moved by the movie. The one thing in the movie that ever made me cringe was the bayonet through the chest scene.
I watched Starship Troopers on VHS when I was about 8 in 1998 and I will tell you that it was Starship Troopers that taught me what war was. Nothing in any war movie has quite captured the essence of complete chaos, despair and terror and fear of the enemy quite like Starship Troopers did for me when I was a kid, and even as an adult watching the movie I find that my strong childhood feelings towards the movie was well founded.

Starship Troopers has some of the best gore and general war carnage out of any movies I've ever seen, whether they are about war or not, and it works because it is cleverly woven into an exceptionally well made flick. You may say the movie has its fair share of weaknesses and I'd agree, things like Rico just being another bland pretty boy lead that harms the overall experience of the film to some degree, and I won't object in spite of personally liking him since I'm so used to him in the movie.
What I will say is that many other members of the cast work perfectly and there are a lot of lovable character and it comes as an utter shock when some of them are mercilessly killed off, Dizzy especially.
That's where I think Starship Troopers comes ahead of Saving Private Ryan. The characters in Saving Private Ryan are not very interesting. Tom Sizemore was about the only likable guy that felt 3-dimensional in the movie, as well as the villain, versatile Steamboat Willie.
Saving Private Ryan is a bit over the top in its war propaganda, American patriotism and tear jerking, where as Starship Troopers is strong by portraying all the politics through satire so that the unintelligent patriotism is made fun of through bombastic orchestra and somewhat exaggerated media. But even so, it also pulls some of it off as subtle. When Starship Troopers is emotional, it's not in a cringeworthy over the top Spielberg fashion, but mostly in giving us the imagery and letting us interpret it for ourselves, except of course for Dizzy's death scene which is tied up in romantic tragedy.

It's these things that Starship Troopers pull off so brilliantly that I'd say that some of its qualities trumps even some of Saving Private Ryan's strengths.
Yeah, Starship Troopers doesn't follow the novel that it is loosely based on, but that's just it. It never meant to in the first place. So enjoy it for what it is, and stay tuned for a more novel based rendition of it.

[–] xenopharb 9 years ago

Top 250 what?

[–] The_ChillinVillain 9 years ago

I can't believe we're the same age. I need to watch this movie. I love scifi and I'm thinking about joining the military before it's too late. Your post sold me on finally watching this movie. Well written.

[–] VVolfySnackrib 9 years ago

Oh nice. I'm glad it resonated with you! So you have missed out on this movie eh? You're in for a treat. I was in the military for a year as a conscript. I didn't like it but at least it's good experience. As for Starship Troopers, it is an exceptionally well made movie that holds up really well. Enjoy!

[–] criztu 9 years ago

You may say the movie has its fair share of weaknesses and I'd agree, things like Rico just being another bland pretty boy lead that harms the overall experience of the film to some degree

Haha, but that's exactly one of the strengths of this movie. Rico and Carmen and Dizzy and Doogie are the incarnation of the blond haired blue eyed Aryan ubermensch wet dream of the Anglo-Saxon fascism.

The idea is that they are perfect individuals, thrown into an absurd war, to be exterminated, converted into mindless killing machines. They find the brain of the arachnids at the end of the movie. Think who was the brain of the human army?

Go to the scene where they find Sky Marshal Diennes hidden in that closet on that outpost. That's the "brain" of the human army. A psycho hidden in a closet, preoccupied only with his own survival, at the expense of everybody else.
Sky Marshal Diennes is a blonde haired blue eyed Aryan dude. That's what Rico is being converted into.

[–] evolution_500_2 9 years ago

This is the most overrated piece of $hit I ever had the displeasure of watching. People are better off reading the book.

[–] novimovieman 9 years ago

Go to the scene where they find Sky Marshal Diennes hidden in that closet on that outpost. That's the "brain" of the human army. A psycho hidden in a closet, preoccupied only with his own survival, at the expense of everybody else.
Sky Marshal Diennes is a blonde haired blue eyed Aryan dude. That's what Rico is being converted into.

General Owen hiding in the locker was played by actor Marshall Bell. Bruce Gray played Sky Marshall Dienes who said, "We must meet this threat with our courage, our valor, indeed with our very lives to ensure that human civilization, not insect, dominates this galaxy *now and always*!". Two different actors and characters.

It makes sense that General Owen probably was promoted from Major or Colonel too quickly and had no business leading a division. That having been said, I believe General Owen had good reason to be in a panic. He just witnessed his own men slaughtered and one had his brains sucked out. Generals and Corporals are frequently political hacks who are not suited for field combat. Now for a real brave but stupid character there is Steven Ford (Son of former president Gerald Ford) who played Lt. Willy and uttered this line just before the invasion drop on the planet "Remember your training, and you will make it out alive!" He was the first to die!

You don't have to know someone to know someone.

[–] hnt_dnl 9 years ago

In terms of re-watchability and entertainment value, I just might agree with you. The 90s is kind of an overrated decade for me in terms of "entertaining" movies. The 80s holds the title of most entertaining decade in film. Troopers is a 90s movie I find easy to sit through virtually whenever it airs. If I were ranking my Top 10 FAVORITE movies from the 90s, this one would probably make the list.

[–] dr-kandimba-1 8 years ago

You're haywire. Also, you're completely right. Saving Private Ryan was so preachy it became boring, I prefer to see a movie that challenges my intelligence further by appealing to the subconcious, instead of being in-your-face.