MovieChat Forums > Starship Troopers (1997) Discussion > Neil Patrick Harris makes Colonel in abo...

Neil Patrick Harris makes Colonel in about a year?!

posted 2 years ago by FootOfDavros (8246)
36 replies | jump to latest

I think this movie starts with their first invasion and then says "One year earlier...". going back to when they are graduating.

Neil Patrick Harris heads off to military intelligence - presumably not as the sole recruit for that particular year.

By the time the brain bug is captured - on their second mission (some time but clearly not years after that initial failed mission) - he's strutting out in his gestapo jacket as a Colonel!

How exactly could this have happened?

[–] HarveyManFredSin (4877) 2 years ago

He's established as a genius quite early on in the film, and this film is a parody, and not to be taken seriously. Everything is very OTT.

[–] FootOfDavros (8246) 2 years ago

I appreciate what you are saying but all the same in a film parodying a militaristic overpopulated society, it just seems slightly ridiculous.

He was established as a psychic though - maybe he manipulated his meteoric rise through the ranks.

[–] HarveyManFredSin (4877) 2 years ago

Yeah, you've answered your own question with that last point. It's kind of like how The White Queen/Emma Frost becomes such a huge success in the Marvel comics. She manipulates everyone's thoughts. Presumably NPH's character did something similar (although it also helped that he was a genius, and this film is set in an absurd world, and one in which young people are particularly lionised as 'the future'; there is almost a Logan's Run element to how young everyone, especially the people in authority, are).

[–] aavfreak (3334) 2 years ago

JarJar Binks made general immediately after bringing the Naboo and Gungans together, too. Weird.

[–] blue1981 (7831) 2 years ago

He was drafted into "games and theory" which was military intelligence. His character was the smartest one of the group.

[–] FootOfDavros (8246) 2 years ago

Yes.

[–] Mustang (5447) 2 years ago

It's war time though and promotions happen faster due to losses in combat.

[–] DancingintheDark (1674) 2 years ago

This, great point Mustang, combined with his intelligence and psychic abilities, hell OP, in WW2 and possibly beyond, non commissioned officers were sometimes granted a full commission on the battle field, a Sergeant promoted to a Lieutenant or even a Captain pending on the need.
Not ridiculous at all given the casualty losses experienced in the book and film.
But I would say his psychic abilities shot him to the top with relative ease, especially if his were unmatched by his superiors.

[–] FootOfDavros (8246) 2 years ago

He was in military intelligence, not the field.

We see Rico's promotions and it kind of makes sense, you'd certainly give it a pass in a movie. But Patrick Harris we see during the film - i.e. his lab video showing the insects weak spots - isn't in the battlefield or anywhere close to danger.

Yet he's somehow made it through the ranks in no time 🤷‍♂️.

[–] DancingintheDark (1674) 2 years ago

It’s the same difference and doesn’t matter if he was in the field. The Bugs were destroying entire cities, Buenos Aires, maybe even counties, star ship battle cruisers too, you didn’t have to be on the ground to die, everyone was vulnerable, and there were losses happening everywhere.
But again, he was most likely the top psychic and was granted a top rank simply because of that.
Imagine if Stephen Hawking, (uninhibited by ALS), applied to a a science division within the military, during wartime, do you think they would keep him within the lower ranks or position him where they could benefit from his intelligence and knowledge, for this to happen he would have to be supervising the masses, not working under someone’s thumb.

[–] FootOfDavros (8246) 2 years ago

Yeah, I made the point re his psychic abilities further up the thread. It's the only plausible explanation.

[–] Mustang (5447) 2 years ago

He could have been easily by the superbug at the end and had probably been in other dangerous situations. Not to mention the bugs were attacking cities and if I recall correctly the Starship's themselves.

[–] They4cedTheVax (318) 2 years ago

Nobody here is right. The movie doesn't do a good job of showing it but there's a significant time skip/jump. Carmen didn't learn how to fly a starship overnight. Rico's training, then Buenos Aires, failure at Klandathu, Planet P.....that all happened over the course of years.

[–] DancingintheDark (1674) 2 years ago

Given that Doctors typically ENTER the Army with the rank of Major (one rank shy of Colonel), I would say there are many valid points on this thread.

[–] FootOfDavros (8246) 2 years ago

...Carmen didn't learn how to fly a starship overnight. Rico's training, then Buenos Aires, failure at Klandathu..

That happened over the course of a year. According to the film itself.

[–] DancingintheDark (1674) 2 years ago

I should have mentioned this earlier but this is actually the most reasonable explanation, taken from above “ Given that Doctors typically ENTER the Army with the rank of Major (one rank shy of Colonel), I would say there are many valid points on this thread.“

[–] FootOfDavros (8246) 2 years ago

Wouldn't any doctors be entering with years of training behind them though? He enters his branch straight out of high school, same as the other two.

[–] DancingintheDark (1674) 2 years ago

Years of training, pends on what you mean, 8 years of education and residency, so yes.

We have to suspend disbelief for this a bit, if psychics did in fact exist and were hired by the military, one that exhibited skills above his/her/their peers would be treated similarly to a doctor entering the military, as it relates to rank.

[–] They4cedTheVax (318) 2 years ago

Where in the film does it state that only one year has passed?

[–] FootOfDavros (8246) 2 years ago

It's pretty much the first thing we see - the failed invasion and retreat on Klandathu is followed by an on-screen "One year earlier", then it cuts to them all in class at school.

[–] pjl69 (2647) 2 years ago

This is a silly movie.

[–] FootOfDavros (8246) 2 years ago

Indeed.

[–] BOandBarbecue (2264) 2 years ago

because he have butt pirate privledge

[–] Moonglum9 (11309) 2 years ago

Well when Doogie was signing up for duty with Rico and Ibanez, when he said how he got Games and Theory, the signup guy said "Next time we meet, I'll probably have to salute you." So I guess those who follow the games and theory route to citizenship must be known to advance quickly for whatever reason.