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Casper Van Dien, Dina Meyer, Denise Richards, Jake Busey, Neil Patrick Harris ... see more see more... , Clancy Brown , Seth Gilliam , Patrick Muldoon , Michael Ironside , Rue McClanahan , Marshall Bell , Eric Bruskotter , Matt Levin , Blake Lindsley , Anthony Ruivivar , Brenda Strong , Dean Norris , Amy Smart , Dina Myer , Christopher Curry , Lenore Kasdorf , Tami-Adrian George , Teo

Director Paul Verhoeven (Showgirls, Total Recall) reunited many from his 1987 Robocop team for this $100-million science fiction adventure, adapted from Robert A. Heinlein's 1959 novel, originally ser... read more read more...ialized in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction (October-November, 1959). After graduation, Johnny Rico (Casper Van Dien) volunteers for the Mobile Infantry to do his Federal service -- but also to win over his girlfriend, Carmen Ibanez (Denise Richards), who has signed with the Fleet Academy to become a starship pilot. Johnny joins other boot-camp recruits -- Dizzy Flores (Dina Meyer), who has had a crush on Johnny since school, and Ace Levy (Jake Busey). Ace and Johnny become pals, and Johnny's abilities earn him the squad leader position. A training accident occurs on Johnny's watch, and he is about to resign when Earth is attacked by alien insects intent on eradicating all human life. Johnny's home, Buenos Aires, is no longer on the map. Horrified, he chooses to stay on and fight to destroy the insect threat. The Mobile Infantry travels to the planet Klendathu to battle the warrior bugs, a ruthless enemy with only one goal -- survival of their species no matter what. In the initial encounter, some 100,000 lives are lost. At a distant fort, Johnny's unit discovers that the bugs drain brains to acquire knowledge. Soon they are overwhelmed by an advancing arthropod army of immense proportions, attacking both in space and on the planet surface. The notion of human extinction becomes a possibility. For this $100-million production, some 300 artists and technicians combined models and miniatures with CGI effects to fashion a variety of creatures -- from breeder bugs to armored tanker bugs. The film employed hundreds of extras and has over 500 visual effects shots. Filming began 4/29/96 in California (LA and Long Beach, where Cal State's pyramid gym was used for the Jumpball game), New York, South Dakota, Wyoming (Casper, Hell's Half Acre), and Utah (an abandoned Wendover airstrip where the Enola Gay WWII bomber crew trained). At an abandoned airfield in Fountain Valley, California, an elaborate set was constructed to resemble a military boot camp of the future -- complete with an array of pup tents, gull-winged spaceships, hurdle obstacle course, and training facility buildings. Cinematography by Jost Vacano (Showgirls). Licensed products include Lewis Galoob Inc. toys. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi

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67% liked it

196,038 ratings

Critics

62% liked it

58 critics

R, 2 hr. 9 min.

Directed by: Paul Verhoeven

Release Date: November 7, 1997

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DVD Release Date: May 19, 1998

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Stats: 11,769 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (11,769)

  • fb1463751009
    March 24, 2012
    fb1463751009
    The epitome of the cheesiest 90's action movie of all time. The entire tone, acting, style, and script was so cheesy that no gratuitous amount of blood, or "cool" looking action scene was able to redeem this junky movie.
  • TheDudeLebowski65
    February 16, 2012
    TheDudeLebowski65
    Starship Troopers is one of those films that blends elements of Science Fiction, horror and comedy. The film is directed by Paul Verhoeven, director of Robocop. Starship Troopers is a visual feast on the eyes as a war between bugs and humans wages on. The film is heavy on special... read more effects and it has a heavy dose of humour thrown in to soften the mood. With a film like this, you must not take the film so seriously therefore Verhoeven's use of humour is timed perfectly well. In the end Starship Troopers is simply just an action packed sci fi horror film with tongue in cheek moments. The end result is very well done and Starship Troopers is a terrific accomplishment in the genre. If you enjoy a different type of sci-fi film, then this one is for you. The film is very different from Robert A. Heinlein's book of the same name. Despite the fact that this is a different film from what the book is, Starship Troopers is a well crafted, cheesy popcorn action sci fi horror flick. The best performance of this film is Michael Ironside. The rest of the cast is decent, never anything good or memorable. There aren't any characters that you can relate to, so you don't really care if they live or die. The best way to describe this film is 90210 in outer space. Still for what it is, this is a mindless action horror romp that delivers effective blood, gore and a good time. This film stands out because it's over the top, and shocking. Hell, Starship Troopers is ridiculous, but that's what makes this film worth seeing in the first place.
  • CloudStrife84
    February 16, 2012
    CloudStrife84
    Highly underrated sci-fi adventure, that delivers some of the coolest and most exciting battle sequences ever made for the big screen. Just the fact that I've seen it about ten times by now should speak for how much I love it. What makes it so special and outstanding is that, unl... read moreike most other films within the genre, it actually has some genuine intelligence to it. Okay, so it's not Oscar-material script-wise, but it's got such an incredibly cool and exhilarating story, while cleverly satiring political propaganda films (like those produced by the Nazis during WWII). So don't mistake this for just another dumb action movie, because although it may look like one on the surface, this film has lot to say about war and the violence that comes with it. Furthermore, it's got some truly awesome special effects, which still look great and really spectacular by today's refined standards. Be sure to watch it on Blu-ray for the best possible viewing experience. Because as much of a visual treat as this movie is, it truly deserves to be seen in high-definition. An all-around amazing rollercoaster ride, that gets nothing less than my highest recommendation!
  • phubbs1
    December 3, 2011
    phubbs1
    Brilliantly violent film with super sharp effects and lots of Verhoeven trademarks all over haha the black satire is thick and fast with news reels all over the film showering you in a communist lifestyle that all must obey and join up to gain citizenship and basic freedom really... read more. The uniforms of the federation are very Nazi-like and the whole film is full of propaganda and devotion to the 'federation'.
    At the time the cast were unknown and that made it feel alot more realistic and not just a comic book conversion, they also fit their parts well and although alittle hammy they do a good job, right up till they each get splattered by a bug haha
    The look is great and quite savage, the warfare is brutal and actually abit tense, the gore is topps and classic Verhoeven (just like Robocop).
    A full bug riot all the way with almost non stop gun totting action and blood.
  • blkbomb
    June 5, 2011
    blkbomb
    Starship Troopers is an ok movie, but it should have been an amazing movie. Parts of the plot were great, but ultimately the movie failed for me because of the cast. The cast is horrible. None of them were believable, especially Denise Richards and Casper Van Dien. I really wante... read mored and tried to like the movie. I just couldn't, but I can understand why a lot of people love this movie.
  • fb535316333
    May 25, 2011
    fb535316333
    A classic and weird blend of "High School" romance, action-flick, comedic war-satire and immersible SciFi. It's all these genre's working seamlessly together that makes this "brainless" movie a real entertaining treat.

    All this whining about "excessive gore" in a war movie again... read morest massive mutant insects makes me laugh. What's wrong with gore when it's all in the right context?
  • MidnightMadwoman
    April 10, 2011
    MidnightMadwoman
    I can't believe I hadn't seen this movie before now! This is the most fun I could hope to have at a movie theatre. I kinda like the way Verhoeven blends extreme gore with severe criticism of the military, dazzling visual effects with parodies of Nazi propaganda and nudity. CGI, E... read moreSP and NPH! I love it! This movie swept me up with its feverish glee and I loved every character in it. Earth's poor military is way out of its depth in its conflict against extra-terrestrial "Bugs", but everyone seems to believe that anything can be accomplished with enough Dakka. Hoo-hah!
  • garyX
    February 1, 2011
    garyX
    A group of friends join up to fight for the Federation against an alien insect race. Starship troopers is classic comedy. Unfortunately, the sly wit Verhoeven employs in this veiled parody of US militarism passed by unnoticed to the majority and it is pretty obvious that even the... read more catalogue model cast weren't even let in on the joke; they earnestly go through all the cliches of college love triangle, military bootcamp (hilariously overseen by Clancy "MEDIC!" Brown) and on to B-Movie style interplanetary war with totally straight faces. Which makes it even funnier! The constant gore is laid on so thick that by the end it's just Itchy & Scratchy silly (my favourites are the flying bug decapitations!) and by the end you're feeling sorry for the bugs suffering at the hands of a Gestapo trenchcoat clad Doogie Howser! This film is essentially a subversive dig at the Hollywood blockbuster that still makes me laugh every I time I see it and a glorious celebration of stupidity that's not as dumb as it looks.
  • fb619846742
    January 17, 2011
    fb619846742
    An entertaining though horribly acted and extremely cheesy sci-fi adventure chronicling a few young people fresh out of school who are hungry to fight the bugs that pose a threat to the world's existence. This film works best as a satire on military recruiting, as well as when it... read more goes just for laughs. As said though, the acting is uniformly awful, but one has to think director Paul Verhoeven did this on purpose due to his desire to do an over-the-top fun, cheesy movie - you can't do that without some lovably bad performances. The plot of the movie is always a little confusing, and the coincidences that emerge are ridiculous and seem to be going a little to far sometimes, but the spectacular visual effects and quick pace make this thing go down relatively easy. This is a tough film to rate, seeing that it is entertaining despite it failing in some of the core areas where most look for a movie to succeed well in. Let's just say it's no surprise Casper Van Dien's mainstream movie career died a fast death after this thing.
  • ythelastman89
    May 28, 2010
    ythelastman89
    A movie that only grows better with age. The nutty early CGI effects look even more out of place than they did when I was 9 or 10. If you're a fan of Paul Verheven's other classics, chances are you'll love this too. It's very much an anti-war movie and great social commentary on ... read morecapitalism and military propaganda. There's some really great mock commercials and bizarre dialogue throughout. It's not just the ultra-violent sci-fi movie that was marketed, even though it works fine as that. I think making all the aliens bugs is truly the greatest move, it changes the whole perspective on what other beings might look like.

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Critic Reviews

Scott Rosenberg
May 29, 2002
Scott Rosenberg, Salon.com

Lacks the courage of the book's fascist conclusions. Full Review

Liam Lacey
April 12, 2002
Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail

Lacking the sophistication of the average comic book, it compensates with panoramic attack sequences, reminiscent of the Japanese swarm attacks in American war movies. Full Review

Kenneth Turan
February 14, 2001
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times

A jaw-dropping experience, so rigorously one-dimensional and free from even the pretense of intelligence it's hard not to be astonished and even mesmerized by what is on the screen. Full Review

James Berardinelli
January 1, 2000
James Berardinelli, ReelViews

Flawed but fun. Full Review

Susan Stark
January 1, 2000
Susan Stark, Detroit News

May just be the bug movie to end all bug movies. Full Review

Bruce Westbrook
January 1, 2000
Bruce Westbrook, Houston Chronicle

The most audacious pop-cultural amalgam since Star Wars.

Mick LaSalle
January 1, 2000
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

Manages to be both fun and shocking -- sometimes in the same shot. Full Review

Joe Baltake
January 1, 2000
Joe Baltake, Sacramento Bee

Terrific entertainment. Full Review

Janet Maslin
January 1, 2000
Janet Maslin, New York Times

As written by Ed Neumeier, who also wrote Verhoeven's much tighter Robocop, Starship Troopers never gets over its 180-degree swivel from teen-age love story to murderous destruction. Full Review

Richard Schickel
January 1, 2000
Richard Schickel, TIME Magazine

Maybe the filmmakers are so lost in their slambang visual effects that they don't give a hoot about the movie's scariest implications.

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Facts

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    • Johnny Rico: I'm from Buenos Aires, and I say kill 'em all!
    • Johnny Rico: What do I want a tattoo for?
    • Dizzy Flores: My mother always says that violence never solves anything.
    • Jean Rasczak: I wonder what our brothers of Hiroshima would say about this... you.
    • Carmen Ibanez: They probably wouldn't say anything. Hiroshima was destroyed.
    • Jean Rasczak: Correct.
    • Carmen Ibanez: But man created art, mathmatics and interstellar travel.
    • Biology Teacher: Their evolution stretches over millions of years.
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Starship Troopers Trivia

  • What movie is this quote from?? "They sucked his brains out!"  Answer »
  • What movie is this quote from... "This is for you new people. I only have one rule. Everyone fights, No one quits. You don't do your job, I'll shot you. You get me?"   Answer »
  • Which film tagline read "The only good bug is a dead bug"?  Answer »
  • Curiously different from the movie Starship Troopers, in the book by the same name the character 'Dizzy' was...  Answer »
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