Facebook Twitter Instagram
    Latest
    • Thank You
    • 4000. Scenes From A Marriage (1973)
    • 3999. The Pianist (2002)
    • 3998. Philadelphia (1993)
    • 3997. Jeanne Dielman, 23 Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1975)
    • 3996. The Green Mile (1999)
    • 3995. Doctor Zhivago (1965)
    • 3994. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022)
    The Mad Movie Man
    • Home
    • Blog
      • All Posts
      • Best Of The Year
        • Best Of 2015
        • Best Of 2016
        • Best Of 2017
        • Best Of 2018
        • Best Of 2019
        • Best Of 2020
        • Best Of 2021
        • Best Of 2022
      • The Decade In Review
      • Box Office Analysis
      • James Bond
      • Oscars
      • RANKED
      • Star Wars
      • The Big Questions
      • Top 10
      • World Cinema
    • Ratings
      • Top 250
      • Top 100 Foreign Films
      • Bottom 50
      • 0 – 1.9
      • 2 – 3.9
      • 4 – 5.9
      • 6 – 7.9
      • 8 – 10
    • Genres
      • Action
      • Anthology
      • Animation
      • Christmas
      • Comedy
      • Crime
      • Documentary
      • Drama
      • Fantasy
      • Film-Noir
      • History
      • Horror
      • Kids’
      • Musical
      • Psychological
      • Romance
      • Sci-Fi
      • Short
      • Silent
      • Sport
      • Superhero
      • Survival
      • Thriller
      • Western
    • Release Year
      • 2020s
      • 2010s
      • 2000s
      • 1990s
      • 1980s
      • 1970s
      • 1960s
      • 1950s
      • 1940s
      • 1930s
      • 1920s
    • Country
      • Afghanistan
      • Argentina
      • Australia
      • Austria
      • Belgium
      • Brazil
      • Cambodia
      • Canada
      • Chile
      • China
      • Colombia
      • Costa Rica
      • Czechoslovakia
      • Czech Republic
      • Denmark
      • East Timor
      • Faroe Islands
      • Finland
      • France
      • Germany
      • Georgia
      • Greece
      • Hong Kong
      • Hungary
      • Iceland
      • India
      • Indonesia
      • Iran
      • Iraq
      • Ireland
      • Israel
      • Italy
      • Japan
      • Latvia
      • Lebanon
      • Laos
      • Malaysia
      • Mexico
      • New Zealand
      • Nigeria
      • North Korea
      • Norway
      • Paraguay
      • Peru
      • Philippines
      • Poland
      • Romania
      • Russia
      • Saudi Arabia
      • Singapore
      • South Korea
      • South Africa
      • Soviet Union
      • Spain
      • Sweden
      • Switzerland
      • Syria
      • Taiwan
      • Thailand
      • Turkey
      • Uganda
      • United Kingdom
      • United States
      • Uruguay
      • Vietnam
      • Zambia
    • About
    The Mad Movie Man
    You are at:Home»Review»3362. Starship Troopers (1997)

    3362. Starship Troopers (1997)

    0
    By The Mad Movie Man on May 29, 2021 120-129 mins, 1997, 8 - 10, Action, Comedy, May 21, Movies Of 2021, Review, Sci-Fi
    8.4 Sharp, funny and brilliantly exciting
    • Acting 8.1
    • Directing 8.5
    • Story 8.6
    • User Ratings (0 Votes) 0

    Starring: Casper Van Dien, Dina Meyer, Denise Richards

    Director: Paul Verhoeven

    Running Time: 129 mins


    Starship Troopers is an American film about a group of high school graduates who join up to fight in humanity’s deepening conflict with an interplanetary bug species.

    A fantastic war film through and through, Starship Troopers combines thrilling action with gripping drama and, most distinctively, great humour. Playing on tropes of war cinema and recent history while telling its own story, this is such a sharp watch that proves thoroughly entertaining from start to finish.

    First off, if you’re going into Starship Troopers expecting rollicking laughs or intense war action, you’re going to be disappointed on both counts. Instead, the film hits a brilliant sweet spot that provides a bit of both, without cheapening either element in the process.

    From the off, the film’s satirical energy is evident, immediately mimicking the style of classic war films like Why We Fight in order to give you context and comparison for the intergalactic battle you’ll see unfold over the next two hours.

    It’s very easy to go into Starship Troopers expecting pure sci-fi, and while that may be the case on the surface, there’s very little in the way of the sci-fi lore and detail that die-hard fans it the genre will be looking for.
    That’s why, if you look at this as a war film, you’ll really be able to love Starship Troopers for what it is.

    The first half of the movie in particular is outstanding, with brilliant parallels to classic war films like From Here To Eternity and Full Metal Jacket, using our expectations of war learned through the movies to perform its satire on conflict.

    Those homages and parallels are also a really great way of providing some familiarity for the audience as the film sets up its far-future conflict, only straying away in the latter stages as it tells its own story.

    If you are looking for satire and emotional drama, then the film’s first half will certainly be your cup of tea. If it’s action you’re after, then you’ll have to wait a little while for the battle to really get started.

    Admittedly, Starship Troopers loses a little bit of its spark by moving towards an action-heavy narrative later on, but that doesn’t mean it’s in any way boring, and you’re certainly more invested in the action having formed a strong bond with the main characters.

    Again, looking past the sci-fi exterior, Starship Troopers is at heart a story of friends who join up to the army and advance through the ranks together, facing joy and tragedy along the way.

    It’s a classic story of not just cinema, but all war literature in the past, and it goes to show just how much more Starship Troopers has to offer than may seem the case at first glance.

    With brilliant, sharp satirical humour, captivating drama, fantastic action, great homages to classics of war cinema and so much more, Starship Troopers is a really excellent watch from start to finish, and that’s why I’m giving it an 8.4 overall.

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    The Mad Movie Man
    • Website
    • Facebook
    • Twitter

    The Mad Movie Man, AKA Anthony Cullen, writes articles and reviews about movies and the world of cinema. From January 1st, 2013 to December 31st, 2022, he watched and reviewed a movie every day. This is the blog dedicated to the project: www.madmovieman.com

    Related Posts

    8.2

    4000. Scenes From A Marriage (1973)

    7.8

    3999. The Pianist (2002)

    8.2

    3998. Philadelphia (1993)

    Follow Me Online!
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
    • Tumblr
    New Releases
    8.2
    December 25, 2022

    3994. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022)

    5.6
    December 10, 2022

    3969. Falling For Christmas (2022)

    6.9
    December 4, 2022

    3956. The People We Hate At The Wedding (2022)

    5.4
    December 3, 2022

    3954. Disenchanted (2022)

    7.4
    December 3, 2022

    3953. Meet Cute (2022)

    7.6
    November 23, 2022

    3934. Do Revenge (2022)

    7.0
    November 18, 2022

    3929. The Wonder (2022)

    6.7
    November 13, 2022

    3924. See How They Run (2022)

    Recommended Movies
    8.5
    Review
    November 9, 20210

    3542. The Hills Have Eyes (1977)

    7.9
    Review
    June 14, 20220

    3769. Burning Love (2012)

    8.9
    Review
    September 21, 20130

    291. Run Lola Run (1998)

    8.0
    Review
    May 31, 20210

    3364. A Quiet Place Part II (2021)

    8.5
    Review
    October 23, 20200

    3130. The Exorcist (1973)

    Popular Posts
    December 31, 2022

    Thank You

    8.2
    December 31, 2022

    4000. Scenes From A Marriage (1973)

    7.8
    December 30, 2022

    3999. The Pianist (2002)

    8.2
    December 29, 2022

    3998. Philadelphia (1993)

    7.5
    December 28, 2022

    3997. Jeanne Dielman, 23 Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1975)

    9.1
    December 27, 2022

    3996. The Green Mile (1999)

    7.6
    December 26, 2022

    3995. Doctor Zhivago (1965)

    © 2023 ThemeSphere. Designed by ThemeSphere.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.