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Starship Troopers (Superbit Collection)
Writer:
Ed Neumeier
Based
on the Hugo Award Winning Novel Written By: Robert A. Heinlein
Director:
Paul Verhoeven
Feature
length: 130 minutes
Languages:
English DTS 5.1 Theatrical Surround Sound and Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
Subtitles:
English Captions and Closed Captions and French and Spanish Subtitles
Packaging:
Gatefold
Chapter
Stops: 28
Sound:
DTS 5.1 Theatrical Surround Sound and Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
Year
of Theatrical Release: 1997/DVD Release: 2003
Theatrical
Distributor: TriStar Pictures and Touchstone Pictures
Home
Video Distributor: Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment
MPAA
Rating: R
Reviewer:
Mark A. Rivera
STARSHIP
TROOPERS was the best sci-fi picture of 1997 and it is no surprise since Science
Fiction Grand Master, the late Robert Heinlein, wrote the Hugo Award Winning
novel. Heinlein was a veteran of World War Two and The Korean War and when
STARSHIP TROOPERS was first published in the 1950’s it was considered highly
controversial because of it’s distinct subversive undertone within it’s well
detailed coming of age story in a futuristic military.
Purists
of the novel may have been upset by the approach Director, Paul Verhoeven
(ROBOCOP, TOTAL RECALL) and Screenwriter Ed Neumeier (ROBOCOP) chose, but
despite the character changes and deletions of such beloved inventions as the
neutral aliens caught in between the war known as “The Skinnies” and the
special Battle Armor Robert Heinlein described in his novel, the overall spirit
of the story still exists in all of it’s subversive tone.
Not
surprisingly, the film takes the audience right into the world of the future
through the Federal Network, a television and world wide web type of device that
was used similarly in ROBOCOP to forward the story and give audiences an idea of
the kind of movie they are watching. Here it is like D’Day as the Battleships
of the Terran Federation launch an attack against the Bugs home world of
Klendathu in retaliation for an asteroid attack that wiped out the city of
Buenos Aires. Johnny Rico, (CASPER VAN DIEN – TARZAN) joins the military to
impress his love interest Carmen Ibanez (DENISE RICHARDS – WILD THINGS).
However, when she breaks up with him to pursue her military career, Rico loses
touch with himself, which results in the death of one of his boot camp recruits
during military exercises. Just before he is about to return home, his wealthy
parents are wiped out in the asteroid bombing of his home city of Buenos Aires.
Left with nothing, he appeals his withdrawal to Sgt. Zim (CLANCY BROWN –
HIGHLANDER, THE SHAWSHANKE REDEMPTION), and goes into a number of battles
against the alien enemy only to reunite with his former girlfriend and other
high school chums on Planet P where the Federation believes a Brain Bug exists.
If they could capture it alive, they could turn the tide of the war by learning
about how the bugs think so they can kill them.
The
cast is an ensemble that includes competing military recruits played by Jake
Busey (THE FRIGHTENERS), Dina Meyer (JOHNNY MNEUMONIC), Neil Patrick Harris (DOOGIE
HAUSER M.D.), Patrick Muldoon (MELROSE PLACE) and Michael Ironside (TOTAL
RECALL), who turns up as a war vet turned schoolteacher who eventually becomes
Rico’s military commander.
Some
viewers may complain about some of the film’s flaws such as the fact that
Latin people are barely represented considering the lead characters are supposed
to be from Argentina, but it is arguable that in the future, Argentina could be
a much more culturally enriched place than it is today and that the mixing of
different nationalities could create a more generic human being. Others may
complain that the film has no definitive resolution to the war and leaves room
for a sequel. However, the book did not resolve the war either and there were no
STARSHIP TROOPERS sequels planned though now a straight to video sequel is being
produced. Lastly, some might say, “I have seen this before!” and you have
because like so many sci-fi movies and televisions shows that “borrow” ideas
that are not covered under copyright laws and use them in their own projects,
elements from STARSHIP TROOPERS have appeared in other movies and television
shows. This was the case with ALIENS and SPACE ABOVE AND BEYOND. However these
are only elements used, not out right stealing. For that matter, the idea of the
Earth being surrounded by many city-sized flying saucers is not new or original
either. INDEPENDENCE DAY and V: THE MINISERIES both owe that idea to Arthur C.
Clarke’s masterpiece, CHILDHOOD’S END.
So
we have a movie that has elements that have been done before and is not exactly
faithful to the novel and you may still ask why is this movie the best sci-fi
picture of 1997 then? Because despite it’s flaws, the film depicts a startling
reality of a fascist society where military service guarantees citizenship and
the right to vote and then uses World War Two like propaganda manipulate it’s
society. The most startling thing about this world is no one really questions it
and the people appear comfortable and safe in this “World That Works.”
Verhoeven draws upon his own experiences growing up in a Nazi occupied Europe to
illustrate the bloody atrocities that come with war. The film to an extent even
compares the Federation to the Bug society in the sense that they are both
societies that do not question authority, that have demonized the other species
because it is different, and will not rest until one or the other in
annihilated. There is even evidence that it is humanity’s own fault that the
war is happening because of expansionist colonization into the bug’s
territory. The film also presents this world like a campy propaganda film that
presents the characters in a purposely-flat manner to emphasize their innocence
as young adults and at times their vacuous mindset. Unfortunately the irony was
lost on many who took the film too seriously upon the original theatrical
release. However the film found an audience on home video and later inspired the
CGI animated TV series ROUGHNECKS: STARSHIP TROOPERS CHRONICLES, which was
nominated for an Emmy Award® and has also found a larger audience on DVD with
almost the entire series now available on six DVD volumes from Columbia TriStar
Home Entertainment and a seventh volume coming soon. In the two years between
the feature film and TV series the advances in CGI effects enabled the
filmmakers to include more elements from the book to life and even Actor Clancy
Brown reprised his role as “Sgt. Zim” by lending his voice for two episodes
of the animated series.
So
with all this and so much more, STARSHIP TROOPERS is not just an action film
with great effects, but a testament on the human psyche as it relates to
imperialism and xenophobia all wrapped around a deceptively simple coming of age
story.
The
original DVD had a great transfer, but this Superbit edition benefits from both
the advancements in DVD compression technology and a brand new high definition
master that was down converted for the DVD. The results are outstanding. The
flesh tones are rich and vibrant and the effects and makeup look excellent
though some of the bug CGI effects look a bit dated now because the state of the
art has raised the ladder higher than it was in 1997, however as a whole when
compared to some other Hollywood big budget special effects films “Starship
Troopers” for the most part still holds up very well and also surpasses some
of them too. The smallest details from the colors and textures of the air tubes
that connect the starship Rodger Young to ring port that encircles the
moon to the gore effects and lighting makes this easily the best DVD picture
presentation of STARSHIP TROOPERS to arrive yet.
The
English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Soundtrack is very well mixed and has an
aggressive quality. Of course I preferred the English DTS Digital 5.1 Theatrical
Surround Soundtrack, which gives off the slightest sounds in the mix to deliver
a richer home theater listening experience. I heard things I don’t recall
noticing before such as the slight chirping like communication between Plasma
bugs that can be heard as the Federation drop ships land on Klendathu to the
faintest sounds of the punishment dissolve that takes us to the Rodger Young
while we still hear the last sounds of the whip hitting Rico to the count of
ten. I am not saying that these examples were not audible before. I am merely
pointing out that for the first time I noticed these audio details and it made
the entire experience of watching STARSHIP TROOPERS on DVD better than I had
previously experienced. Optional English Captions and Closed Captions for the
hearing impaired and French and Spanish Languages Subtitles are encoded on to
the dual layered DVD as well.
While
I feel this DVD clearly benefits from the Superbit method of transferring the
sound and picture at double the bit rate for the best possible quality, I cannot
recommend this as a replacement over last year’s “Starship Troopers: Special
Edition” two-disc set because the commentaries and extra features found on
that set are too precious to me personally to give up. However as a companion or
a demo disc to wow your visitors, “Starship Troopers: Superbit” is one of
the best I’ve seen this year so far. “Starship Troopers: Superbit” will
debut on DVD-Video on Tuesday, August 5, 2003 from Columbia TriStar Home
Entertainment and regardless of whether or not you bought last year’s Special
Edition release, I still think this new release is worth considering. It looks
and sounds that good.
©
Copyright 2003 By Mark A. Rivera
All Rights Reserved.
Buy This DVD Now By Clicking On The Text Link Below!
Starship Troopers (Superbit Collection)