*STARSHIP TROOPERS* is absolutely WILD!

[@Macapta]

I'm doing my part....to help the channel.

[@3agl33y369]

I'm doing my part.

[@timothymorris157]

We’re doing our part to stay golden!

[@jasonmcewen436]

I'm doing my part, too!

[@Stuie417]

​@@jasonmcewen436 😂

[@robert.donnelly]

The only good kind of video is a watched video!

[@quailman]

Fun fact: the actor who got his head blown off during the live fire exercise and the actress who blew his head off fell in love onset and are still married to this day

[@qs4177]

This is a fun fact 😁, I’m sucker for love stories.

[@xdragon2k]

So kids, did you know that I blew off dad's brain out in a movie?

[@COGsandwich51]

I wonder if they still talk about it. " i met her when she shot me in the head"

[@pedrolopez8057]

so he lost his head over her....

[@Akatsukileader9]

Let's just say she got a good look at him during the shower scene

[@blodguizer]

Casper Van Dien (Johhny Rico) is one of those actors that more than 30 years later still embraces the fanbase for this movie.

[@garyv83]

Him and his daughter, Grace, came to a local convention last year and apparently they were so incredibly friendly and awesome! Didn't get a chance to meet them myself, but it looked like they were having a great time meeting with their fans!

[@jgant5063]

Saw him at a convention, Jake Busey was there too. They really appreciate the fanbase.

[@halbaloney4593]

And to hear him and Paul Verhoeven both talk about the book, it's pretty clear that Casper Van Dien is the only one who actually read it, lol

[@liquidsnake321]

@@garyv83 Grace is also an actress, she was the cheerleader in stranger things who was Vecna's first victim

[@terryotoole3265]

Met him &his lovely wife @a small town con. Sweet friendly people

[@orvilleredenpiller338]

"I don't know what the tone of this movie is". That's a perfect description for all of Paul Verhoeven's work.

[@toddnesbitt3113]

Took the book to war, back in the late 1900’s, I grok

[@mikgus]

@@toddnesbitt3113 That sounds strange....

[@elirane85]

I was about to comment something like "The tone is Verhoevenesk" but you beat me to it 😋

[@CalciumChief]

Satire is the tone.

[@cytorakdemon]

​@@CalciumChiefDidn't do it very well.

[@Dad......]

It's the "Robocop" level of satire where it could just as easily be enjoyed as a dumb action flick, but you notice the message in the back of your mind. I think this is the best kind of satire, because even the people who don't catch the satirical tone still tend to latch on to the messaging.

[@TheRemyLeBeau]

That's probably why the film kinda bombed at the time of release, because there was a nagging feeling something was wrong with it, but they couldn't pinpoint what made them uncomfortable.

[@cn8412]

It's more than Robocop satire. The creators of this movie positively hated the book and its writer, which is why they just leaned into the cardboard thin characters and the ridiculous society.

[@pala1742]

you haven't been to online discourse lately have you? :D People are so extremely media illiterate they falling for the superficial propaganda OR if they catch on to something start to celebrate the book over this movie.

[@HkFinn83]

Oh yeh I agree it’s way more on the nose than Robocop. Taken at face value it’s a ridiculous, silly movie. Robocop actually has some parts that can be seen as straight ahead action movie.

[@Gusr404]

About the guy at the end that captured the bug that you asked if he got demoted, remember that earlier he was eager to fight and help but his superior told him the only way for him to see combat was if he got back to private, so basically this means he demoted himself to be able to help in combat, it really shows his courage and honor.

[@richardb6260]

You should have inserted Sgt. Zim yelling "MEDIC!" when Natalie started coughing.

[@Omegaroth666]

Nice! That would've slayed!

[@ToryHargro]

Fantastic idea!

[@NatalieGoldReacts]

omg that’s genius haha

[@zhorenlogg]

​@@NatalieGoldReacts you could re upload it with that edit

[@christophervollick4634]

​@@zhorenloggKZbin doesn't allow creators to edit videos, so reuploading means deleting the video and uploading a new one, which breaks all the links, discards all the views, and these comments. It's really a "break glass in case of emergency" situation only, for that reason.

[@happyninja42]

I swear, Dina Meyer in that backless, silver dress during their graduation dance, was an incredibly defining moment for me as a young man. She was genuinely stunning for me in that scene. She's gorgeous throughout the whole film, and teenage me was forever grateful for her going topless in that film but....damn, that dress, and the look in her eyes. Just, the definition of "smoldering redhead".

[@Braincleaner]

Diz best girl.

[@Mansplainer2099-jy8ps]

Her in Johnny Mnemonic too...

[@bodan1196]

She is equally cute and badass in Dragonheart.

[@LordVolkov]

Dina smolders in everything (except maybe 8 Legged Freaks). She does so much work with her eyes.

[@happyninja42]

@@Mansplainer2099-jy8ps yeah, i loved her in that film as well, but it was more her just being a badass? not so much a smoldering declaration of sexuality. Jade was just a really fun and awesome character. She had her hotness yes, no doubt, but....I dunno....Dizzy was on another level to me.

[@usernamealreadytaken9330]

The line "Come on you apes, you wanna live forever?" Is adapted from the quote of two medals of honour recipient Sergeant Major Daniel Joseph Daly "Come on, you sons-o'-bitches, do you want to live forever?" Before charging at German's trench in Battle of Belleau Wood in WWI

[@siadimana]

Have you seen the fat electrician video on Dan daily? If you haven't, you should. I think it's called "the most gangster marine of all time" or something.

[@c.simmons2147]

And note, he was already a two time MoH winner when he did that. Perhaps the most decisive act during the Battle of Belleau Wood, for which the Marines would earn their indomitable reputation, as well as their nickname the "Devil Dogs" from the German description of the forces that pushed them back as "teufel hunden". The Battle of Belleau Wood is described as the battle that made the Marine Corp and the only reason it did not make Dan Daly a three time recipient of the Medal of Honor was because politicians thought it would be excessive to have someone earn it three times.

[@duncansolloway2497]

the drill instructor is the same actor who played THE KURGAN in HIGHLANDER-truly an eternal warrior

[@hopsonkim4952]

My favorite dichotomy is that he’s the head guard from Shawshank and Krabs from SpongeBob

[@benn454]

@@hopsonkim4952 Lex Luthor in STAS

[@NefariousKoel]

Clancy Brown is always fun to watch. He was wonderful in HBO's Carnivale series. Just too bad they never finished it.

[@Rekaert]

And to add to that, Michael Ironside who played their teacher Rasczak played the villain in Highlander 2.

[@DrugalMcRaven]

He is also the voice of Mr. Krabs.

[@randallwright1973]

Michael Ironsides is the GOAT. Any movie or tv show he’s in is made a 1000x better just because of his presence.

[@superlum]

Also the voice for Darkseid from the Justice League cartoon!

[@dallassukerkin6878]

Aye. He even makes things, that should be terrible, watchable and 'cult'. A secret sauce actor indeed.

[@randallwright1973]

@@dallassukerkin6878 “V”: The Series was good, but the Michael Ironside episodes were SPECTACULAR.

[@jonathanhill9748]

@@randallwright1973Yeah- and don’t forget The A Team!!

[@Damcpaddy]

He was the voice of Sam Fisher the protagonist in the game Splinter Cell. He is one of the Greats for me.

[@bsol510]

one of my favorite running gags in this film is how every adult serviceman who lived out their days of active combat were horribly disfigured (missing legs, missing hand, eyepatches etc)

[@LordVolkov]

Only the Mobile Infantry (though we do not know where Rue McClanahan served). Fleet does the flying, MI does the dying 🤕 One assumes generally because ship crews either live or die - space is unforgiving and escaping a damaged ship while injured seems less likely than being pulled from combat by a squaddie.

[@Houldey]

'mobile infantry made me the man i am today' gets a deeply dark laugh outta me every damn time lol

[@Dularr]

In the book the public servants disfigurement are prominent showen. But at the end of the day, they put on advanced prosthetics which perfectly replaced their injuries.

[@allergictoliberalism]

It's not a gag. It's done on purpose by the military to discourage people from joining. They only want people who want to be there.

[@bellicose4653]

And yet they're all proud of their service. I appreciate Verhoeven for not being one sided in his work.

[@retropunk24]

"Make it 20 minutes." You dropped your crown, King Ironside.

[@dereknolin5986]

I think his performance in "V" is underrated.

[@fonzylopez5806]

I love how by the end of the movie everything innocent is taken away from rico. He's just this perfect gog in the machine. Like he's exactly the kind of person a military would want to whittle a regular guy into. Strong, handsome, inspiring, and entirely committed to the war and nothing else.

[@Omegaroth666]

To this day, "Put your hand on that wall" is one of my favorite scenes of all time. Clancy Brown is god-tier.

[@roelven1282]

"make it 20" .... also a good one ;)

[@koki84ji7]

You mean lex luthor

[@TheOctaviusLee]

My favorite Natalie quote of the movie: "DON'T LOOK BACK GIRL, SHE'S ALWAYS LOOKING BACK AT SHIT!" 🤣😂🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@robling1937]

A fun fact I love about this film is that the actors in the shower scene only agreed to do it if the director and crew were also naked. So that is what they did hahaha

[@JeffKelly03]

Was it the full crew? I knew that Verhoeven did that but didn't ever hear about the rest of the crew joining in. Still, great move by him to let them know it's not meant to be gratuitous or anything (well, it's VERY gratuitous, so I guess it's more "not meant to be titillating").

[@Fjoravaleris]

@@JeffKelly03 Verhoeven, Lights crew and cameraoperaters^^ The actor didn't expect they would do it, but they did. Their only only comment was to shrug and say: "europeans" XD

[@pabloc8808]

@@JeffKelly03 Eh, I don't think it's gratuitous at all. The depiction of a shower room full of hot people completely naked and yet the complete absence of sexual arousal or tension is very deliberate to portray them as little more than little military drones who know nothing but how to do their jobs.

[@axelfoley133]

The other interesting thing about the scene is that all the characters that reveal their ambitions fail to achieve them. They either die, wash out or abandon their goals for the machine. Rico joined 'for a girl', Dizz joined for Rico and died the day after she got with him, Ace gave up his goal to be an officer amd even turned down squad leader, the politics girl dropped out and everyone else died. Military industrial complex consumes all, including their recruits humanity.

[@angrykermit3192]

It was Verhoven and one other person, not the entire crew. Do you really think the entire crew would do that? Get your facts straight.

[@Cybershroom]

To this day I can't for the life of me figure out what kind of technology the VFX team did because the Arachnids look so goddamn good, the CGI/animatronics blend in so well, it's insane.

[@ronnyschedler24285]

Watch the documentary The Frankenstein Complex. Starship Troopers is mentioned in it among a bunch of others. And it is talking about the transition from practical to cgi. Pretty awesome documentary.

[@wtimmins]

It's seriously amazing vfx

[@ocelotsly5521]

Phil Tippett is one of the main SFX supervisors. He started out doing stop-motion animation (including the chess game in Star Wars and the ATATs in The Empire Strikes Back), which gave him an understanding of skeletons, musculature and animal movement that many CGI technicians lacked at the time. Bloody genius.

[@Phuongyyy]

@@ocelotsly5521 Phil was also the Dinosaur Supervisor on Jurassic Park and look what happened there. The were dinosaurs all up in the kitchen. So much for supervision.

[@KthulhuXxx]

The main warrior arachnids have always strongly reminded me of the Shadows from Babylon 5.

[@thecelticblog]

Your analysis is actually quite brilliant. You got everything right from the off, the tone, the look, the whole bit. Bravo Natalie.

[@nickrose83]

I absolutely love this movie. I totally didn't get the satire when i first watched it as a teen. I really appreciated the outro and the fact you "got it" after the fact, which is probably how it was for most of us.

[@steves9250]

21:59 Carrie Fisher asked George Lucas about this and he replied”There are no bras in space”

[@qs4177]

The “Do you want to live forever quote” was actually attributed to Gunnery Sergeant Dan Daly (USMC during WW1) while charging into enemy fire and leading his troops to victory. Gunny also won his 2nd Medal of Honor during this war. After he left the USMC he lived a quiet and humble life as a bank guard never talking or bragging about his exploits. He passed away in 1937 of a heart attack.

[@TheLanceUppercut]

Just to clarify: he won his second Medal of Honor before World War I, while fighting in a conflict in Haiti. His actions at Belleau Wood (during which the "Come on you sons of bitches, do you want to live forever?" quote was born) got him nominated for an unprecedented THIRD Medal of Honor, but he was instead awarded the Distinguished Service Cross and Navy Cross. Then a law was passed that nobody could win more than one Medal of Honor. Dan Daly was such a badass, they had to discontinue first place for him. He was a First Sergeant at the time, and retired as a Sergeant Major (the highest rank for enlisted men in the Marines) in 1929.

[@qs4177]

@@TheLanceUppercut I stand corrected, you are correct of course he won his second MoH in Haiti. And I learned something new, I didn’t know he was recommended for a third MoH.

[@HikingPNW]

@@TheLanceUppercut They changed the rules during WW1 when the military was trying to truly establish the MoH as the highest military award and were partially afraid that by giving it out multiple times to the same people it would diminish it's prestige. At this same time the military reviewed all past MoH recipients and revoked 900+ of them because based on the new rules they would not have been awarded it. A lot that got revoked made sense but not all. It was just bad timing that they were changing who the MoH should be awarded too that Dan Daly deserved a 3rd one.

[@dan_38]

Though, it's been argued that the quote comes from Frederick The Great from the 17th-18th c. when he was calling out to his soldiers that were just standing than actively fighting

[@chrisleebowers]

A quote that ironcially is why his name will live forever

[@plaguedoctorjamespainshe6009]

I love how the human tactics are basically acting like an horde of bugs While the bugs are actually using combined arms tactics, ambushes and all of that Hell in the end Rico the hero just faces away from the camera and becomes just an part of the faceless grey horde of humans, forgotten and lacking any individuality, just another meat to the grinder

[@neil2444]

It was never made clear how the asteroids were necessarily connected with the bug race. It was just assumed that it was the bugs and how the human race needed to collectively wipe them out. That seems to naturally fit the satire that they were quick to go to war.

[@wolfofthewest8019]

@@neil2444 Carmen adjusted the route of the Rodger Young, thinking she could outsmart Xavier's maps. That caused the Rodger Young to hit the asteroid, sending it on course to hit Earth. The bugs had nothing to do with it.

[@chiggnBS]

@@wolfofthewest8019 Is that official canon? I always assumed the asteroid was a false flag operation by Earth Gov to reignite patriotism and to silence political dissidents and rebels. Even the combat tactics the recruits are trained in look more like urban warfare then for fighting bugs.

[@Henrik_Holst]

@@chiggnBS it is basically canon considering that it's what we saw actually happening in the movie, the Federation simply used a natural disaster as a way to start a new war. Aka they got lucky and didn't need any false flag, would also be quite hard even for the future humans to send such an asteroid with such a precision to hit earth.

[@wolfofthewest8019]

@@chiggnBS The first one is an accident used as a false flag, the second one is a deliberate false flag. The second one appears to be some random asteroid they blew up and just said was a "bug asteroid" on course to Earth.

[@lordhoot1]

I read a theory that when Paul Verhoeven moved from the Netherlands to the USA he just ended up making a series of movies about all the things he found craziest about America from an outsider's perspective. Robocop about policing and corporate culture, Showgirls about attitudes to sex, Starship Troopers about the militarism.

[@SeedFactoryProject]

Starship Troopers was originally a novel by science fiction author Robert Heinlein. He served in the military, and the story was a commentary based on exaggerating things he saw in real life. So the movie is basically "this is what happens, but turned up to 11", but with bugs as the enemy. We demonize our political enemies in real life to eliminate empathy and make the costs and killing palatable.

[@dawidscheffler7152]

The "Hamster Wheel" is perfectly described when Ricco joins the military by the officer who gave him his training camp: "Fresh meat for the grinder" and that the "Mobile infantry made me the man I am today" pan to robotic arm, no legs.

[@Zachfive]

I remember back in the day, one of my favorite jokes about the film referred to NPH’s character as “Doogie Himmler”

[@robertcampbell8070]

It's Doogie Himmler. I don't know where you got Heimler from.

[@jaredohlstein7355]

What about "Heil Patrick Harris"?

[@charliesotelo1966]

@@robertcampbell8070 yea hes a moron

[@ajb7615]

That's hilarious!!!😂❤

[@Zachfive]

Fixed the spelling. Thanks for the kind reminder.

[@domingocurbelomorales8635]

"Make it 20 minutes". EPIC AND LEGENDARY.

[@ECDabbeljuh]

Would've been hilarious if he'd replied, "I only need 5!"

[@davewhitmore1958]

and nearly fatal to poor Nat!!!

[@mycroft16]

Between Ace and the Lieutenant, best wingmen ever.

[@arjansnoek7257]

Ah, the last of the Paul Verhoeven trilogy. You really should do the other two. Robocop and Total Recal. Both classics

[@jonc7739]

Robocop is a much watch, Very similar in style to Starship Trooper.

[@banonKING]

Yup. He went out on top with this one. All satirical, bloody, classics.

[@malcontent79]

I'd definitely watch those videos. Gonna need a whole lotta editing and censor bars, though, lol

[@riChchestMat]

WTH are you talking about with trilogy and last and went out. PVH went on to make Show Girls, Black Book and Benedetta. He’s still going strong

[@arjansnoek7257]

@@riChchestMat Yes he is still going strong. But the trilogy I am speaking of are the satirical movies about facism

[@echobase6372]

"They sucked his brains out" is one of my favorite quotes from this movie and his delivery is perfect. Im glad you enjoyed it as much as i do

[@r2b2ct1]

You understood more than most people do when seeing this for the first time. When this first came out, most critics thought it was either a vacuous war movie and the others thought it was pro-fascist propaganda.

[@christophero1969]

"You have to break the hand with your glass like that? That also seems inefficient!" My favorite reactor quote EVER!

[@PerishingPurplePulsar]

"You gotta break the hand with your glass!?!?" Has me holding my sides and crying omg, reminds me of the P!atD line "I'm not as think as you drunk I am"

[@billhutchinson6318]

"No I'm... doesn't"

[@f0rth3l0v30fchr15t]

Hate to break it to you, but "I'm not as think as you drunk I am" was old when P!atD's grandparent's met for the first time.

[@ghostofyourmom]

​​@@f0rth3l0v30fchr15t Nothing you said disputes anything they said. It IS a P!atD line, and that commenter DIDN'T say that P!atD invented it. Your comment was less than useless.

[@f0rth3l0v30fchr15t]

@@ghostofyourmom Still better than yours.

[@ghostofyourmom]

@@f0rth3l0v30fchr15t That doesn't make sense, but okay 👍

[@jayhegener3028]

Nat, the grizzled, one armed commander you liked so much was the legendary Michael Ironside. He could deliver lines with a ferocious intensity.

[@ca9968]

He was so good back in the 80`s in "V"...

[@jayhegener3028]

@@ca9968 And Top Gun, Total Recall, etc. The first time I saw Scanners, I was stunned by him.

[@Johnny_Socko]

"They sucked his brains out" got an appreciative laugh when I first saw this in the theater. (Which now that I think about it was at the Cinerama Dome in L.A., and Tim Allen & his entourage were seated a couple rows ahead of us.)

[@CrazeeAdam]

Michael Ironside is amazing. Love him in every film

[@CrazeeAdam]

@@jayhegener3028 Him as Viper in Top Gun

[@TheDragonBugg]

I appreciate how intelligently you approach the review section.

[@mattturner7531]

Ironside was so good in this, numerable one liners. "They sucked his brains out." totally deadpan, I was rolling laughing.

[@DocLunarwind]

The best end to beverly hills 90210 ever made!

[@Toidal]

If you open on the high school and also end the movie on some ska music, you get a coming of age teen movie from the late 90s, early 00s'

[@matthewmarcinko9157]

You're right, much of this cast started by working for Aaron Spelling and one of his shows.

[@Robotrik1]

Slightly fascist & non Democratic Beverly Hills 90210 = best Beverly Hills 90210 . Unfortunately some of the most important dialogue in the movie is said during the introduction of The Pretty People in the class room ... , so 90% of the audience doesn't really have any idea of what this movie is about . Natalie just exemplified this sad truth .

[@Bill-en7kw]

I have this movie called 'Melrose Space'

[@variable57]

Nat is doing her part! 🫡

[@threadfall100]

Called MEDIC! when the laughter turned to coughing, the little cartoon ambulance almost killed me laughing in turn... Outro summary is spot on!

[@israfel070]

"i want to make a movie so painfully obvious in its satire that everyone who understands it lives in perpetual psychological torment inflicted on them by all the people who don't" -paul verhoeven, director of starship troopers

[@westcoast7429]

Seriously... so many ppl twist themselves into pretzels over this movie

[@stdamonsbeard]

The problem is that Paul didn’t read the book. And other then how they are dressed their is no fascism.

[@israfel070]

@@stdamonsbeard bro you are bad at reading comprehension

[@stdamonsbeard]

@@israfel070 Did Paul read the book or not?

[@Enthymene]

@@stdamonsbeard he didn't finish it. And, having read it... he didn't need to.

[@KayinAngel]

It's so wild that, today with hindsight, someone would go "Wait, Neil Patrick Harris is in this movie!". When I saw this in theater when it came out, it was "Wait, Doogie Howser MD is in this movie?"

[@AmorphisBob]

This is the third of Paul Verhoven's big 3 dystopian sci-fi movies, the others being Robocop and Total Recall. I highly recommend seeing both as they are two of the best 80s sci-fi action movies and they share the same serious/campy dichotomy as this does

[@jakubfabisiak9810]

And what exactly is dystopian about ST? A democratic state with minimal government, where polithical authority is perfectly gatekept from sleazy polititians, and irresponsible morons, but everyone is otherwise free to do what they wish, no one is forced to serve, but no one can be prevented from it either (unless they are physically unable to understand the oath), and you can resign at any time? Also - low crime rate, and a system that is meticulously fair, and responsible almost to a fault.

[@AmorphisBob]

@@jakubfabisiak9810 Can't tell if serious or trolling

[@jakubfabisiak9810]

@@AmorphisBob I am serious. People who accuse ST of being fascist have no idea what fascism is, because there sure as hell isn't any here. The Federation is literally a democracy, not restricted by race, gender, or creed. The only requirement is that to be allowed to vote (and thus have the power to exert influence over the state), one must accept responsibility for the state, and the manner in which the power is utilized.

[@AmorphisBob]

@@jakubfabisiak9810 I never said they were fascist but a society that functions solely because they are perpetually at war and uses propaganda to brainwash its children to jump into the meat grinder is by definition dystopian, fascist or not.

[@michael_aagaard]

@@jakubfabisiak9810 Yeah but Paul Verhoven says it’s fascist satire, so it must be. (It’s an argument i’ve seen many people use)

[@joshuacampbell7493]

I recommend Robocop after this. Paul Verhoeven direct that movie too.

[@ronnyschedler24285]

1987 Robocop that's important. We DON'T what her or anyone else to suffer through the 2014 one, that come to think of it, doesn't exist.

[@edu_moonwalker]

Better yet, watch the Paul Verhoeven trilogy, Robocop, Starship Troopers and Total Recall.

[@TrickyD]

@@edu_moonwalker 😉Don't forget *Showgirls.*

[@Melancthon7332]

@@edu_moonwalker Why do people call it the "Verhoeven trilogy" He's made many legitimately great movies before and since. Shouldn't it be "Verhoeven's Hollywood action trilogy"?

[@tranya327]

@@Melancthon7332 I suspect it's called the 'Verhoeven trilogy' because these three specific movies share a number of similar themes and situations that the other films don't: - big institutions using tailored media and repetition to persuade and brainwash ordinary people into thinking a certain way; - societies run by people with an absence of wisdom, governed purely by 'base' functions of sacrificing others in exchange for the money, power and perks of a handful of leaders; - places that have had their souls sucked out of them, where people are so ugly (inside and often outside) that we wouldn't want to live with them, or bring children into that world; - a world where you can't trust your senses or your mind, so you don't know what is real and what is illusion (Is Murphy the Robocop human enough, or not? Are Quaid's memories and 'good guy' character real, or not? Do humans deserve the moral blame for starting the war with the bugs, or not?)

[@Nimbus3000]

When at war, promotions come much quicker because, just as you said... people die. They didnt make a big deal of it in the series band of brothers but as time went on most of the characters you saw got multiple promotions because they had (mostly successul) combat experience and didnt die. That was all in the span of 6-12 months.

[@oldfrend]

Lt. Winters went from 1st Lt to major in about 8 months; normally that would take years.

[@Nimbus3000]

@@oldfrend yeah, that's what I mean. but you really only see winters and later lipton get promoted, they never really touch on all the NCOs getting promotions etc.

[@KarlJeager]

WW2 US army is also a bit of a special case since it went from a small army of under 200,000 in 1939 to around 8 million by 1945 with several million of them deploying to Europe, you need quite a few promotions to fill all those spaces.

[@vanyadolly]

It really depends on the war and how how prepared vs willing to throw human bodies away your country is. I mean this isn't how the current US military operates, but there are a lot of similarities with WWI in therms of lives lost and how dispensable higher command considers the grunts.

[@mycroft16]

In this one it's because their military is literally a propaganda driven meat grinder.

[@akkito1911]

Seen this movie so many times. My mind got blown, when Nat pointed out Carmens replot put them in the path of the astroid. 😮

[@captaindecounting8239]

I'm so glad the subtleties are not lost on you. Love your take on this film. It's why I keep coming back for more. Excellent content, CHEERS!

[@robertbaldwin5636]

I saw this movie in the the theater right before I left for the military.....after spending 20 years in the military, I have to say, the movie hits SO much different. I think it is absolutely genius, and I am so glad you enjoyed it.

[@dzelman444]

Clancy Brown is ridiculously good in this.

[@williewilliams6571]

I think I liked him best in "Buckaroo Banzai".

[@Tony-B23]

Highlander

[@timmooney7528]

Same applies for Jake Busey. His goofy grin made him perfect for his role.

[@butt5326]

@@timmooney7528 he’s good in this, but I think he’s better in the frighteners

[@o0pinkdino0o]

Clancy Brown is ridiculously good.

[@TheGoIsWin21]

"They sucked his brains out" has lived rent free in my head for the better part of two decades, and I still season it through conversations at random

[@quoniam426]

The actor playing the one armed teacher is also playing a GDI general in Command and Conquer 3 cutscenes. The bugs and the brain are litterally like the Zerg in Starcraft.

[@reavern]

I appreciate Natalie adding her wrap-up to the end this YT reaction, compared to her full reaction on Patreon. Her sharing her thoughts and impressions genuinely enhanced this movie reaction. I remember watching Starship Troopers on VHS in the late ‘90s when I was a teenager, and I admit I didn’t appreciate the satire at the time. The fact that it was released a year after the movie Independence Day, it had those cringy “Would you like to know more?” propaganda ads, and followed the ‘90s trend of beautiful 30 year-old actors portraying high school students, I dismissed it as another big dumb alien-killing sci-fi blockbuster. Revisiting the movie as an adult, I understand now what director Paul Verhoeven was going for, and in hindsight, it’s no surprise that he also directed RoboCop, which had a similar dystopian future setting and over-the-top ultra-violent style. It’s a shame that Starship Troopers never got a proper big-budget sequel, but modern movies like The Tomorrow War and Edge of Tomorrow were obviously influenced by this sci-fi cult classic.

[@AFMountaineer2000]

When Rasczak said "You wanna live forever?" he was actually quoting Sergeant Major Daniel Daly. One of two marines to earn the Medal of Honor twice.

[@benn454]

The other being Smedley Butler.

[@tru3sk1ll]

Would you like to know more?

[@WasabiBomb]

The combat armor was reused for Firefly (and a few other shows, apparently).

[@LordVolkov]

Usually it changes color (purple for Firefly) but the helmet and vest are very iconic.

[@Scarabswarm]

I will forever regret missing the props auction where they were sold off en masse originally, as I wanted one for myself. They went dirt cheap originally, and they had SO MANY of them.

[@christopherwall2121]

Including _Power Rangers Lost Galaxy_ of all shows.

[@XSprouted]

It's cool that Nat enjoyed this so much.

[@zjenji]

You completely get it! I love the way you always Get it!!! Super smart.

[@borjaescobarsuarez]

If you haven't, You have to watch the Verhoeven camp trifecta: This one, Robocop (original) and Total Recall (also original)

[@jawbone78]

After seeing what remakes did to Robocop and Total Recall, I really, really, really don't want to see the upcoming Starship Troopers remake. Just like the other two, it's going to strip away all of the satire, sense of humor, fun, and basically everything that's good about the original, and replace it with "awesome" action CGI spectacle, with an ugly, washed-out color palette and a more serious tone. And it's going to suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck.

[@borjaescobarsuarez]

@@jawbone78 That's why I specify originals. I think the only 90's camp remake that is worth watching is Dredd

[@philipsheppard4815]

@@jawbone78 I don't forget a PG-13 rating.

[@ghostofyourmom]

​@@borjaescobarsuarezDredd isn't a remake of the Stallone 90s movie. They're both just adaptations of the Judge Dredd comics.

[@andareon]

When you watch this movie being a bit younger (I'm close to 40), you stay for the action, the romance, the silliness. When you watch it again around my age, you understand the subtext and you don't see it at all the same way anymore. What a great movie by a great director. Even more relevant now than It was then.

[@jakubfabisiak9810]

then watch it again, and realize the subtext is bullshit, because Verhoven didn't read the book, and tried to show the federation as fascist, when it is, in fact, a polar opposite of fascism.

[@kylehurlburt6114]

​@@jakubfabisiak9810 Verhoeven wasn't trying to recreate the book. He was doing his own thing and, arguably, spitting in the face of the book. I think there is an argument to be made that the book was fascist, or at least extremely pro-military/jingoistic.

[@josiahalcorne]

@@kylehurlburt6114 Yeah the book was super Pro-Fascist. Verhoevan did an amazing job of depicting a globalist view of Fascism as opposed to the European version he grew up under.

[@jakubfabisiak9810]

@@kylehurlburt6114 there really isn't. The accusations of militarism are simply because it's written from the perspective of a soldier fighting in a war. But the core principle is that power, and responsibility must be equal. Watch Massad Ayoob's "judicious use of deadly force" - he makes the same argument about power/responsibility when talking about using deadly force in self defense. Starship Troopers is literally a book about gatekeeping people from having authority unless they accept responsibility equal to that authority.

[@banonKING]

Yeah. I saw this in theaters when I was in high school. And then in America 911 happened a few years later and I felt like this went from satire to a tragic reality. And yeah... more real than ever these days.

[@RudyMiller68]

I saw this on opening weekend in the theater. When he said "make it 20 minutes" the whole crowd clapped and cheered.

[@BigMikeKOE]

This was a fun reaction. I'm glad you "got" the movie.

[@richiecabral3602]

Couple of things, if you're interested. First, this was an adaptation of a Robert Heinlein novela. Heinlein is one of the main, early, post WW2 Scifi writers, that was pretty influential. The actual novela has a lot to do with Heinlein discussing political, philosophical and social concepts about society, etc., and is, I think, a good example of the difference between traditional writing and screenwriting, and how they're really two different art forms, that don't always translate from one to the other, particularly when it's more ideas and concepts that can't easily be visually depicted, and Paul Verhoeven went in his own direction with it, and intentionally went very campie with it. It's very different from the novela in tone, but that's what makes it so much fun. The other thing, the "You wanna live forever?!" line, has been reused a lot, and who really knows it's exact origins, or how far it goes back historically, but I'm a Marine, and the line is traditionally accredited to Dan Daly, who is basically one out of probably three of the most notorious Marines in Marine Corps history, that basically has an immortal reputation as like the original bad ass mofo, and supposedly he said, "Let's go you sons of bitches! What? Do you want to live forever?" or something to that affect, to his Marines as he lead them out of the trenches in the battle of Belleau Wood in World War 1, or again, something like that.

[@danholmesfilm]

14:51 "My Parents are Dead! I am Soldier Now!" Should've been the Tagline for this Movie lol

[@HaganeNoGijutsushi]

Eren Jaeger be like:

[@reconsoldier135]

as a 15 year old boy I saw this in theaters 4 times, amazing CGI still holds up

[@JamesHulltheFabulousJ]

Whoever edited this video is GOATed. Just as Michael Ironside's underappreciated acting genius

[@PBRatLord]

Not just staple sci-fi flick, but a golden standard in satire!

[@Xx6505xX]

So glad you watched this movie. This movie is one of those comfort films for me.

[@arsbadmojo]

I'm so glad you "get" this movie. I was a lot younger when I first watched it, and a lot of the nuance went right over my head, but it's really grown on me.

[@jakubfabisiak9810]

I'm curious, what "nuance" went over your head? The only "nuance" in this film is that Verhoven didn't have a clue what the book is about, and tried making a satire of fascism out of something that is a polar opposite of fascism.

[@allergictoliberalism]

​@@jakubfabisiak9810thank you 😂 I'm glad I'm not the only one who knows how Verhoven bastardized the book

[@Edhelvar]

Oh my god, who the fuck cares about the book. The movie is a satire of imperialistic fascist idealogies, that's what it is. The book and movie can both exist and have different points and meanings.

[@jakubfabisiak9810]

@@Edhelvar true, if you were talking about Starship Troopers 3, which does make the Federation very different, than ST1. Thing is - the movie fails as a satire, because Verhoven didn't read the book, and it went completely over his head. As a result, he tried to make the Federation fadcist, but the details that were included from the book completely undermine that.

[@Hereticked]

@@jakubfabisiak9810 Awww, another book fan got their fefe's hurt. Cope harder, dingus. Great directors take novels and adapt them how they please. Given that Verhoeven literally grew up in Nazi-occupied Netherlands, I think he knows Fascism when he sees it better than you do. If you were smart, you'd say "the book and movie have different messages" and leave it at that, but so many of you Heinlein fans get butthurt and emotional. It's sad, but also very funny.

[@ryanmuaddib]

I have received so much side-eye in my life from having this on my Top 10 list. So many people don't get it.

[@jakubfabisiak9810]

and so many oepole think they "get it" only to reveal they are just as clueless as Verhoven.

[@cthulhuwu_]

@jakubfabisiak9810 Comment all you want, you’re not fooling anyone with an iq above room temperature

[@chrisleebowers]

His satire got increasingly more sophisticated and less obvious. It's completely in-your-face in Robocop and Total Recall but by the time he gets to Troopers and Showgirls everyone thinks it's just a bad movie. What's crazy is that before "Showgirls" bombed, "Basic Instinct" was a hit despite how bad-on-purpose it was and despite nobody "getting" that the whole thing was a joke.

[@jakubfabisiak9810]

@@chrisleebowers nah. Robocop is pretty obvious, but ST fails as a satire - not because he made the UCF awesome, but because he forgot to make them fascist. Ironically, by ST3, the UCF is portrayed the way Verhoven wanted, by breaking with the book completely.

[@Harkness78]

Eh, it is a truly great film, easy recommend for top 100. Top 10.... not so much. Have you seen Robocop? It is basically this but better.

[@xmorpheus1468]

Someone's gonna play Helldivers 2 😂

[@noahcody2655]

Da da da daaaa daa daaaaaaaa Da da da daaaa da da da da da

[@xmorpheus1468]

@@noahcody2655 I did my part

[@hunt8722]

I'm doing my part

[@MrSeanAsh]

For democracy

[@xmorpheus1468]

Sweet liberty. I am proud of you cadets

[@balansboy]

Such a fun ride. So campy and over the top and doesn't take itself seriously.

[@xshaide]

I love the brown aesthetic of your cam

[@Fjoravaleris]

The director experienced the germans invade his home Netherlands. His method is: There is a point where something is so evil you just can make fun of it to rip the mask off. Michael Ironside didn't understand it during filming and asked him about his motives. As soon Verhoeven explained Ironside just went all in. And is a performance for the ages!

[@jakubfabisiak9810]

Shame that Verhoven was full of crap, though. There is literally nothing fascist about the Federation - it is a democracy, unrestricted by race, gender, or creed - the only requirement (and the reason it works to create the utopia you see in the film) is that the UCF is adamant that authority must be equal to responsibility - to wield the ultimate authority (in the form of sovereign franchise), one must accept the ultimate responsibility. Ironically, Michael Ironside's performance is indeed great, because everything he says is objectively true.

[@timmooney7528]

@@jakubfabisiak9810 Verhoven didn't read the entire book. He read enough to adapt an existing script to make a parody of WWII era propaganda films.

[@axr7149]

Michael Ironside bears a resemblance to a young Jack Nicholson. This is especially notable in TOTAL RECALL by the same director.

[@trulybtd5396]

​@@jakubfabisiak9810i love it when people effortlessly prove the "war makes fascist of everyone" concept like here.

[@jakubfabisiak9810]

@@trulybtd5396 silly concept, tbh. Once the war machine gets rolling, people will galvanize. Look up the white feather campaign in ww1 britain.

[@discocorpse]

My sister sent me the novel for my birthday right before a 6 month deployment, first port we got to after it came out was next to Dubai. So myself and some friends from my command who'd also read it went hunting for a movie theater with a cab driver who spoke zero English. The only theater we found was in a mall, and there it was on the marquee. We couldn't believe it, like finding a unicorn in Alaska. The Arabic subtitles made it more cyberpunk-y, and we didn't even know there were scenes with nudity until we saw it again back home.

[@Melancthon7332]

What are your thoughts on the book vs the movie?

[@HablaCarnage63]

@@Melancthon7332I was disappointed in the film because I wanted the book visualized in a serious way. But if you pretend it is its own thing it is fun.

[@discocorpse]

@@Melancthon7332 the book is definitely more serious, Heinlein didn't really do comedy, so Verhoeven decided to mock the fascist style of the story. Both are still fun though.

[@eligra]

@@discocorpse I read the book after I saw the movie, and IMO say that the book and the movie elevate each other. The movie is so good, it's a masterpiece of 90's action movies (and it still holds up!). The book is also one of my all time favourites, but for very different reasons. It's an exploration of a military industrialist-fascist utopia. They're nothing alike, but they are both so good.

[@terrancebrown87]

12:06 “you think you can lick my nav’s?” 😂 why have I never caught that before!

[@kippercsg]

This film can accurately be described as "a re-telling of America's War on Terror, 4 years before it happened"

[@clarkbarrett6274]

Empathy was my superpower in Iraq. I studied the war from the beginning. So when it was time to go in 2008 I was ready. My troopers treated the people with dignity and respect and we were rewarded in kind.

[@zuluhawk]

Starship Troopers is just an instant classic, I love it

[@gusswier3952]

I hate breaking the hand with the glass!😂😂😂

[@CaptHowdy1155]

I hadn't realized that this movie came out before the September 11, 2001 attacks yet it warned us how propaganda and high school military recruitment are intertwined.

[@donalddepew5373]

I spent all 4 years of high-school just after 9/11.. us & the recruiters totally jokes about this movie & their job

[@DKCorby]

Zim, played by the great Clancy Brown, starts the film as a Sgt. He’s informed he won’t see active duty unless he gets demoted to Private. Immediately, he tears up Rico’s resignation paper in front of his superior. Such a good moment.

[@minnidrake3342]

Love your channel for 3 years since I have been watching you have been rockin it thank you

[@AzaMinis]

Paul Verhoeven is the absolute master of Having your Cake and Eating it Too. He's so good, would love to see Nat react to more of his movies. Total Recall next!!

[@jeahavvalentin980]

RoboCop afterwards

[@TheLegendOfRandy]

You _had_ to upload this gem right before I head off to work and now I have to wait till the end of the day to watch it? You're the devil.

[@quoththekraven5911]

Just watch it AT work... tell the boss you're having stomach problems and just chill in the bathroom. You'll be fiiiiiine I'm sure of it

[@TheLegendOfRandy]

@@quoththekraven5911 lol I totally would have, but unfortunately I largely drive for a living. On the bright side, now I have some quality content to enjoy while I eat dinner!

[@quoththekraven5911]

@@TheLegendOfRandy There ya go. Enjoy!

[@lethargicbobhope]

One thing to think about too, not only would Carmen's ship not have almost been lost due to her changing the path, but it's also the reason the asteroid hit Buenos Ares

[@hang10wannabe]

Excellent break down of one of my all time favs! Thanks!

[@chrisalexander8110]

One of my all time favorite movies and now you cover it. Yes!!!!

[@mikedignum1868]

Such a good film by the master Mr Verhoeven, they killed the wrong girl. Rico's relationship with Carmen was all in his mind.

[@LordVolkov]

Maybe Carl put it there...

[@thatHARVguy]

@@LordVolkov 🎶 *X-Files theme* 🎶

[@hughabbate]

I remember beeing a kid watching this for the first time... me and my friends love this movie, as Argentinians and living in Buenos Aires this was amazing to us

[@IronicTonic8]

I'm glad you got the satire, most people didn't when it first came out so it had an underwhelming reception. It's taken years but now it's finally become a cult classic. It's far more intelligent than it was given credit for.

[@Inert18]

But considering the source material it is an insult to Robert A. Heinlein who was a Naval Officer and wrote Starship Troopers as a libertarian view to what the citizens owe to the society that they live in. That the director made so many radical changes it was a good thing that the movie was only made after Heinlen died

[@IronicTonic8]

@user-rp9hs3ct5z Agreed, but I personally like the final product more than the original work so I'm ok with the changes.

[@chopdog6563]

@@Inert18 Yeah, Heinlein was dead serious about this, which colored my opinion of this movie for years. Learning more about Verhoeven changed my mind, and I like this movie a lot more these days.

[@leonrussell9607]

The film fails as a satire of fascism as the federation are not fascist in the slightest

[@IronicTonic8]

@@leonrussell9607 The movie definitely doesn't fail as a satire of fascism. The federation may not be an outright fascist government (more of a republic), but they do have many elements of fascism, and those are the core elements the movie is satirizing. Let's take a look at the definition of fascism so we can understand it a little better. Fascism is a far-right, authoritarian, ultranationalist political ideology and movement, characterized by a dictatorial leader, centralized autocracy, militarism, forcible suppression of opposition, belief in a natural social hierarchy, subordination of individual interests for the perceived good of the nation and/or race, and strong regimentation of society and the economy. I think we can agree that pretty much all of those elements are prevalent in the film to some extent. save for ONE, which is the dictatorship. Instead of dictatorship we have a republic. The movie specifically focuses on satire related to the elements of this society that are closely related to fascism, and it succeeds in its satire. Your statement that it fails to satirize fascism is incorrect. It would be more accurate to say the federation was only 90% fascist, so the satire was only 90% effective.

[@Slamraptor]

One of my top 5 favourite movies, glad you enjoeyed it.

[@pologoalie7]

Great review/reaction... Really liked the post interview. This one is for sure on the rewatch list to get the most out of. Will always be in my top 10.

[@dunringill1747]

Director Paul Verhoeven does a great job of giving us dark satire coupled with heavy social commentary. His 'trifecta' of sci fi movies are "Robocop", "Total Recall", & "Starship Troopers". He also has a great medieval movie with "Flesh & Blood".

[@ObsceneVegetableMatter]

And a great nunsploitation flick with Benedetta.

[@JGfromSpace.]

I love this movie. It’s such a funny, biting, satire of fascism hidden behind a dumb fun sci-fi movie. It’s a film told from the perspective of the militaristic society it depicts. Like if that society made a movie, it would be Starship Troopers.

[@djlow9915]

Nattie's doing her part to keep us entertained 😄 This was a fun watch

[@TheMonkeydood]

The vfx in this movie is outstanding. It's amazing this was late 90s, it looks better than a lot of the movies today.

[@PierceArner]

Those 🚑 edits had me hacking in laughter just as much as Nat. This was an absolute joy to watch!

[@TheMajestyD]

Great classic!!!! And now that the video game “Helldivers 2” got so popular alot of new souls go connected to this film.

[@jakubfabisiak9810]

which is kinda funny, because UCF, and Super Earth are nothing alike, aside from the uniforms, and action sequences - kinda like the only thing UCF and fascism have in common are the uniforms.

[@Blutteufel]

Carmen used the Rodger Young to redirect the course of the asteroid to destroy Buenos Aires in order to start the war and satisfy her diabolical bloodlust.

[@dargron7614]

Oh Carmen, always making Johnny jump through hoops to prove his love for you.

[@Variable-2-actual]

Typical war starting woman.

[@vanyadolly]

@@dargron7614 I mean not really. The issue is that she isn't interested no matter how many hoops he jumps through.

[@leonrussell9607]

Verhoeven himself said the bugs did it

[@Blutteufel]

@@leonrussell9607 Why are you like this?

[@Kyss5]

Much love to you Natalie, love your reactions!

[@sporadicamnesic]

The fact Paul Verhoven didn't get satire when he was first approached to direct RoboCop yet he very quickly got it and absolutely nails it both in that and Starship Troopers! That's what made those movies work so well because as absurd as it looks/seems, there's an element of relatable truth to it

[@leonrussell9607]

This film fails at satire

[@mycroft16]

​@@leonrussell9607 can you elaborate on that claim a little more than you did?

[@leonrussell9607]

@@mycroft16 verhoeven wanted to make a satire of fascism yet the federation are not fascist at all

[@mycroft16]

@leonrussell9607 whoa there son... yes, it very much is. It literally follows the tactics and behavior of every fascist government in Earth's history. While they may seem nice by letting people work and all like Johnny's parents... but ALL of the benefits of being a citizen are controlled and withheld by the government unless you join the military machine. Which you aren't likely to survive. Notice that the teachers are vets, often disfigured (the biology teacher wears dark goggles to hide her eyes), and they all teach via propaganda. Ironsides' character even states that violence is the only option. That is a fascist cornerstone. As is demonization. A tactic used by every single fascist state in history is to scapegoat all of societies problems onto a group of people and repeatedly make that group inferior and eventually subhuman. Almost every time words like infestation, invasion etc are used. Infestation especially, implying that this group of people are vermin or insects to be exterminated. In the film Verhooven literally has bugs. Literally punching you in the face with the fascist tactic. Even though there are dissenters with opposite opinions they are shouted down and made to look like idiots, further reinforcing the propaganda. The reporter who talks about differing opinions is interrupted by Johnny himself who rattles off the literal state line, kill them all. He has been so indoctrinated by that point. The talk show cuts from the dissected being mocked and called offensive immediately to propaganda commercials of children stomping on bugs. Children being given ammo and holding guns while parents and soldiers support and glorify this. Violence and militarism completely permeate all of society. The only oath to citizenship is through militarism. Even in the military, all decisions are made in terms of extermination. Even in defeat, the propaganda shows it as wins. North Korea does the exact same things, indoctrinating their people about their superiority and how they strike fear into their enemies, how their citizens have it the best, despite all of that being lies. They are cut off from all actual information. In the federation, everyone gets all of their info filtered through and sanitized by the federal government. And even the death penalty being carried out is broadcast live on all channels, violence glorified, also, see what happens when you defy the federal government. Yet another tactic used by real world fascist states. Promotions in service come at a break deck pace because the whole thing is just a meat grinder to support the military industrial complex. Neil Patrick Harris is high up in leadership in the intelligence division within a year or two. Rico is promoted rapidly and leading. And we see kids serving, literal kids, from the very start of the film as part of propaganda, but making the points, and at the end, actual kids in Rico's new recruits. The film does its job so well many people don't even notice the fascism, just as the characters subjected to the constant 24/7 propaganda do t understand it. Even having kids is regulated through citizenship. Rico's family is clearly well off which probably allowed them to fast track a bit. But as the one recruit explains in the shower, service makes it almost guaranteed to get a license. Having babies, voting, participation in society ALL goes through militarism and being indoctrinated. So by them time you are able to receive those benefits, you are solidly part of the state. Comrade Rico. Destined for high party service. Karl, literally wearing an SS uniform, already high among the generals and able to IMPLANT IDEAS DIRECTLY INTO people's minds. I mean, can this movie possibly get any more directly in your face? Karl is the living embodiment of propaganda. It blows my mind how many people watch this and actually believe the internal propaganda of the film. A testament to the terrifyingly insidious nature of fascism. Which never starts out as fascism. It has almost always started out as populism. Appeals to saving the country, saving the rights of the people, protecting them from the vermin. We're here to fix all the things that have gone wrong because of these invaders taking away our way of life, our values. Every. Single. Time. So frequently has it happened that James Madison, the literal architect of our Constitution, the man who wrote the first draft of it for the Constitutional Convention of 1787 (The Virginia Plan), dedicated his first public essay in the public debates over voting in fa or or against it, to the extreme dangers of populism and how the Constitution would protect against them. How tyranny always starts out "paying obsequious court to the people" and quickly transitioning to outright tyranny once popular support is gained. Others have stated that when fascism comes to America it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a Bible. This would apply to any country. Fascism uses the symbols of patriotism, but NEVER actually espouses what patriotism actually is. It's about how big your flag is rather than standing for what the flag actually represents. It's about being seen with your Bible rather than actually living by what it teaches.

[@Morden2260]

So glad you let this one stew for a few days before the outro! This film sticks with you.