STARSHIP TROOPERS - WTF Happened To This Movie?

Hollywood has had its fair share of historically troubled productions. Whether it was casting changes, actor deaths, fired directors, in-production rewrites, constant delays, budget cuts or studio edits, these films had every intention to be a blockbuster, but were beset with unforeseen disasters. Sometimes huge hits, sometimes box office bombs.
In the latest episode we look back at what happened to director Paul Verhoeven's now-classic sci-fi romp, STARSHIP TROOPERS! Originally released in 1997, the film was skewered by critics and audiences were skittish. Starring Casper Van Dien, Denise Richards, Neil Patrick Harris, Jake Busey, Dina Meyer and Clancy Brown, the adaptation of the award-winning novel by Robert A. Heinlein was a tough nut to crack and folks were initially turned off by the hardcore ultraviolence and irreverent satirical edge. However, those same aspects are what has helped make it the cult classic it is today, leaving us with the question of WTF Happened To This Movie?
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#StarshipTroopers #PaulVerhoeven #CasperVanDien

[@mrvampire7577]

This movie is the most underrated political satire ever. The cgi also stands up quite well to today’s.

[@thiebault]

It was like 10 years ahead of its time, maybe 20.

[@PeacemakerSG]

Well said and to the point. Most people don't get it and miss the salient point that the bugs are not at war with the humans. It is ALL propaganda. THEY did not fire a meteor at earth unless they did so thousands, if not millions, of years ago given the distance.

[@CaesarCassius]

It's a failed attempt at satire, it doesn't work because the action movie takes prominence, the critics weren't stupid

[@stalker1983]

Well he tried to make satire and instead we ended up cheering for the fascists XD

[@mrvampire7577]

Everythingguy they are Socialist fascists though, and thats one of the reasons I say it’s the most underrated political satire ever. The movie depicts equality between all races as well as men & women under totalitarian laws. Men & women shower together as equals, but need to serve time in the military to be allowed to have children (reflecting child laws like in China). The movie predicted the totalitarian style, social equality laws we see being proposed in various countries today.

[@eerohughes]

I actually love this movie

[@DrQuagmire1]

same here!!! I can watch this movie again and again, while the following sequels sucked major dick

[@ALL_that_ENDS]

Yep, same..

[@LeonMTan]

same

[@Ozem_Israel]

Roughnecks animated series it's bad ass.

[@briane4975]

yup, it was a fun movie. I recall when i came out of the theater I was blown away how different it was compared to any other movie.

[@TheMartianReport]

Not gonna lie, Starship Troopers was one of my favorite scifi movies as a kid.

[@michaelhart8401]

One of my favorite movie as a kid. Any genre

[@performingmale4468]

r o g e r you realize how intelligent this movie is, not the base story, but the satire is brilliant. Still one of my favorite movies.

[@jh-ij4by]

someone can tell me more scifi movies with soldiers except halo and star wars?

[@nickjensen4385]

same here and stil one of my favorite movies i was like 7 when i first saw this movie and i must have watched it like 10 times and i stil have the VHS xD

[@porkerpete7722]

Still is

[@martinstrunk4682]

The federation doesn’t demand military service from its citizens, it demands you to do service (military or civilian) to become a citizen. Huge difference!

[@JonathanRossRogers]

Wow, someone actually read the book.

[@martinstrunk4682]

Jonathan Rogers I think the teacher in the movie uses the same example as the book, something about counting the hairs on a caterpillar.

[@sambam215]

The book is really good. Makes you think about what it means to be a citizen.

[@JonathanRossRogers]

@@martinstrunk4682 Yeah, it's bizarre how the movie makers wanted to make a movie against the book, but did present some of its ideas straightforwardly.

[@martinstrunk4682]

Jonathan Rogers yes! Oh the irony. They tried it with Nazi aesthetics but the core message is still there. Great movie. Nothing fascist about it. The bugs are an existential threat and at no point are the humans the aggressors. The war is broadcast live and without propaganda. “Ask what you can do for your country not what your country can do for you.”

[@Ryze1982]

I am 37 years old and this movie along with The Fifth Element is still my two all time favorite movies. God I love them! 1997 was a good year for movies!

[@paulgaither]

I turn 36 this year and agree. This was the end of the golden age of 80's/90's films both in terms of the decade ending, but also the genre itself. There are some good films over the last 20 years, but most are hot garbage.

[@kadawg13]

I'm the same age, love those movies as well as the first Robocop. I hadn't realized until a few years ago that Verhooven directed 3 movies I love; Troopers, Robocop, and Total Recall.

[@jameswesthorp2156]

Same age here, agree totally.

[@k7SSD]

im just replying because i am the same age also... i turn 37 this year. lol. this movie came out when I was 14. I loved it.

[@coletaylor725]

Both great movies, 32 this yr myself

[@azrulroyrosli3248]

"The enemy cannot push the dislike button if you disable his hand"

[@BawkBawkBawk666]

I understand the complexity of this statement and i approve

[@tonyromano6220]

Azrulroy Rosli 👍👍👍👍

[@notanotherwargamer]

PUT YOUR HAND ON THAT MOUSE!!

[@roosbolton4388]

"Would you like to know more"

[@MrEiniweini]

Awesome. "Medic".

[@luisaymerich9675]

"A murderer was caught this morning. He was tried and convicted this afternoon. Watch the execution tonight. Do you want to know more?" That segment in the movie still amazes me.

[@spaceman081447]

@Luis Aymerich RE: "A murderer was caught this morning. He was tried and convicted this afternoon. Watch the execution tonight. Do you want to know more?" That segment in the movie still amazes me. What's so amazing about it?

[@luisaymerich9675]

@@spaceman081447 To me these few lines in the movie encompass most of this society. In how they handled this case, they caught a suspect, tried him the same day, and executed him that evening. They intend to show this society to be efficient and ruthless. And perhaps they are more concerned with maintaining order than with dispensing justice. I'm assuming the prisoner is truly guilty but only because the government says so. They are televising or streaming the execution. The state can come into a person's livingroom and show its power. It's like they telling the people we are watching out for you, and we are watching you. We can protect you or we can deal with you if you step out of line. I see the execution as a display of power and control. This is in contrast with other movies like The Running Man where criminals are executed in a televised show as a form of entertainment by a dystopian society where the state cannot fully manage to govern effectively and need to distract the people to maintain its power. Like the Roman empire offering bread and circuses, gladiatorial games, all while the barbarians are beating down the gates. Just my thoughts.

[@spaceman081447]

@@luisaymerich9675 Well, at least the murdered never became a repeat offender.

[@luisaymerich9675]

@@spaceman081447 Or maybe not even a first time offender. In this rush to try and execute him who knows if he was really guilty unless he got caught in-flagranti-delicto.

[@kylerobison1425]

It was a political prisoner with fake trumped up charges it’s a theme in starship troopers

[@meahoohenehene]

"A veteran of the U.S Navy..." Shows a picture of Macgyver in front of a plane with U.S air force written on it.

[@beerenmusli8220]

Yes :D

[@cameronstoddard9947]

Was hoping I wasn't the only one that noticed that.

[@eddiebowens1919]

i seen that LMAO

[@gorillaau]

"Would you like to know more?" Yes, the answer is always yes.

[@tilly704]

If you answer "no" you will be disqualified as citizen , your reproductive rights will be taken away... do you want to know more?

[@JohnDoe-yw5ni]

False and false

[@vinces771]

Remember, this movie predates KZbin, Google and most internet browsers- Its AMAZING how close they came to predicting how internet surfing might be done before it was even a thing....

[@gazzaboo8461]

Yes, why were the sequels so bad 😥

[@highlanderjeff2720]

@@gazzaboo8461 Apparently they made them bad on purpose as the legacy of the movie is the opposite of what the men behind it wanted it to be 😂😂

[@Rex-ii2yz]

This would have been a 37% critic score, 97% audience score.

[@aspizak]

true, i love it - i loved it when it came out, I love it still

[@GandolphTheGreyBeard]

As both a fan of the original book and the movie (recognizing that they are only tangentially connected), I wholeheartedly agree.

[@alexanderramirez8670]

Incorrect the audience score would have been low, critics didn’t kill it word of mouth between audience members did, which would not correlate to a high audience score

[@MichaelLesterClockwork]

Actual Rotten Tomatoes? 63% critics, 70% audience.

[@stephenhirt1883]

Yeah, its a good movie. The book is completely different and great but both are good for what they are.

[@shaunerickson6894]

This movie was way ahead of its time. One of my favorites

[@shinola]

So nobody is going to talk about the random “MacGyver” picture in this review?

[@ak47deluxe]

Hahahah...

[@KrillLiberator]

Nope.

[@MrCrniVrag]

It's O'Neill... with two L's...

[@metadude1234]

Looks like an insane amount of effort went in this movie, only to be punished by the casual audience, and later redeemed as a cult classic later on

[@travcollier]

A very common fate. On the upside, streaming media makes that sort of film (or even series) a lot more viable. It is increasingly OK if most people don't "get it".

[@Kaitschi]

Paul Verhoeven ... the Master of brutal SciFi with Nudity and dark Satire. Robocop, Total Recall and Starship Troopers ... what a Strike

[@sasshole8121]

don't forget Showgirls.

[@Tacsmoker]

@@sasshole8121 lol I enjoyed showgirls... where else would you get to see the reverse dolphin position? ;-)

[@chatteyj]

I liked Hollowman, heck I even need to see that film again soon, its creepy af.

[@raverdeath100]

@Allan Tidgwell nope - pretty sure it's satire.

[@alexxx4434]

Allan Tidgwell, you clearly don't know what pastiche means

[@3llya71]

This movie was way ahead of its time when it was released, and is now a timeless classic. Had the three basic elements that makes a good action movie; violence, gore, and made you think, not to much as to slow down the movie, but just enough to engage your imagination 👍🏻👍🏻

[@iambobsaget3944]

My top two all time favourite movies "Starship Troopers" and "The 13th Warrior" both were box office bombs, but they will always be my favourite movies. I don't know why people didn't like them.

[@markkirby2282]

13th warrior is a great movie

[@BMoore335]

13th warrior was terrifying to me as a child.

[@Galloglaoch]

I can't say they are my top 2 of all time but are definately up there somewhere. Love them both and genuinely can't understand why people don't like them.I don't see any glarin flaws in them and they work...they work so much(at least for me). Epic re-telling of the Beowulf tale....sign me up. An anti-war satire with space bugs and gore, sign me up. They also work as mindless action flicks. BEcause they are fun. So fun. Perhaps it's my nostlagia but I love them both. I swear I though me and my mum were the only two people in the world that loved The 13th Warrior. That's why I'm commenting ehre from the future. You sir have my respect for your great taste in movies. Cheers!

[@keenfire8151]

This movie was generally disliked or hated by critics and well received by the audience? Nothing has changed in 22 years.

[@bobhope4395]

Well said. It's about time the critics realised what the people want to see, Not what they want.

[@treyriver5676]

Had the original idea ofbeen completed and not trampled on the story of starship Troopers I probably would have enjoyed it as a brain dead action flick but that is not what happened in bus I truly hate the movie. oh and if anyting Hollywood and critics stuff like the movie as it basically was their politics.

[@keenfire8151]

@@treyriver5676 wtf did you just say man?

[@danielhall5364]

I was in Theater management at the time of release. Remember film doing well for @ 3 weeks before we moved it in to a smaller theater. Remember the legal issues w/ the sfx company Digital Domain

[@MrClassicmetal]

@@keenfire8151 He saw a brain dead action flick in a bus and hates Hollywood.

[@Javasboi]

The critics called the movie braindead...yet they failed to see the satire in the movie and accused it of promoting fascism....ironic

[@photogeen]

sounds familiar

[@noneofyourbeeswax01]

@@DeadSmoke813 It's satire posing as popcorn. Too many people fell for the popcorn and missed the satire.

[@thatguy22441]

Hollywood added their own propaganda to that movie. It made me sick, having read the book.

[@HawkGTboy]

It does promote fascism, that’s why people loved it.

[@DefCon1966]

@@HawkGTboy Read the book and come back and tell us that it is fascist, besides fascism is a form of socialism and not right wing at all. Voerhoven admitted that he never even got far into the book before putting it down and never tried to finish it. He made conclusions from pure ignorance which isn't supprising.

[@bertusvanhal8855]

This is a Cult movie, just as Blade Runner and Heavy Metal, and Pulp Fiction.

[@boblast1073]

Cult films are by definition initially a failure that got a second life thanks to a rabid fan base. Pulp Fiction was a huge hit right off, so not a cult film.

[@raymontoya4311]

Replace pulp fiction with Halloween 3

[@osgnuru]

Tabernac!

[@kamikeserpentail3778]

@@boblast1073 By the exclusive definition they had to have been a failure, but the inclusive one just requires them to have a cult following.

[@korie4198]

Just got heavy metal on DVD for $5!!!!

[@matthewsager925]

Interesting enough...the Starship Trooper uniforms were used as "Alliance" uniforms in Firefly.

[@chrisbaker8533]

And power rangers lost galaxy. And the armor has been in dozens of movies and other t.v. shows. Pretty funny everytime I see it.

[@wrenrhodes1155]

@@chrisbaker8533 the villain of lost galaxy ends up being a giant scorpion queen called trakeena, it's quite fun to imagine that power rangers lost galaxy and starship troopers are in the same universe, until you realise that that would make the rangers basically fascist super soldiers

[@longone844]

Starship Troopers is one of my favourite movies of all time.

[@Tacsmoker]

same here

[@JoBloOriginals]

Same

[@StreamHottieSuperSimp]

Same :)

[@Bob-Mugabe]

Same 👍🏻

[@shadowwarrior7218]

Same

[@RichardSmith-pb8qk]

Have always loved this flick for its satire. The sequels? THAT is where “WTF happened” comes in.

[@aneurysm341]

I haven't seen them in 10 years or so, but I remember kind of liking Starship Troopers 3. The second one was really unpleasant from what I remember

[@19blaktop]

They were low budget straight to VHS/DVD movies that were intended to capitalize on the Starship Troopers name. Albeit, the name wasn't the biggest, it was just enough to make some extra easy money..

[@fosphor8920]

I remember one of the sequels was all only about a desert outpost or something... And brain bugs! Very strange spin-off but did fit the universe somewhat hehe

[@MrMovieRecaps]

You are 100% Richard. The Low BUdget of the Sequels are the issue here, well that and the plot and poor filmography, and less said about the acting the better....wait where was I going here lol. No, you are right, this is an amazing film but the 2 Straight to DVD sequels which I've just reviewed are poor, thankfully the 2 animated sequels are pretty good!

[@Ned-Ryerson]

As they would have it in another Verhoeven film: "Thank you for your cooperation!"

[@MrRockZero1]

i'm from buenos aires and i say this movie is the best

[@Ramza1987]

I'm from Montevideo and as a victim of the Meteor, i don't like this Movie. xD

[@Craudio171]

Can you tell if at the time that this movie came out it irritated Argentines because Buenos Aires is destroyed in it?

[@Ramza1987]

@@Craudio171 That's a very good question. xD

[@Thinnegan]

You're doing your part !

[@biggidousthethird2672]

Rip

[@zerobyte802]

Violence IS the ultimate authority. You can be as enlightened and peaceful as you like, but sooner or later someone will come along who is willing to use it and if you're not strong enough to stop them...You're dead or brutalized or stripped of your livelihood. If you (as a society) say these are the rules, if someone absolutely refuses to abide, then you have to use force eventually. Otherwise, your rules aren't worth shit as more and more people choose to ignore them. I'm not saying you should depend on violence. Peace is better. You should always strive for reason and diplomacy and compassion, but you'd best have the stomach and capacity for violence when necessary. I.e. Don't start fights but you'd damned-sure better be able to FINISH them.

[@709mash]

It is the ultimate form of authority, it just shouldn't be. It's unfortunately the human condition.

[@mitchellanderson3960]

@@709mash nature would like to have a word...the lion does not concern itself with opinion of sheep because? Oh, cuz the Lion is the king, the apex predator, the ultimate authority. That humanity can, at times, rise above violence to determine power is our ultimate glory. Violence is the basest of nature. Still, violence is the ultimate authority and nothing can change that. The state is the monopoly of force, but when abuse and tyranny occur, the people reserve the right to dissolve this monopoly and overthrow those unworthy of such power.

[@jonnybirchyboy1560]

Actually power/knowledge is the ultimate authority. True power is getting people to do things without vioelence.

[@jayeisenhardt1337]

"speak softly and carry a big stick"

[@zerobyte802]

@@jonnybirchyboy1560 ever watched Conan the Barbarian? Thulsa Doom could talk people into jumping off a cliff. “THAT .. is power” Conan cue off his head and threw it down the stairs.

[@_Digishade_]

This movie is a cartoon. I absolutely love it. "The enemy cannot fire a weapon, if you disable his hand!"

[@MrMovieRecaps]

Great wasn't it ;)

[@Asghaad]

sad thing is in the book its meant literally and seriously ... and its not portrayed as mockery of drill sergeant injuring the recruit on purpose, he instead sits down and gives reasoned lesson on why low tech solutions are necessary and the reason for infantry to exist is because bomb cant hold territory ... way to go turning philosophical argument into bloody parody

[@Wells8157]

Push a button

[@Asghaad]

@Curious Bob except it does ... Verhoeven is known anti military nutjob SJW ... but hey cant expect to have someone who starts insulting someone right away to actually get the facts about something he obviously has no idea about :) so "bubba" before you start making an absolute tool out of yourself, do check the facts first next time, mkay ?

[@bened22]

@@Asghaad Well, Verhoeven experienced the aftermath of world war II. What's your practical experience with war?

[@julianmarco4185]

The production deserved Oscars. This move looks better than most movies in the last 10 years.

[@normanh3255]

I agree. But have a lock at Aliens. This is even older and looks and "feels" better (organic/complete) than most of the movies today.

[@OEFarredondo]

This movie shit all over every other space movie. Star Wars included. I also love Warhammer 40k and this was as close to it as I could get back then.

[@treyriver5676]

We must have seemed different movies...

[@Gunboatjingoist]

I assume you eat your own poop. Moron.

[@OEFarredondo]

TREY RIVER Hahahaha it was better than disco...

[@wolfdad1512]

Just watched it. This movie stands the test of time really well.

[@rambi1072]

Such a clever film. Big budget films don't seem to have the same amount of thought put in as this, Jurassic Park and others of its time do

[@tentongeek9104]

This was one of the best sci-fi movies of the 90s! I still love this movie and don't think that it gets enough credit for anything of what it actually contains.

[@Saynt614]

Starship Troopers will always hold a special place in my heart. It's the closest we'll get to a Starcraft Terran vs Zerg movie.

[@motomike71]

Starcraft was partially inspired by the Starship Troopers novel and film.

[@GrimYak]

Exactly!

[@pougetguillaume4632]

@@motomike71 and heavily by warhammer 40k. Which itself was inspired by that book

[@Dargonhuman]

If they'd included the power armor, hopper boots and drop pods, it could have been a not-Halo movie too.

[@legoaddiction8607]

Michael Alber so was the movie aliens which in turn was the basis for Halo. Starship Troopers has inspired a lot of later science fiction stories

[@SoftimusPrime]

Starship Troopers is a masterpiece of satire and amazing action. I saw it in theaters back in '97 and was blown away. A smart action film which unfortunately in between the lines was too highbrow for its own good.

[@ScholarOfBabylon]

Young me when I first watched this film and it went "would you like to know more" was blown away, felt more like watching a live feed from the future than a film, still have a soft spot for it today.

[@wstine79]

"Come on you apes. You wanna live forever?"

[@iamelectric30]

Heinlein actually took inspiration for that line from Daniel Daly-a Marine who yelled "come on you sons of bitches, do you want to live forever?"during a charge at the battle of belleau wood. The more you know🌈🌟

[@Rockstopmotion]

According to sjw PC communist that's racist

[@alexxx4434]

Rock, sjw or PC, but that has nothing to do with communism

[@Rockstopmotion]

@@alexxx4434 they label everything they dont like as racist and hate speech those who dont fall in line with their views are fired attacked smeared and homes visited by antifa

[@alexxx4434]

Rock, you have distorted perception of the meaning of communism. Read a wikipedia article for the starters.

[@ghosthunterfallout]

What happened, i went to theaters to see this 16 times, and was walking around for months going "did you see Starship Troopers?! Did YOU SEE StarSHiP TROOPERS!?!?!?"

[@chatteyj]

Its underrated for sure.

[@Widestone001]

Yes, twice. :-)

[@magnusarsland6887]

Many forms of Government have been tried, and will be tried in this world of sin and woe. No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed it has been said that democracy is the worst form of Government except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.- Winston churchill We need to try this.-Me

[@dtkedtyjrtyj]

Violence is the supreme authority from which all other authorities are derived. What confuses me about this statement is how people can possibly not agree with it. It's bordeline tautological. What _other_ source can there be?

[@zerobyte802]

For a good illustration of how this is true, see Demolition Man's depiction of what happens when a Simon Phoenix shows up. He's perfectly willing, in fact he PREFERS to use violence to achieve his goals. A society that cannot or will not use violence is completely powerless to stop him. He cannot be talked out of his position. He will continue to use force until someone uses force to stop him.

[@dtkedtyjrtyj]

@@zerobyte802 But... what if you repeat the command to put down his weapons; and add "or else..."?

[@ohforsake]

Authority is derived from trust. Violence is a way to achieve trust: "I trust these strong warriors can defend our lives" or negative trust (fear): "I trust that unless I pay my taxes the rulers will beat/imprison or even kill me". There are other sources of trust, like competence: "I trust this person is smart, hard working and honest enough to lead us to victory/prosperity or ensure our survival".

[@dtkedtyjrtyj]

@@ohforsake But, if that smart person you "trust" cannot back up their authority with violence, then when someone violent comes along suddenly the trust you had was misplaced. In fact, because the authority wasn't based on violence it was misplaced all along. Authority not based on violence is false authority because it will fail the instant anyone brings violence.

[@ohforsake]

@@dtkedtyjrtyj You took my 2 people example and extended it to 3 people. Ok, then for n people, if enough trust a leader to form a majority, the opposition cannot overthrow him by force. Even assassinating Caesar did not bring victory to the republicans. The republicans were defeated by force, but what held Caesars friends together was not violence but sufficient hatred towards the republicans to trust each other more.

[@johncrocker4209]

I grew up reading a lot of SciFi. When I saw this movie I wondered if anyone on the crew had ever read the story.

[@BlaBla-jj6sh]

You should see it for what it acutally is: a political satire. No, it's not the book. Many movie adaptations aren't, for a variety of reasons. But it's a great movie nonetheless.

[@johncrocker4209]

@@BlaBla-jj6sh Most Verhoven's stuff is satire. I even enjoyed the movie. But it wasn't based on the book.

[@mrtriffid]

My favorite line: "Frankly, I find the idea of a thinking bug OFFENSIVE!"

[@slipknotpurity00]

up there with "you kill bugs good".

[@pacificblue5461]

"Bug that thinks"

[@colinmartin9797]

Mine is the ultra badass Michael Ironside looking offscreen, deadpan face. "They sucked his brains out." I die laughing every time. He nailed that line so hard.

[@pacificblue5461]

@@colinmartin9797 I cry everytiem

[@henrikschmidt3964]

I am inclined to say, that if you think this is a bad movie, you don't get it. Like Robocop and Total Recall, I consider this a genuine masterpiece.

[@gazzaboo8461]

Also Screamers is up there.

[@masterstacker2833]

Yes, Total Recall was one of the greatest movies of all time. I saw it at The Galaxy in San Francisco and expected to find the city in smoking ruins when I left the theatre.

[@akilgour13]

Good movies for sure...

[@ShroomKeppie]

If you think this is a good movie, you don't get Heinlein. Or perhaps it's better say: If you liked the movie, you didn't read and like the book. Aside from a few minor details, like the asteroid attack on Rio de Janeiro, and the knife-though-the-hand bit, and the maimed recruiter for the MI, Verhoeven chose to use very little from the book, and instead made his own movie that had very little to do with the book.

[@chrisihler]

This is a great movie and it's funny it's not even Fascist movie that's a most satirical part about the movie. This is the best most accurate review of the movie and its politics kzbin.info/www/bejne/b2aygp-seraBiK8

[@justbenelson]

When this movie came out on home release I was in the middle of enlisting in the military, so I'd hype myself up by watching it over and over. Such an underrated movie.

[@ProfessorJayTee]

Nobody seems to have ever read the book before they do a movie review like this one. But they are perfectly willing to misrepresent it in their initial summary... Call me annoyed. Here is my rant. Scroll past if you like. 1) In Heinlein's book, Starship Troopers, joining a public service was viewed by most people as unnecessary and demeaning. Joining some type of service was required to become a voting citizen. And public service was NOT just the military! That MOST people didn't even qualify to get into the military is made quite clear. 2) Volunteers would get only two things on completing their service and becoming a citizen: 1) voting rights and 2) the ability to become a politician. (One of Rico's associates in boot camp joined because he wanted to become a politician. He didn't make it.) 3) The Federation government is not really fascist; but that was the slur phrase used against Heinlein himself by people who can't separate a writer's fictional supposition from their actual beliefs. Heinlein himself was a proud Navy man, a patriotic American who believed in the Republic. According to Wikipedia: "Heinlein was active in Upton Sinclair's socialist End Poverty in California movement in the early 1930s. When Sinclair gained the Democratic nomination for Governor of California in 1934, Heinlein worked actively in the campaign. Heinlein himself ran for the California State Assembly in 1938, but was unsuccessful." I would call the views in most of his books socialist, which agrees with this. 4) Rico's government is shown mostly not interfering with the market economy nor the people. They have strict capital punishment laws for violent crimes and limited flogging for endangerment of other people (much like Singapore), but as long as you avoid what Rico later calls the "31 Crash Landings" (by not hurting other people either physically or financially) you can do pretty much whatever you like. Rico's father is a successful businessman who did NOT want Rico to "ruin the family" by signing up. He was quoted as worrying about his company products' "market value" and the like. 5) And if you didn't want to join up, the government did not give a crap; they only wanted pure volunteers. By their moral philosophy (clearly explained in the book, and fucked up bigtime by all the movies), only volunteers who had risked their lives to protect and/or develop the society should be allowed to become voters or representatives of that society. [Rant over. Thanks for reading.]

[@umartdagnir]

Sargon has made quite a good analysis of political views in both the movie and the book: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oYfTiqmMZbRqq6s&ab_channel=SargonofAkkad

[@KrillLiberator]

No, I think that last point was pretty clear to me as a film viewer and non-reader of the OSM. There's no need for this schism.

[@panopticon0]

Slight correction: Heinlein may have been socialist leaning earlier in his life though by the time he wrote Starship Troopers he was well on his way to a strongly libertarian outlook. The book to me always felt like a basic intro to libertarianism.

[@Curt_Randall]

I loved the movie. I really like how it combines campy sci-fi violence, humor, and was not made for the Disney demographic. Would you like to know more?

[@CitizenPerkins]

🤣

[@tonyfrancesco3701]

Disney could ruin a mustard sandwich.

[@calidude9703]

"and was not made for the Disney demographic". This is one of the reasons why I love this movie. It's a classic!

[@Guido_XL]

Just a pity it missed the prescience of the ubiquitous internet phenomenon that would soon evolve after its launch. Now, we are watching a movie that is set into the future where people are watching TV as if it still were the eighties.

[@Guido_XL]

@Jorel Boston "Would you like to know more?" The point is that internet-esque systems already were in place by the time the script for that movie was conceived. Somehow it's a pity the authors did not think of that. It's not like they tried to comply with the book's version all too strictly anyway.

[@likestoospooge]

The effect in this movie still hold up and are better than most current movies. It makes no sense. 🤣

[@IRMentat]

likestoospooge practical effects trump seasonal CG monstrosities.

[@1pcfred]

Hollyweird got woke and went broke.

[@jeyfomson6364]

Your all correct!!

[@HomeOnTheRanges]

I love going back and watching old joblo vids, they’re honestly my happy place. Thanks for all you guys and gals do!

[@imatreeguy1143]

I remember the cow scene so well. My parents didn't really allow me to watch anything once the sun went down. Either read or go to bed. I watched that scene thru a crack in my door and it scared the hell out of me.

[@GojiraRising]

He basically gave the 90s a RoboCop of its own.

[@jjrj8568]

this movie predicted George W. Bush's foreign policy.

[@GojiraRising]

@@jjrj8568 great foresight.

[@njt002]

I feel like this movie was ahead of its time. If it had come out 5 years after 9/11, I think people would have "got" it. I do feel like this is a very underrated film that still holds up today. Great video! Thx!

[@alanpennie8013]

Interesting point. I wonder though if after 9/11 it might have seemed inappropriate to make a film like this.

[@p0tat0_Child]

Recently watched this Movie July 2020 and I did see it in Theaters when I was in High School. Still holds up very well. I to still love 🥰 this Movie 🍿 Michael Ironside is awesome 😎

[@TheSunMoon]

Back then, when I watched this as a young kid, I had a crush on Dizzy. lol!

[@Alientcp]

We all did my friend.

[@XcaliburReborn]

I was 10yo when I watched this...and I got the satire, how did critics miss it? Great film

[@MrChopstsicks]

Same. It was weird for my early teen brain like, why are they wearing Nazi uniforms but the people within and dialogue they're speaking are freer than most free countries today?

[@MrMovieRecaps]

Because they were dense and chose not to see what was right in front of them!

[@aritakalo8011]

Frankly I think it....... ahemm... hit too close to home in USA and thus some panned it. Some probably didn't get it at all and really were "Well that was brainded B flic". However other part of the "this is horrible movie", was actually the movie working. Just subconsciously and people didn't realize it did it's job. It made people uncomfortable. Not so good for box office, but artistically that is the prime bulls eye hit the movie can make. All the "how you can make pro fascist movie" and so on....... Is more projecting out of the audience. You are not supposed to mix blue eyed american beauties and honor of military service, with the clear nazi references. Since american military heroism = good, nazi militaristic idealogy = bad. Verhoeven smacked these two together and it made people uncomfortable. Making a nasty "this couldn't happen here surely? right? Our reverence for military is different? right guys? please, right? We aren't the baddies? right? are we the baddies?" So many people had emotional reaction to it. Since not only was it satire and critique of fascism, it is also critique of overly militaristic culture in general and well as far as national cultures go, USA has pretty big military culture and military hero worship thing going on. Not only did Verhoeven use Nazi propaganda cinematographic influences, He also used American military add touched and takes from WW2 american propaganda films. You aren't supposed to do that, but well he was dutch and didn't give two hoots. Can't even accuse him of being unpatriotic in mixing american military and Nazi military, since he is dutch. So thus takes of brain dead, too pretty to be real and so on. Since ahemmm..... That is how one can describe much of military adds. Heroic soldiers who are too pretty to be true, action that is too clean on so on, too clean machines with shiny parts that never break and so on. But then Star Ship trooper takes one for a spin and shows all the dirty intestines and oozing bodily fluids. Not clean heroic red blood, but brown goo, shattered arms, torturing enemy soldiers and so on. The real master piece of Starship Troopers is that it is all one really really big uncanny valle and it makes many people damn uncomfortable (when they realize they themselves are actually included in the valley in one end and in the other end is "Nazis").... As it was designed to do. Of course try to get that past studio execs: "Were are making a movie, that is supposed to make people uncomfortable while watching it and thus not like watching it and then telling everyone "that was really bad movie, it wasn't enjoyable at all". Only that with an A list action movie budget and not a small art film budget.

[@andyotero5663]

The satire was even more obvious during the "Would you like to know more?" news segments in the movie. Like how do you not know that kids playing with guns is meant to be satire?

[@franzkeiner3795]

@@aritakalo8011 Well said.

[@AdamosDad]

I'm 71 years old and my youngest daughter and I watched it over and over, this Christmas she gave me a Johnny Rico POP!

[@StevenBanks123]

AdamosDad lucky man to have such a daughter.👍

[@AdamosDad]

@@StevenBanks123 Thanks Steven, believe me I know.

[@gazzaboo8461]

Aw that's awesome!

[@Andrew-yb1uv]

Your daughter would make a good citizen.

[@Amberdawnn76]

I love this movie. I've always loved this movie. It was way ahead of its time.

[@AlwayzFresh]

It became one of the biggest fan hits of all time is what happened to this movie. Cant say enough good things about this movie from script, to character progression, humor, action, FX and more. A true piece of perfection on all levels of film making. As a young child I completely understood this movie but it may have been too nuanced for critics to grasp. But that is nothing new for professional critics. Thanks for the breakdown, love your content. Keep up the great work!

[@grrrr....maritz6491]

I had such a crush on Dina Meyer, good grief she is gorgeous...

[@daviddiaz529]

I agree. Denise was a fox, but not Dizzy Foxy

[@GrnXnham]

and over 20 years later she still looks good.

[@billpeoples9808]

My heart broke when she died in the movie... 😢

[@weltvonalex]

Yup me too, I always found her more appealing than Richards.

[@ramonhenderson7484]

💯💯💙💯💯

[@hkoizumi3134]

I remember watching this at the theater back in the day. I think it was around 1997. My parents were going to see Titanic but I didn't want to so I told them I wanted to stay home and play my Sega games. They refused for some reason and while at the theater, they had Starship Trooper listed as well. I beg my parents to watch it instead and they agreed to it. I was 16 years old at the time and I didn't know what I was getting into. Needless to say, I was pretty shocked by the gore it had in the movie. I was pretty quiet on the way home lol

[@LG141602]

What about the sex scene and nudity?

[@IMAWriterRobJ]

This is a very interesting, and well done Vid. Heinlein was VERY deep, and often quite spiritual, in his own manner. "Stranger in a Strange Land" is MUST reading for anyone who loves the SF genre.

[@morgand.3809]

I watched this movie in the theater when it came out. Ironically, I didn't have any trouble at all picking up on the satirical tone, and that was what I liked about it. But when Flores died, I felt the narrative became too sincerely poignant, like it was asking me to put aside my rational reading of the storyline and react more emotionally. For me, that weakened the aspect of sociopolitical critique of the movie. I remember telling the friend with whom I watched it that in my opinion the script stumbled and fell because it tried to take two different paths at the same time and it got lost.

[@user-lv5rd6kb5o]

I kind of agree... except a movie needs more than a satirical "tone" to satire: I think it was both cowardly and obnoxious in how is it does so much to hate on Americans and portray its characters as clowns, and yet mostly fails to make valid criticisms of fascism, especially when the enemies being unsympathetic glosses over the atrocities of fascism, and that something based on racist ideologies decides to be racially and sexually diverse, thus watering down the harm done to minorities.

[@hlmasoud]

I don't care what people say about this movie, i liked it

[@tonyromano6220]

Mas LH Yepper

[@justinfenningsdorf1339]

Me too come on you want to live forever

[@theodavis9778]

@Mas LH: Absolutely ....

[@danomalley2473]

This movie is a lot of fun, and I'll always turn it on when it airs. I liked the satire and the look of the design, and the action is top-notch. I'm a big fan of the book, so I didn't much appreciate them peeling away a lot of the elements I thought were cool about the book. But I get it, a good movie can't be exactly like the book. there's a lot to make fun of in this movie, but I still get a kick out of it and watch it again and again.

[@costa200]

Dude, 9 out of 10 liked it... Only pretentious cunts and guys who were expecting some sort of movie faithful to the book didn't.

[@JacobraTheGreat]

When my wife watched it for the first time a few years ago, she made the observation that Rico's arc was a sort of reverse hero's journey. In high school, he was a star athlete, his family was rich (though civilian), he was popular and privileged. When he joined the mobile infantry he was brought low, just another grunt. He wasn't anything special and even almost screwed up his career while in boot camp. It took the rest of the movie for him to build himself up and become the hero again, albeit a much more humble version.

[@Benginator1]

Is he a humble hero or a brainwashed grunt lacking humanity by the end? That would make it a complete reversal. (I havn't watched the movie since childhood so I couldn't tell you which is right, but from what I gather about the film that seems to be the likely intended meaning)

[@deaddropsd1972]

Jacobra The Great Starship Troopers fans & Veterans!🕷I re-did the audiobook 📚 w sound 🔊 💥 effects and voice acting! 🎤 8 hrs. Please 🙏🏼listen 👂 and SHARE!!! FB page “Starship Troopers the book” kzbin.info/www/bejne/sKipfqawfrt6odE

[@mikebrown7143]

@@Benginator1 and this is where you get the disconnect that you see from commander to grunt, civilian to soldier, upper management to the bottom guy. The ones on the outside often cite something stereotypical that sounds good rather than opting for silence in the absence of information. Listening to what someone else says is not brainwashing or having a lack of intellectual objectivity.

[@Ship-security]

@@Benginator1 you've obviously never been in the military. Most people who never served anything higher than their own purposes like to dismiss the work of soldiers as just mindless grunts.

[@skandrews8]

Benginator why not rewatch the movie and comment?

[@deepstatethrombosis]

This movie had a huge hand in cultivating my love for sci fi, fantasy, & help shape my sense of humor. I'll always love it.

[@mjribes]

Watching this as a kid I didn't pick up on the political satire. I still think the "earning citizenship through service" idea is a good one.

[@genekelly8467]

Coed showers and squashing horrible bugs: what's not to like?

[@hydrolito]

Getting eaten by the bugs.

[@Nickelodeon81]

Having your brains sucked out through your nose.

[@dixiefish0173]

Am with you fun in the showers 🚿 with those co-eds 😉

[@dixiefish0173]

john maziasz nah say it the old sckool way STD

[@samiam619]

Best you mind your manners in those co-ed showers, boys. Those soldiers will get dressed soon and have rifles in their hands!

[@shananigans08ify]

I don't care what anyone says, this movie was AWESOME!!

[@kummakummakummakummakummac8606]

I loved it.

[@warrenc9329]

have you read the book? That's awesome

[@CitizenPerkins]

I'm with ya! I've seen it at least 10 or more times, I'd guess. 👍

[@Ozem_Israel]

@@warrenc9329 I'm gonna order that shit right now, on Tuesday.

[@razgrizadler]

It's still one of my all time favorite until this day. It's such an amazing movie and way ahead of its time!

[@freeinghumanitynow]

It's 2021 and this film still holds up; one of my fave sci-fi films of all time.

[@Nyctophora]

Honestly this was underrated, I love it. "The Army made me the man I am today!"

[@crashdumbie765]

I quote that all the time ! Mobile Infantry made me the man I am today. Funny thing I joined the Army Infantry and damn he was right haha

[@erikklein7618]

Mobile Infantry

[@franciscodanconia45]

Best line of the whole movie.”The Mobile Infantry made me the man I am today!”

[@AeneasGemini]

In the book, that character is actually a recruiter and his job is to actually discourage people from joining

[@SCBiscuit13]

I love the quote: "Come on, you sons of bitches, do you want to live forever?"

[@matrixandraia]

I love this movie. The satire was off the charts. So much of it was hilarious - in a good way. It's what I expect from the likes of Verhoeven after Robocop.

[@dnorth98]

I rate this film as the best film of all time. It's an absoloute classic.

[@Dampfish]

I find it hilarious that when you're comparing the CG to Jurassic Park, half the shots you're showing are animatronics - not CG.

[@virginiapicker]

Can not fathom how anyone missed the satire in this movie when it came out - I was a kid at the time and it seemed obvious. Especially since Verhoeven did basically the same thing in Robocop. Anyway, great movie, and Denise Richards and the rest of the cast are hawt.

[@TLOofMPLS]

I totally agree. Was just out of high school when it came out. Went with my buddies. We ALL got it! I mean come on, the propo scenes alone warranted it. A woman gleefully praising her children stomping on bugs. Grown ass adults asking kids if they want to hold their Barretta. I mean, you ACTUALLY have to be brain dead if teens hopped up on too much Moutain Dew and spent way too much time playing Genesis, or Playstation can get it! But, alak. Never been a fan of entertainment critics.

[@fluphybunny930]

Never realised there were people who didn’t understand the satire !

[@t.w.3]

The PC crowd didn't get it, so it was slaughtered.

[@ThatManitobaGuy]

The issue isn't the satire. The issue is using the source material which is decidedly anti-fascist to satire fascism. He completely twisted the source material and bastardized it.

[@Asghaad]

i didnt miss it and was totally disgusted by it ... taking classic book and twisting its content to exact opposite takes an absolute sociopathic asshole that doesnt care one bit about the original author...

[@arrowshot3000]

"The only good bug is a dead bug" _Would you like to know more?_

[@FPwLola]

This movie shot near my small hometown in Wyoming. They used a natural landmark of stalagmites and stalagtites called Hell's Half Acre for the alien planet battle scenes, yes, but he didn't mentioned that they decimated a lot of it, which the locals didn't appreciate. My sister worked in the building where they'd rented space for production. She said she heard space and bug sound effects at top volume all day and so therefore ate the craft service in the lobby, of which they had too much. My brother was one of the medics. I skipped school to be a part of the extras casting call, but I was too young and I was bummed. There was a premier held downtown and Casper Van Dien was the only one who was there from the cast, if I remember correctly. When I saw the movie I was impressed with the visual effects, shocked by the gore and understood the satirical vibe, even as a teenager. Don't know why it got all the hate, it's a solid sci-fi action movie. 😉👌

[@Johny40Se7en]

Great tribute to this gem of a film. As with a lot of older classics, Starship Troopers was ahead of the times and crowds watching it. Paul Verhoeven as always been renowned for his satire since the first RoboCop. Only in that he has digs at the how stupid and corrupt the Worldwide media is, like how they can show something so serious and then just jump into something pointless, usually to control the mood and the minds of the people watching. Wicked film, everything about it.

[@Tacsmoker]

this movie blew me away when it came out, really really great sfx nudity ;-) great satire.

[@constablewigglesworth1513]

agreed, i loved it when it was released and i still love it now. In fact i love almost all of Paul's work. Black Book was especially brilliant

[@MrEf56]

I think the acting was the only thing I questioned but quickly was overlooked by the humor and action.

[@beanguyensonr]

I will always hold this close to my heart because this was the first movie I watched featuring tiddies. Young me would fall in love with Dizzy's itty bitty tizzies

[@diskjockey7119]

The special effects still hold up today

[@Dargonhuman]

@@diskjockey7119 For the most part anyway. The long shots of the bugs scurrying around in large groups and the spaceship shots are all still nice, but the bug closeups haven't aged as well. Don't get me wrong, they're still leagues better than the cheap-ass CGI snorefests of today's cinema, but they didn't quite get the lighting right in some of the closeups so they seem to stick out a bit more than the long shots.

[@Crazael]

To be fair, the only two times crimes are shown being punished harshly in the book, the first is preceded by the present officers trying to avoid it. And the second is a deserter who had been caught after kidnapping, raping and murdering a young girl.

[@seandlax9]

Three, Rico gets flogged in the book as well for exhibiting gross negligence in training. In the book being not ensuring that all friendly forces were clear of a training tactical nuke he fires.

[@KurNorock]

@Ron Stone You got that all wrong. Everybody in the story can make decisions. Rico's parents aren't citizens but were still upper middle class. Everybody is free. Even the mormon missionaries that went colonizing the planet that started the war with the bugs were free to do what they wanted even though the government advised them not to do it. This movie, and the book itself, was never about fascism. Watch this video for a much more in depth explanation. kzbin.info/www/bejne/oYfTiqmMZbRqq6s

[@wb6wsn]

@@KurNorock An excellent review; Sargon understands both Heinlein's viewpoint and Verhoeven's slipshod adaptation. Jpblo could have saved himself so much embarrassment had he only absorbed Sargon's treatment before crafting his review.

[@KurNorock]

@Ron Stone yeah, and what's wrong with that? Why should voting be a universal right? And what is fascist about that at all?

[@KurNorock]

@Ron Stone you might want to reread my comment. You seem to be under the impression that I said the exact opposite of what I actually said.

[@jonbush7467]

This is a great review and informative piece on an underrated movie!

[@Matt-bg5wg]

*Presses the Like button* "I'M DOING MY PART"

[@connybob87]

"I'm doing my part too"

[@tremedar]

@@connybob87 "LoLoLoLoLoL" "They're doing their part, are you? Sign up for the mobile infantry today. Service guarantees citizenship."

[@PrinceMarcusWilliam]

gotta get the tatt

[@MrMovieRecaps]

'Are You', join the Mobile Infantry today!

[@Machinedead]

'I'M DOING MY PART' (in a kids voice)

[@jervishorton7372]

This Film is a MODERN SCIFI CLASSIC.

[@thunberbolttwo3953]

No.

[@jco5254]

thunberbolt two yes

[@thunberbolttwo3953]

@@jco5254 No its not.Its modern propaganda at its best.In the book the mi are male onl;y.In the movie the mi is co gender.In the book every mi soldier isd isued with a power armor suit.in the movie they are not.In thwe book the teran government is a limited liberrtarian government.In the movie the teran government is a fasicist one.In the book the military is a competent one.In teh movie they are idiots.The reason rico joins the mi is allso changed from the book to the movie.Dizs genders is changed from male in the book,To female in the movie.Crap movie.

[@manstonhisk667]

And anyone who disagrees is a bug loving mook.

[@theodavis9778]

@Jervis Horton: Absolutely .......

[@Chayonray]

Great review. You nailed it! I enjoyed the movie when I first saw it back in the day after having read the book and recognized the supreme satire. It was truly a forerunner of an interesting genre.

[@truBador2]

Every once in a while a good one like this slips through.

[@simonbarr9476]

[Head gets blown off by gunshot] - "MEDIC!!!!!"

[@BSDShoes]

This man has been shot, would you like to know more?

[@_Abjuranax_]

Rico was originally punished for popping off a live round during an exercise, and they immediately shut the power off to his suit, and let him sweat it out until they could deal with him personally a bit later. That is why he received the lashes, for disobeying direct orders and safety protocol, not because some fool got his head blown off. My Grandfather in WWII, during a live fire exercise at Boot Camp, the person in front of him crawling under the barbed wire ran across a rattlesnake, and both of their heads were blown off when they rose up. My Grandfather just had to crawl past that mess the best he could.

[@ironstarofmordian7098]

That's what you do. Someone gets wounded you call a medic. The private soldier doesn't know didly dick about the human body. The medic will decide if the man's dead.

[@ironstarofmordian7098]

@@_Abjuranax_ Rico wasn't using love rounds. He was busted for not going by the book and trying to shoot by the eye.

[@_Abjuranax_]

@@ironstarofmordian7098 I was referring to the book, and not the movie version of events.

[@IRMentat]

I would pay to see this in the cinema today.

[@retroworld8090]

I'm blown away that this movie wasn't a huge box office success. The CG and effects in are better than movies today.

[@JR-ej9up]

This was a good one. Very rewatchable !!!

[@MegaGoozie]

This movie only gets better with age!!!! All time classic!!!

[@pdxlockpicker7796]

It does. It was way ahead of it's time!

[@jayjay53313]

Everyone I knew in my country watched this movie and love the storyline, the actor Johnny Rico, Jenkins and his lover, love rivalry plot and admirer. Also the realistic gore and violence at that time, male & female went to watch, often full house, only managed to watch on 2nd attempt. The same with robocop 1 & 2. I don't know why this movie is called a failure in America. Is there problem with Americans mentality?

[@Myuutsuu85]

You realy should read the book and tell, if the movie still holds up.

[@pdxlockpicker7796]

@@Myuutsuu85 movies rarely out-do books. What can be more imaginative than the mind?

[@indierockguitar6875]

I've seen this movie over 50 times. Movie is so we'll made. I always feel like I'm in the future. The skill of the director

[@marvinegreen]

Democracy was born when all the men of Athens were required to defend Athens, and upon return demanded a say in the politics of governing. Only men who had served in the defence of Athens got the vote. Heinlein employes this historical backstory less satirically than one might suppose.

[@johnpotter4750]

Fairly successful, unlike the Diggers.

[@jerryslater3447]

You were born a resident, citizenship (and the vote, and access to public service jobs) was earned by public service. Other than that, rights were equal.

[@pdcmoreira]

This movie is truly underrated and one of the main reasons I completely ignore movie critics.

[@JoeMacStevens]

This is one movie that I wish Hollywood would remake. It deserves to be seen with Power Armor and the Bounce. Also after 20 years of our endless War on Terror this story is much more relevant now.

[@WarlordRising]

This film was released at the perfect time for me. I was a young teen waiting for the doomed Prequels to show up. I had a blast with The Fifth Element, and needed another big budget sci-fi fix in the interim. This film blew my mind. Monster mayhem, macho soldiers, and cool space battles. It was goddamn amazing. I knew it was over the top with the intention of being a satire. Needless to say, I saw it several times in theater, and have owned several versions of it on home video. Footnote: Denise Richards graduated from my High School a full decade before I showed up.

[@jjrj8568]

We also had The Matrix around the corner. Too bad SW EpI TPM didn't deliver.

[@conyo985]

We need Paul Verhoeven back! I need my gory action sci-fi movies back.

[@laninfapimentel311]

The way the martian marine is depicted in The Expanse reminds me SO MUCH of this movie!

[@seanjoseph8637]

The service is voluntary, but if you want full citizenship with a vote you must do service. It's a great idea.

[@XijohnsoniX]

Even after 20 years later the special effects still hold up

[@jeyfomson6364]

Word!!

[@Warvvolf]

I just watched it. And yes.

[@alexanderwillis9473]

I dunno some of those cockpit screens running DoS are a bit lmao but your too busy watching the awesome spaceships being destroyed to notice those dated little control screens.

[@priimovalentiino1640]

Still get chills when the music comes on, and his teacher is reintroduced to the movie as LTN.

[@samtupolov2166]

At the time this was my most favorite movie , now I still think this movie is one of the best sci-fi

[@redhaegar]

Awesome review! Not only because the narrator shared fully my view of the movie hehe ;)

[@springbloom5940]

Poor Heinlein. Writes Starship Troopers and gets called a Fascist, then writes Stranger in a Strange Land and invents Hippies.

[@arx3516]

well, heinlein 's Federation basically mirrors the principles of fascism "Everything in the State, nothing outside the State, nothing against the State".

[@PerfectTangent]

@@arx3516 That's a very shallow reading of the society in the book. The only thing Heinlein champions is civic responsibility and that people who aren't going to personally prosecute a war shouldn't get to vote on whether or not war is declared. If your idea of fascism is Nazi Germany, than this book is about as far from it as you can get.

[@gobblox38]

@@PerfectTangent I guess the confusion is that practically everything is called fascist these days. But yeah, the society of the book is about as far away from fascism as possible. There's even discussions of noncitizens owning businesses and being rich. The movie is a weak form of fascism at best. The "propaganda" is actually closer to real news than we get today. Live broadcasts of the failed invasion aren't censored. The Sky Marshal takes blame for the failure and steps down. Civilians are not forced into military service, it is completely voluntary.

[@jerryslater3447]

Also invented the waterbed and the "Waldo" remote controlled hand.

[@crackrat6166]

ARX 351 You’ve obviously never read the book. 🤦🏻‍♂️🤦🏻‍♂️🤦🏻‍♂️🤦🏻‍♂️

[@RatraceDave]

Couldn't tell you how many times I've watched this.

[@shinseiki2015]

double it and you will get my number

[@upandatom...]

Can’t or won’t?

[@Gerry926]

I still watch this when it's on. What a fun movie!

[@abeautifuldayful]

Me too!

[@Vanthdreadstr]

Watch it every month, never gets old

[@nickmattio3397]

“The Only Good Bug Is A Dead Bug! >:•|”