Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘Starship Troopers’

Written by John Edward Betancourt 

​Cult classics are films that outright fascinate me for so many reasons. Because no two are the same when it comes to their quality or their story, and why people love them varies from film to film. Some love the cheesier ones because of their endearing nature, some love the fact that someone truly took the time to put together a wild film that while it was a box office failure, defied conventions and offered us something new and fresh and sometimes, a movie becomes a cult classic simply because it’s fun and oddly enough offers up something special to audiences of all ages.
 
But of the many cult classics out there, one that continues to fascinate me is 1997’s Starship Troopers. Because in many ways, this film should have gone down in history as a big-time turkey. After all, at first glance, this seems like quite the loosey-goosey adaptation of Robert Heinlein’s novel since it seemingly removed the harrowing experiences found on the page, instead replacing a grand commentary on war with a 90210-esque storyline featuring teenagers caught up in a bloody conflict and even then, one can argue that it falls short in providing quality there as well. But the fact of the matter is, there’s a lot to like about this motion picture, and when all is said and done, it’s outright brilliant.
 
Because this cult classic, meets every single bullet point that I made mention of a moment ago. Sure, the acting is a bit hammy and over the top at times, and you are darn right the plot is silly, but it really is an endearing film. There’s a genuine heart to these performances as the cast tries to sell a wild story about an epic war with interstellar bugs and while this movie wasn’t exactly a box office smash, it really did give us a solid effort when it comes to its production values and it features some breathtaking action and well, the sweeping action sequences and surprisingly gory violence help to cover up many of the film’s glaring mistakes because you do get outright lost in the moment.
 
However, I am a firm believer that the movie’s social commentary on nationalism and propaganda is what makes it resonate with audiences today because while the civilian vs. citizen concept, and silly ‘Would You Like to Know More?’ segments, were laughable back in ’97, they’re oddly chilling now since American society is embroiled over a grand debate of what it means to be American and social media has allowed for charged segments and networks to exist where people are more than happy to learn more about a topic that reflects their views and their ideologies.
 
But, all of that chilling commentary aside, the biggest draw when it comes to this movie, is that it is downright fun. It really did defy convention by giving us a violent and sweeping war movie that’s filled with cheeky moments and laughs and it’s a film that brings a smile to people’s faces when you talk about it and well, it’s one that quite frankly should be celebrated for trying new things and it’s a movie that I look upon fondly and it’s one that I need to revisit more often due to its unexpected brilliance and to re-live my favorite moments. So, if by chance you haven’t seen this one, do so, you’ll be glad you did, since it offers up some fine ideas and plenty of crazy moments to get lost in. 

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