Starship Troopers analysis

This article is a translation of a paper I wrote about Roz Kaveney’s comparison between the Starship Troopers movie and the original book, which can be found in From Alien to the Matrix. I doesn’t cover all aspects of the movie, but some that I do find interesting.

About the movie
Movie vs. book
Failure in style
Johnny’s relationship with Carmen

Starship Troopers is directed by Paul Verhoeven, who also have directed successful movies like Robocop (1987) and Total Recall (1990), and is written by Edward Neumeier which also have written the scrip to Robocop. The title of the movie and the universe it takes place in comes from Robert A. Heinlein’s book which was published 1959, but the two works does not share much of the themes and content. Verhoeven himself says that his intention with the movie was to exaggerate the books fascistic themes so that they would become obviously absurd. In a chapter of Roz Kaveney’s book, she writes that Verhoeven have misunderstood Heinlein and that he also fails to demonstrate his anti-fascistic message. More about that later, but first I will give you a summary of the movie.

About the movie

Starship Troopers takes place in a fascistic future where a humanity is united in a great federation and lies in war with the Arachnids, gigantic insectoid aliens. The movie is about Johnny Rico and his friends in this war. Johnny is captain of the team in the school’s “indoor rugby” team, but not very good in anything else. His girlfriend, Carmen Ibanez, and his best friend, Carl Jenkins, who has supernatural powers, are better in school and after finishing high-school they decide to join the armed forces of the Federation. They split paths with Carmen joining the Fleet, Carl the intelligence service, Johnny the mobile infantry. Military duty is the main way to become a citizen within the Federation. There are however people who have chosen to continue to be civilians, for example Johnny’s father, who rejects his son when he joins the army.

In the mobile infantry, soldiers are trained to disembark on planets and fight by foot. Johnny meets many new friends and also Dizzy Flores, a girl from his team that are in love with him, joins his platoon. A love triangle begins between Johnny, Dizzy and Carmen and Carmen breaks Johnny’s heart when she dumps him, although nothing happens between him hand Dizzy. Johnny gets promoted to Corporal, but chooses to end his career and return to his parents that have forgiven him, after an incident that kills a member of his squad. This takes a new turn when the Arachnids throws an asteroid towards Earth that destroys his home town and kills everything that is important to him. He is reinstated and the Federation launch an invasion against their enemy. While waiting for the invasion of the planet Klendathu, Johnny stumbles upon Carmen and her co-pilot Zander Barcalow. An old conflict between Johnny and Zander flares and they fight each other after Johnny not accepting Carmen’s lame excuse for dumping him and also with the two combatants defending the infantry respectively the fleet.

Shortly thereafter the invasion begins but the federation realises that the Arachnids are stronger than the intelligence has gathered. Carmen’s battle ship gets hit by anti-aircraft fire and Johnny’s platoon takes a beat. Both of them manage to survive, even though Carmen get informed that Johnny was killed in action. The survivors of Johnnys platoon joins a new one. This one is lead by Jean Razak, Johnny’s and the other’s former teacher in moral philosophy in school and they set out on a mission where Johnny also gets promoted. He also begins a relation with Dizzy. After a massive attack from the Arachnids at a fort, both Dizzy and Razak dies. Johnny takes command and lead the troops in the last big battle. During this fight Carmen’s ship explodes and she escapes to the planet, together with Zander in a lifepod that lands in the middle of enemy territory. Johnny discovers that she is in distress and initiate a search for her in the tunnels of the planet. Carmen and Zander gets captured by the Arachnids and a brain bug sucks Zander’s brain out. Carmen is saved by Johnny and the infantry captures the brain bug. Carl, reads the mind of the creature and feels that it is afraid and now humanity can foresee the Arachnids tactics. Johnny, Carl and Carmen is once more together and the war goes on.

Tags: essay, Starship Troopers, theory