Starship Troopers (Blu-ray Disc)

In my Opinion, Starship Troopers could very well be one the best Pro-war films ever made. No one seemed to identify the satirical nature of the film when it was originally released. Some critics seemed disturbed by the fact that the "good guys" resembled Nazis. If one now re-assesses the film for intellectual merits, it would come to pass that all the satire of military power, might actually make a lot of sense now. Why has ST with its profound comments on war and human nature been relegated to the ranks of films like "Rambo" and "Universal Soldier"? One reason is that the satire is extremely subtle and that people are prejudiced against action war films. This is probably justified though since the vast majority of them are pure fluff. However, Starship Troopers ruthlessly satirize the genre while being one of the best in its category, which is a feat to be proud of. There is so much about this film to analyze that it might even take a book to cover it all, so I will stick to only one thing here: the alien bugs, which are the enemy in the film.

The Earth is at war with these bug creatures. Some are bug, small, and all are ugly and vicious. This is graphically demonstrated throughout the film but most notably via a propaganda commercial that the film presents to us as a futuristic version of "Why We Fight". At one point, a cow is lead into a pen holding one of these giant insects, which quickly cleaves the cow in two. We are horrified! These insects truly are barbaric, evil! Look what it did to that cow! They must be destroyed!(Yet how many of us had beef before seeing this movie?) Then the website narrator proudly states that people on Earth are doing their part in the war effort as we watch a woman and her children dump Earth bugs on the ground and stomp on them. These bugs are native to our planet. Like the American-Japanese in WWII, why are they getting picked on? How are the bug-stomping mother and her children any more humane and caring than the repulsive alien insects?

The film is insanely violent. People are literally cut to pieces by the smaller creatures and slowly, painfully melted by a plasma the larger insects spray. However, the alien bugs fair no better. The people and cows getting hacked up relentlessly in this film horrify us but we cheer as machine rifles and grenades blow the giant insects apart. The body count is high on both sides. It is all literally and purposely utter, senseless violence. But then at one point a psychic uses his powers to read one of the alien's emotions. He triumphantly yells, "It's afraid!" and a legion of human warriors jubilantly cheer at this pronouncement. Who's barbaric here? What is humanity? The bugs are clearly not "human", yet they are intelligent, advanced, and most importantly they have feelings. If they can be afraid, can they not also be sad, happy, in love? These are questions the writer has left to us to ask with out leading us by the hand through what could have been a much more preachy film.
Considering the fact that, in his book "Stranger in a Strange Land", Robert A. Heinlein,who wrote the novel upon which Starship Troopers was based,pointed out that there were millions of people already in America before the invaders came and ruthlessly slaughtered these "subhumans" on their own property. It is safe to say that there is a lot more going on in this film than a simple slug-fest.
I'm going to give this 5/5 for perfection in film to the max, even after 11 years.
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Bravery, Beauty and Vicious Giant Bugs -- What more can you ask for in a sci-fi flick?

Starship Troopers delivers in every way. It indulges special-effects hungry fans like me (The effects were so ahead of their time (1997) that they still look fantastic today), bringing with it an over-the-edge (as opposed to over-the-top) script that is both action-packed and fun. Casper Van Dien does a good job as a pretty-boy/tough guy soldier, and Denise Richards and Dina Meyer are watchable not only because they are both gorgeous, but because they actually do a good job in their roles as love interests for Van Dien (Richards is beautiful and Meyer is oh so Smokin' Hot). Although different, I put it in the same category as "The Fifth Element." Both sci-fi movies blend action, explosions, humor, bravery and beauty, in a wonderful mix that leave you feeling good when they're over.

This was an anti-war film (first gulf war time period), that never really does what the director intended. Even in standard definition, it is a feast for the eyes. In hi-def, it really shines. A great transfer. Must own in my opinion.

The HD quality and the sound on this Blu-Ray are excellent. The blues really pop in this movie. The movie itself was written very well with a lot of great action sequences. A great Blu-Ray to own!

Very Action-Packed!!!! This has a little of everything, action, romance, comedy, gore, and is packed with excellent actors. One of those movies when you say"awww, he/she dies"...I love this movie!