The Video Game Critic

Ooohh, Starship Troopers.  I don't know who said it, but I have quite a history with that movie.

I read the book a long time ago, and I loved it.  I loved the pacing, the philosophy, the themes--just loved that book to pieces. 

Then, later, I learned they were gonna make a movie out of it and man, I was stoked!  I went to see it opening night... and left feeling this weird mixture of excitement and disappointment.  It was so cool, so big, so fun, so summer-sci-fi-movie-ish, and yet such a terrible translation of the book!

Then in college, where I majored in Literature, the focus of our senior seminar was novel vonversions into film.  For my final paper, I chose Starship Troopers, which allowed me to really examine both the source material and the translation.  I had a thirty-page paper and about a thirty-slide Powerpoint presentation.  My presentation, which was supposed to run about ten minutes, ran a good forty-five. 

It was only through this research that I was able to discern that the movie is actually a brilliant repudiation of the ideology of the novel!  Subtly subversive, cloaked beneath an exterior of explosive special effects, Paul Verhoeven's film is a criticism of Robert A. Heinlein, accusing him of being a fascist--which he is not.

I have grown to really appreciate this film.  In a way, I love it.  But it still pales in comparison with the book.

Dave's taste in movies has always baffled me.  Just when I think I have him figured out, he'll either hate or love something in exact opposition to what I would assume he would feel.  Starship Troopers is one such film.  Yeah, it's mindless violence, bad acting, and horrible dialogue but how do you hate that yet love the Evil Dead series?
Sudz

"I'm from Argentina and I say kill them all!!"

Its a stupid movie, but a good popcorn movie. I kinda liked it.

It's stupid fun most definitely.  I loved that movie if for only the possibility of what a fascist regime would look like. 

Anyone else remember the miniseries V?  Both movies/series had Michael Ironside, aka Sam Fischer from Splinter Cell.  Ironside could take on Jack Bauer/Keither Sutherland and hold his own any day of the week.

[QUOTE=BigOldCar]Ooohh, Starship Troopers.  I don't know who said it, but I have quite a history with that movie.

I read the book a long time ago, and I loved it.  I loved the pacing, the philosophy, the themes--just loved that book to pieces. 

Then, later, I learned they were gonna make a movie out of it and man, I was stoked!  I went to see it opening night... and left feeling this weird mixture of excitement and disappointment.  It was so cool, so big, so fun, so summer-sci-fi-movie-ish, and yet such a terrible translation of the book!

Then in college, where I majored in Literature, the focus of our senior seminar was novel vonversions into film.  For my final paper, I chose Starship Troopers, which allowed me to really examine both the source material and the translation.  I had a thirty-page paper and about a thirty-slide Powerpoint presentation.  My presentation, which was supposed to run about ten minutes, ran a good forty-five. 

It was only through this research that I was able to discern that the movie is actually a brilliant repudiation of the ideology of the novel!  Subtly subversive, cloaked beneath an exterior of explosive special effects, Paul Verhoeven's film is a criticism of Robert A. Heinlein, accusing him of being a fascist--which he is not.

I have grown to really appreciate this film.  In a way, I love it.  But it still pales in comparison with the book.
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edit:
By the way, is the completely co-ed bathing facilities in the book too? I just can't see that happening in the future.

[QUOTE] By the way, is the completely co-ed bathing facilities in the book too?[/QUOTE]

Actually, it isn't mentioned.  Kinda like whether or not the Terminator has to use the toilet.  It just isn't relevant to the story, so it doesn't come up.

[QUOTE=BigOldCar][QUOTE] By the way, is the completely co-ed bathing facilities in the book too?[/QUOTE]

Actually, it isn't mentioned.  Kinda like whether or not the Terminator has to use the toilet.  It just isn't relevant to the story, so it doesn't come up.
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So, does the Terminator use the toilet?  It is living tissue over a metal endoskeleton.  Does it have to eat?  Bathe?  Shave?  Use sunscreen?  Worry about chafing and zits?  THESE are the questions that need to be answered.  That way, when they eventually take over, we'll have a better idea of how to defeat them...or at least a better idea of how to market personal hygene products to them.  Is it Friday yet?  Check, please!

- Mark

BOCar -

Had no clue there was a book it was based off of. I will check that out. Thank ya!

The last time I saw a Terminator in the bathroom, he was shaving off his eyeball with a straight razor.  That's not the kind of guy whose bathroom habits you want to ask about.

And I just remembered: while men and women do both serve in Heinlein's vision of the future, they serve in different capacities.  Aggressive males do the fightin', while intelligent females do the pilotin' and dispatchin'.  There's a part in there early on where he talks about how well it works that way.

And Steerforth, if you like that one check out also The Forever War by Joe Haldeman and its sort-of sequel, Forever Peace.  The second book is not as good a book, per se, in that the ending is a little Utopian, but the concepts covered in the first half are especially relevant to the modern realities of the current war: disembodied engagement, technologically-enhanced warmaking (imagine a squadron of remotely-operated Ed-209s in the jungle), instant broadcasts of combat reality, and military fanboys at home feasting on constant live feeds from the battlefield.  Real neat stuff.