Starship Troopers

Directed by: Paul Verhoeven

Written by: Edward Neumeier (screenplay); Robert A. Heinlein (novel)










Streaming this movie was a major flashback for me.  I had originally seen it back in the theaters and originally simply enjoyed the action and gore.  I loved the whole "newsflash" style of narration.  And I caught a glimpse of the politically charged subtext of the film, even if I didn't quite understand to make of it.

According to the story, humans are at war with an alien race known only as the bugs.  Little is known about the bugs except that they want to destroy humanity and humanity wants to wipe them out.  A group of friends join the military to contribute to humanity's survival.  The chaos of war ensues, with lots of shooting and bugs getting blasted.

This film has, undeniably, some of the best battle sequences in science-fiction film.  The bugs - especially the arachnids - are some of the most unique and unforgettable aliens I've ever seen.  The sequence in the fortress on "Planet P" is absolutely fantastic.

The acting is hammy.  Terribly hammy.  But there's not a moment of self-consciousness in the entire film, so the ham works.  If the movie had, even for a moment, acknowledged its own campiness, then the illusion would have been shattered.  Instead, everyone is so earnest that the characters seem real in their own world, even if it's a slightly distorted mirror of our own world.

The gore manages to be totally excessive without losing its edge.  At points (like the brain bug sequence) it becomes almost cartoonish.  But, again, it works because it takes itself so seriously.  It forces the viewer to take it seriously too.

In regards to the political subtext: it's there if you look for it.  But the meaning is not necessarily clear.  There are some throw-away lines which reveal a lot about the society in which the characters live, as well as some bigger-picture themes which say a lot.  That kind of stuff is great fodder for discussion, but I'll let you interpret it your own way.

I'm not going to say this is a great film.  But it is definitely better than it deserves to be (if that makes any sense).  Save it for a sci-fi night, and let the battle begin.

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Cowboys and Aliens

Directed by: Jon Favreau

Written by:

- Screenplay: Robert Orci, Alex Kurtzman, Damon Lindelof, Mark Fergus, Hawk Ostby

- Screen story: Mark Fergus, Hawk Ostby, Steve Oedekerk

- Comic book: Scott Mitchell Rosenberg

There are few things that capture the pre-adolescent male mind more than cowboys. One of those things, though, may be aliens. Jon Favreau asks: why not both?

Jake Lonergan (Craig) awakens in the New Mexico desert with no memory of his past and a strange metal bracelet attached to his wrist. He wanders into the nearest town to try to put the pieces together, only to see aliens abduct several people of the city. With the help of Doc (Rockwell), the lovely but mysterious Ella Swenson (Wilde), and Woodrow "biggest cattle rancher in town" Dolarhyde (Ford), Lonergan chases after the aliens to rescue the missing people.

Favreau's film attempts to balance the tropes of both the western ("Cowboys") and science fiction ("Aliens") genres. The exposition draws on western film tradition - a lone gunman wanders into town and upsets the status quo - while also remaining fresh and original. The resolution is also gleaned from past westerns, although it slips slightly into the cliché. In fact, the whole plot culls from the annuls of the great American western film tradition. But, the action and effects - which make up a significant chunk of the screen time - are totally science fiction. It's amazing how the two styles were sewn together almost seamlessly.

The actors were, generally speaking, great for their roles. Sam Rockwell felt out of place for the first half of the film, although that may have had more to do with his character than with his performance. Olivia Wilde's character - and the fact that no one in town noticed her presence - also struck a false chord, although (without spoiling anything) it does get explained away later in the film. Craig and Ford were both top-notch and it was good to see Ford back in the action genre.

The special effects were good, but they were not outstanding. I was not blown away by any sequences in the film, which I had been expecting. On that end, I was disappointed. I was hoping for at least one earth-shattering effect, but, alas.

In general, kudos to Jon Favreau for making a pretty wonderful film. It gave exactly what it advertised - "Cowboys and Aliens" - and even a little more than I expected.