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Ah, Starship Troopers, to some a cult classic gore splatter festival of war, giant bug explosions and large
breasted soldiers. To others an insulting mess so atrocious that it caused them severe mental trauma. It is one of the most
devisive of all sci fi films, but love it or loathe it, I doubt many believed it would spawn a sequel. It did go down
the Ghostbusters route and had an animated series, Roughnecks: Starship Troopers Chronicles that was shown on the SciFi Channel,
and this proved reasonably successful, but the question for me was what was left unsaid? The first hammered home the horror
of war and its destruction of innocence, so what could the second do? This was also a straight to video release, already my
Spidey sense was more than just tingling!
Want to know more?
The film starts superbly, straight into a fight with the bugs, right into death, splatter and screams of the dying. It
is a relentless opening and provides an instant recoil to the first film for those who may have forgotten. It is a dark wasteland
planet and the humans are in a world of trouble, surrounded and totally outnumbered by the enormous creatures. But almost
immediatley after that super start you beginto see the cracks. Is there a set to speak of? Er, that would be a no actually,
just some sand and lots of reddish lighting and smoke. The scene may be exciting, but its setting smacks of Star Trek circa
1967. And hey thats, Brenda Strong!! I saw you die in the first film!!!
In dire trouble, the surviving roughnecks run the gauntlet and escape to take refuge in an abandoned and powerless outpost.
Their situation seems bleak when attacked again, but a prisoner found in an incinerator is released and turns out to be Rambo.
This would be Captain VJ Dax, who admits murdering his commanding officer, but hey, he gave bad orders to the kids and stuff,
man. So thats alright then. This guy is the archetypal supersoldier. He resists sexual advances, has immense courage and leads
by example. He is, in other words, a Hero of the Federation...... Yes, the title really is that simplistic. He duely rescues
them, instills morale, demands respect and rebuilds huge defence masts that barbeque bugs like an Aussie on Christmas Day.
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So far, so average. Then the movie plot changes a bit and the soldiers begin to be assimilated by the enemy within their
ranks, the bugs aren't quite as silly as they look you see, devious critters! It becomes a race against time for the psychic
Pvt. Lei Sahara to work out why she feels things are heading down the crapper. The thing is it takes her ages to work
it out even though we se her dreams at least four times! The middle part of the film is slow and totally lacking a narative
drive. The soldiers get shot at for the first 30 minutes it seems than we have 30 minutes of mind play which is deathly tiresome
before the big weapons are out for the finale. In this time a few things have to be taken care of in order to comply
with the Bad Sci Fi Rulebook.
Firstly, naked girl, here in the form of Nip/ Tuck's Kelly Carlson. We need some macho posturing, the soldiers trade
substandard Aliens jabs and finally someone to be working on getting communications up and running!! Check.
Sahara does her best, poor darling, but her platoon is imploding. BUT, she can save Rambo of course!! YYYYYEEEEE
HHHHHHAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWW. Time to shoot shit again, alright!
Alas even slightly comedic death scenes can't rescue the finale to the film, a finale so lacking in excitement I began
to wish as I had watched Match of the Day as I had intended.
Starship Troopers 2 is a cheap throw away film with the narative substance of your average porno. It liberally steals
from far better films like Aliens and even Ghosts of Mars and with an effects budget obviously very constrictive I'd question
the directors choice of working with so much green screen. The bugs haven't improved since the first film's CGI almost seven
years previous.The sets are basic and the script lamentable. Only Richard Burgi's obvious screen prescence makes the film
worth watching, there is even a direct Minority Report rip off towards the end of the film when he is again locked in the
incinerator but he makes it bearable. He knows the film is shit, but gives it absolutely everything he's got and that is commendable.
Its the only commendable thing however about a film that surely ends the Starship Troopers franchise.
Want to see more?
Absolutely not, thank you.
It gets an icePirateShip 2/5
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