Starship Troopers

A lot can be said about Starship Troopers, but entertaining it certainly is, and unlike Paul Verhoeven's glaring flop "Showgirls", the film contains a good dose of irony that helps most of it go down. What Verhoeven can be criticised for is that his ironic distance from the fascistoid universe in which the film is set is not complete. One senses the fascination with this society, in which democracy is not mentioned with a single word and in which the use of physical force is an ideal.

This is what the young Johnny Rico learns from his teacher at high school. Like several of his classmates, after graduating he signs up for two years' service in the army. While Johnny becomes just another foot soldier, his intelligent girlfriend Carmen becomes a pilot. She breaks up with him, but the impetuous Dizzy is more than willing to help Johnny get over his grief.

The main characters make you think of Aqua's "Barbie Girl". Whether Verhoeven really intended to make "The Bold and the Beautiful" in space, I can only guess. Another question that arises is whether an actress like Denise Richards is thoroughly bad or deliberately simplifies her character.

The film's personal intrigues fill out the plot nicely at the beginning, but gradually drown in breathless and overwhelming battle scenes in which the earthlings fight an intelligent race of giant insects. It is frighteningly well made.