Naziville 90210

God bless Starship Troopers. The more time has passed and the more and more I admire Paul Verhoevan's adaptation of the science fiction novel by Robert A Heinlein. Now, I've always like the film for it's cheery social satire, Basil Poledouris' operatic score, pulse pounding action sequences which accelerate along with the story and the gob smacking visual effects which I'd rank among my favorite ever (whether it's Sony Imageworks spaceships or Phil Tippett's creature stuff). Starship Troopers is funny, gory, exciting, great looking with a hot young cast mixed with legendary character actors like Michael Ironside and Clancy Brown.

What improves with age is the spot on satire of American culture. Released in 1997, the predictions about the US foreign policy is uncanny; after a less civilised culture (The Middle East/Alien Bugs) attacks and destroys a major settlement on home soil (Twin Towers/Buenos Aires)who are retaliating against a colonial invasion regarding resources (Oil), Military powers invade that culture (Iraq/Planet P) and completely underestimate the enemy resulting in a protracted war effort. All this four years before 9/11.

In place of the Hitler youth, Vehoevan recasts his recruits as the ultimate in good looking American teens from the daytime soap, chiseled jaws of Casper Van Dien and Patrick Muldoon and the blue eyes and slinky curves of Denise Richards and Dina Meyer. The society where violence and force is to be embraced is made to feel not only normal, but something to be encouraged while the military aspect is a glorified part of peoples lives. If you're right wing leaning with your politics you may find this depiction of the future appealing, but if you can see the tongue planted firmly in the cheek below the movie's surface, you'll recognise this war-centric society that's uncomfortably close (especially if you live in the States).

Whether you see this as a big, dumb sci-fi shoot 'em up spectacular or a sly , subversive dig at powerful military nations that have got too big for their boots, Starship Troopers is one hell of a fun ride.