Film remakes and reboots and adaptations

[trappedslider]

While it is true that the movie lacked the deeper message of the book to its detriment, I actually agree with what the makers said in an interview. With the budget they had, they felt they could make the space marines awesome and the bugs so-so, make both marines and bugs middling good, or they could make the bugs awesome and the space marines mundane.

They opted to make the bugs fearsome, thinking they'd never be forgiven if they screwed up the bugs.

It originally started out as an unrelated script called Bug Hunt, before the studio acquired the rights to the novel and Verhoeven, disgusted by what little he was able to stomach of Heinlein's book, had the script rewritten to deepen the satire. The film was intentionally designed as the polar opposite of the book in terms of message, characterization, and themes — an attack on the idea that War Is Glorious.

 

[Bullgrit]

The film was intentionally designed as the polar opposite of the book in terms of message, characterization, and themes — an attack on the idea that War Is Glorious.

I always thought the theme of the book was "The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few or the one." I never got "war is glorious" from the book.

My 14 year old son is currently reading this book.

Bullgrit

 

[Mishihari Lord]

It originally started out as an unrelated script called Bug Hunt, before the studio acquired the rights to the novel and Verhoeven, disgusted by what little he was able to stomach of Heinlein's book, had the script rewritten to deepen the satire. The film was intentionally designed as the polar opposite of the book in terms of message, characterization, and themes — an attack on the idea that War Is Glorious.

Assuming that all of the is true without researching it myself, then the man is an idiot at least twiceover. First, for not entirely reading the book his movie is supposed to be based on, and second for completely missing the message of the book. The message is not "war is glorious" it's "society works best when each individual takes responsibility for its wellbeing." The war scenes are there primarily to keep the reader's interest with some entertaining action while the book delivers its message.

And I really don't think the book is satire. It certainly doesn't read as such. I'm aware that Heinlein stated it was long after publication, but IRC that was in the middle of the late-60s antiwar hysteria where he would need to distance himself from a war book for social or political reasons. Or even if he meant it at the time it wouldn't matter much. Early Heinlein books and late Heinlein books or so different that they appear to be written by entirely different people, enough so that I have to wonder is he suffered a stroke or mental illness in between the two periods. I wouldn't necessarily trust what late Heinlein would say about early Heinlein's work.

 

[Mishihari Lord]

While it is true that the movie lacked the deeper message of the book to its detriment, I actually agree with what the makers said in an interview. With the budget they had, they felt they could make the space marines awesome and the bugs so-so, make both marines and bugs middling good, or they could make the bugs awesome and the space marines mundane.

They opted to make the bugs fearsome, thinking they'd never be forgiven if they screwed up the bugs.

That's an understandable choice. Not the one I would have made, but defensible. The post by trappedslider a few down suggests another possible reason. If the original story was about bugs and not powered armor, then if the director had to choose between them it would make sense to go with the one he was already creatively invested in.

 

[trappedslider]

Assuming that all of the is true without researching it myself.

"I stopped after two chapters because it was so boring," says Verhoeven of his attempts to read Heinlein's opus. "It is really quite a bad book. I asked Ed Neumeier to tell me the story because I just couldn't read the thing. It's a very right-wing book. And with the movie we tried, and I think at least partially succeeded, in commenting on that at the same time. It would be eat your cake and have it. All the way through we were fighting with the fascism, the ultra-militarism. All the way through I wanted the audience to be asking, 'Are these people crazy?'"

http://www.empireonline.com/features/paul-verhoeven

In the DVD commentary, Verhoeven noted that the divergence was intentional as he disagreed deeply with what he saw as the political tilt of the original novel. In fact, Verhoeven had not even read the book, attempting to after he bought the rights to add to his existing movie, and disliking it: "I stopped after two chapters because it was so boring...It is really quite a bad book. I asked Ed Neumeier to tell me the story because I just couldn't read the thing".

On the brighter-side of things : In December 2011, Neal H. Moritz, producer of films such as The Fast and the Furious series and I Am Legend, announced plans to do a remake of the film that promises to be more faithful to the source material. On May 30, 2014, Megan Ellison tweeted that her production company Annapurna Pictures will be producing the film.

Starship Troopers the movie is a fine example of "In Name Only" adaptation IMO

 

[Mishihari Lord]

"I stopped after two chapters because it was so boring," says Verhoeven of his attempts to read Heinlein's opus. "It is really quite a bad book. I asked Ed Neumeier to tell me the story because I just couldn't read the thing. It's a very right-wing book. And with the movie we tried, and I think at least partially succeeded, in commenting on that at the same time. It would be eat your cake and have it. All the way through we were fighting with the fascism, the ultra-militarism. All the way through I wanted the audience to be asking, 'Are these people crazy?'"

http://www.empireonline.com/features/paul-verhoeven

In the DVD commentary, Verhoeven noted that the divergence was intentional as he disagreed deeply with what he saw as the political tilt of the original novel. In fact, Verhoeven had not even read the book, attempting to after he bought the rights to add to his existing movie, and disliking it: "I stopped after two chapters because it was so boring...It is really quite a bad book. I asked Ed Neumeier to tell me the story because I just couldn't read the thing".

On the brighter-side of things : In December 2011, Neal H. Moritz, producer of films such as The Fast and the Furious series and I Am Legend, announced plans to do a remake of the film that promises to be more faithful to the source material. On May 30, 2014, Megan Ellison tweeted that her production company Annapurna Pictures will be producing the film.

Starship Troopers the movie is a fine example of "In Name Only" adaptation IMO

A new Starship Troopers movie? Maybe even a good one? You just made my day. Thanks!

Edit: I just read the articles you cited, and I thought it was hilarious that US critics took him literally and criticized him for it. I thought it was a really bad movie with an offensive point, but at least I understood what the point was.

 

[Ryujin]

"I stopped after two chapters because it was so boring," says Verhoeven of his attempts to read Heinlein's opus. "It is really quite a bad book. I asked Ed Neumeier to tell me the story because I just couldn't read the thing. It's a very right-wing book. And with the movie we tried, and I think at least partially succeeded, in commenting on that at the same time. It would be eat your cake and have it. All the way through we were fighting with the fascism, the ultra-militarism. All the way through I wanted the audience to be asking, 'Are these people crazy?'"

http://www.empireonline.com/features/paul-verhoeven

In the DVD commentary, Verhoeven noted that the divergence was intentional as he disagreed deeply with what he saw as the political tilt of the original novel. In fact, Verhoeven had not even read the book, attempting to after he bought the rights to add to his existing movie, and disliking it: "I stopped after two chapters because it was so boring...It is really quite a bad book. I asked Ed Neumeier to tell me the story because I just couldn't read the thing".

On the brighter-side of things : In December 2011, Neal H. Moritz, producer of films such as The Fast and the Furious series and I Am Legend, announced plans to do a remake of the film that promises to be more faithful to the source material. On May 30, 2014, Megan Ellison tweeted that her production company Annapurna Pictures will be producing the film.

Starship Troopers the movie is a fine example of "In Name Only" adaptation IMO

And from my point of view if all that you want out of a property is the name, don't bother. Come up with your own.

I remember Heinlein saying, in an interview, words to the effect that he wrote "Starship Troopers" and was called a Fascist, then wrote "Stranger in a Strange Land" and was called a Commie. I have to agree with the sentiment that Verhoeven was an idiot for notat least making the attempt to understand the source material. He might as well have been making the 2004 "Starsky and Hutch" movie. Heinlein was trying to make people think about their role in society and personal responsibility, not glorify war. He simply used war as the vehicle.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Yep. Even though the Terran society in ST was militaristic, the one thing that was nonetheless a very positive takeaway was that EVERYONE who had the right to vote also had a personal stake in the politics because voting wasn't an innate birthright. The right to vote was earned through your actions.

And once you've earned something, you're less likely to take its value for granted. Having to earn the right to vote is a great way to discourage voter apathy and political apathy.

 

[Bullgrit]

You know how you sometimes remember the most random, trivial stuff from years and years ago? Well this conversation brings up a memory for me:

I remember seeing the actor from the ST movie on a talk show, (I think David Letterman), where when asked about the book, he mentioned that the movie differed a bit because in the movie the bad guys are the bugs, but in the book the main bad guys were the skinnies. When I heard him say that, I knew he had only read the first chapter of the book. (Because that's the only place the skinnies appear in the book.)

Bullgrit

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Open mouth, insert foot.