Unpopular Geek Media Opinions

[Snarf Zagyg]

The book rather takes civic duty to an extreme, in which you have to serve The State, and by extension The People, before you earn the right to choose your government. There's a certain (terrifying) logic to that and, as with the best speculative fiction, it examines the sociopolitical aspects of that.

To paraphrase Heinlein, "I wrote 'Starship Troopers' and they called me a fascist. I wrote 'Stranger in a strange Land' and they called me a communist. I'm a writer."

I wasn't making any kind of judgment about Heinlein. I was just observing that the movie and the book actually are looking at the same themes, just through very different lens.

 

[Ryujin]

I wasn't making any kind of judgment about Heinlein. I was just observing that the movie and the book actually are looking at the same themes, just through very different lens.

Indeed. One lens is almost scholarly, while the other is parody. I went in expecting the first, but getting the second. Was not amused.

Do you want to know more?

 

[doctorbadwolf]

...eh. It does present a differing viewpoint on the military and on authority, but it's not addressing any of Heinlein's themes or the ideas in the book. Verhoeven takes names and events from the book and uses them to make unrelated points.

I disagree. The points aren’t unrelated at all.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

Indeed. One lens is almost scholarly, while the other is parody. I went in expecting the first, but getting the second. Was not amused.

Do you want to know more?

...um, you were expecting a scholarly movie? A scholarly big budget movie from Hollywood?

A scholarly big budget movie from Hollywood starting Caspar Van Dien and Denise Richards?

A scholarly, big budget movie from Hollywood, in 1995, from the director of Showgirls, Basic Instinct, Total Recall, and RoboCop?

Well, there was certainly a mistake somewhere! Perhaps you were expecting more subtlety?

 

[Ryujin]

...um, you were expecting a scholarly movie? A scholarly big budget movie from Hollywood?

A scholarly big budget movie from Hollywood starting Caspar Van Dien and Denise Richards?

A scholarly, big budget movie from Hollywood, in 1995, from the director of Showgirls, Basic Instinct, Total Recall, and RoboCop?

Well, there was certainly a mistake somewhere! Perhaps you were expecting more subtlety?

I was hoping for a movie that at least nominally followed the original. I didn't expect that the people who were hired to write and direct the product actively hated it. That would seem to be a non sequitur. The advertising didn't exactly spell it out either. I saw it within a day of release.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

I was hoping for a movie that at least nominally followed the original. I didn't expect that the people who were hired to write and direct the product actively hated it. That would seem to be a non sequitur. The advertising didn't exactly spell it out either. I saw it within a day of release.

I think that speaks to a general divide. To me, there is always a difference when we're talking about different media. I don't view a movie as successful only to the extent that it slavishly follows the original book (or other source).

For example, I think that the HBO miniseries Watchmen is far superior to the movie Watchmen, even though the movie undoubtedly follows the comic book. Or take the Cronenberg movie, Naked Lunch. By not slavishly attempting to adapt the book (to the extent that it is possible), he made a great movie.

It's the same here. Starship Troopers is a great movie. It's one of Verhoeven's best (if not the best), and admirably skewers the dangers of propaganda and militarism. Much like Robocop, it can be misinterpreted, but the message is still clear. It is an absolute stunner of a movie. It would have been much worse if it had attempted to follow the book; just another forgettable Wing Commander.

Maybe some day, a person will make a faithful adaptation of the book into a prestige miniseries. But I would bet good money that if they do, it won't be as good a piece of art as the Verhoeven film.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I was hoping for a movie that at least nominally followed the original. I didn't expect that the people who were hired to write and direct the product actively hated it. That would seem to be a non sequitur.

Hey, that kind of attitude got Zack Snyder a multi-movie commitment!

 

[payn]

I think that speaks to a general divide. To me, there is always a difference when we're talking about different media. I don't view a movie as successful only to the extent that it slavishly follows the original book (or other source).

For example, I think that the HBO miniseries Watchmen is far superior to the movie Watchmen, even though the movie undoubtedly follows the comic book. Or take the Cronenberg movie, Naked Lunch. By not slavishly attempting to adapt the book (to the extent that it is possible), he made a great movie.

It's the same here. Starship Troopers is a great movie. It's one of Verhoeven's best (if not the best), and admirably skewers the dangers of propaganda and militarism. Much like Robocop, it can be misinterpreted, but the message is still clear. It is an absolute stunner of a movie. It would have been much worse if it had attempted to follow the book; just another forgettable Wing Commander.

Maybe some day, a person will make a faithful adaptation of the book into a prestige miniseries. But I would bet good money that if they do, it won't be as good a piece of art as the Verhoeven film.

 

[Ryujin]

I think that speaks to a general divide. To me, there is always a difference when we're talking about different media. I don't view a movie as successful only to the extent that it slavishly follows the original book (or other source).

For example, I think that the HBO miniseries Watchmen is far superior to the movie Watchmen, even though the movie undoubtedly follows the comic book. Or take the Cronenberg movie, Naked Lunch. By not slavishly attempting to adapt the book (to the extent that it is possible), he made a great movie.

It's the same here. Starship Troopers is a great movie. It's one of Verhoeven's best (if not the best), and admirably skewers the dangers of propaganda and militarism. Much like Robocop, it can be misinterpreted, but the message is still clear. It is an absolute stunner of a movie. It would have been much worse if it had attempted to follow the book; just another forgettable Wing Commander.

Maybe some day, a person will make a faithful adaptation of the book into a prestige miniseries. But I would bet good money that if they do, it won't be as good a piece of art as the Verhoeven film.

I've mentioned, in the past, that I might have liked the movie if it hadn't pretty much been the original in name only. As it is, to me it's meh. The Watchment TV series was in universe, but not a retelling of the story. They were pretty clear about that, going in. "Wing Commander" was just crap, from where I stand. A faithful and good "Starship Troopers" could now be made, power armour and all, with the CGI we currently have.

 

[Ryujin]

Hey, that kind of attitude got Zack Snyder a multi-movie commitment!

Thanks for the additional evidence.