Newsgroup: it.arti.cinema
Titolo: La verità su Starship T.

Qualcuno può chiarirmi le idee?
Ci sono due scuole di pensiero, mi pare. C'e' chi pensa che Verhoeven
fosse serio e chi la pensa come quelli che hai sentito tu... e anch'io
la penso in questa seconda maniera, anche se il paragone coi Simpson
e' fuorviante. E' IMHO un omaggio alla fantascienza avventurosa anni
'40, condita di un sano spirito satirico anni '90!
Ciao
Nicola

 Grazie e chao!
Chao a te. Ti posto una rece che avevo scritto tempo fa per
alt.movie.reviews... Sory per l'inglese zoppicantino...
Riassumendo, comunque: secondo me la satira c'e' nelle intenzioni ma per
qualche motivo non nei risultati...
"Starship Troopers" (USA, 1997)
From "Starship Troopers" I was expecting at the very least a film in the
vein of "Robocop". That is, a SF movie which could both deliver good
wham-bang action (with that kind of excessive and cartoonish carnage I
occasionally enjoy) and a deeper and sharp satire on a number of issues
such as militarism, consumerism, xenophobia, media power, economic force
and so on. I still rate "Robocop" as the best and the smartest SF movie
of the 80s, along with "Blade Runner" and closely followed by
"Terminator" and I was hoping Verhoeven would manage to do the trick
again.
Nothing I read on the movie had given me reasons to expect a different
movie than that. But I'm sorry to admit the movie did not live up to
these expectations. It sure delivers on the level of popcorn fun, with
action sequences that were unlike anything I had seen before: the second
half of the movie, with the attacks of hordes of giant bugs to the fort
and the bloody duels between bugs and humans, went closer than anything
in achieving the powerful dynamism of the best superheroes comic
books... something movies always have had trouble in recapturing. I can
understand someone was taken aback by the massive gore feast, but I
don't blame Verhoeven for being coherent to his style. It probably
should have been up to Disney to market it as an adult entertainment
rather than the star-wars-like family show that viewers were led to
expect from the trailers. But on this side -even if it had annoying
logic loopholes that you could not help but notice (how about Denise
Richards -Casper Van Diem's love interest... being pierced from side to
side by one of the giant bugs' claws... then joining her friends in the
fight and carrying heavy weapons as if nothing had happened?)- I had
fun.
On the other side, however, the movie seems to me much less satisfying
when it comes to the expected satirical edges. Although I find it
interesting that the movie plays as a Star Wars-gone-nasty (the gore
becoming a way to expose the hidden violence in the George Lucas film,
where entire planets were destroyed in a clean and almost
harmless-looking blast) I was expecting much more than that. Verhoeven
was brilliant in dressing up his actors as nazis, as if he wanted us to
root for them and yet be aware that the humans' war is an imperialistic
aggression (one of the journalists in one of the hilarious TVnews
footage mentions the fact the bugs' aggressiveness was triggered by the
earthlings' attack on their planet). But the message was there only if
you really looked for it knowing what you can and should expect from
that director.
The idea of being called "A Citizen" only if you had done your share of
military service is clever... although I have a feeling it comes from
Heinlein in the first place (I haven't read the book yet, though , so
I'm just guessing). But it remains a suggestion and it is not developed
in any direction. It remains unclear what real Citizens have more than
the others... The Michael Ironside character -the pacifist teacher who
reappears halfway through the movie as an official in the army- is at
the very least underdeveloped and you get a feeling you're missing
valuable information there which could throw some light on why he has so
radically changed his mind.
Also underdeveloped is the only character that shows at least a hint of
depth beyond the two-dimensionality of the others... Dina Meier's Dizzy
is the only major character that you feel you'd be interested to know
more about. Also, Meier is the only face which does not make her look
like a close relative of Barbie and Ken... I would not be surprised in
seeing her coming up again with or without Verhoeven in juicier roles...
as it has happened before her to one Sharon Stone...

consumerism
Consumerism?? ^_^
bella rece, comunque
R.
Buon sardo non mente
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 bella rece, comunque
Grazie. :-)

 bella rece, comunque
Aspetta di leggere la versione in linguaggio di Tarantino!
"Starship Troopuh's" (USA, 1997)
From "Starship Troopuh's" ah' wuz 'espectin' at da damn very least
some film in de vein uh "Robocop". Dat is, some SF movie which could bod
deliva' baaaad wham-bang acshun (wid dat kind'a 'sessive and cartoonish
carnage I occasionally enjoy) and some deepuh' and sharp satire on some
numba' of issues such as militarism, consumerism, xenophobia, media
power, economic fo'ce and so's on.  'S coo', bro. ah' still rate
"Robocop" as de best and da damn smartest SF movie of de 80s, along wid
"Blade Runner" and closely followed by "Terminato'" and ah' wuz hopin'
Verhoeven would manage t'do de trick again.  'S coo', bro.
Nodin' ah' read on de movie had given me reasons t''spect some different
movie dan dat. But I'm so'ry t'admit da damn movie dun did not live down
to dese 'espectashuns. It sho' nuff delivers on de level uh popco'n fun,
wid acshun sequences dat wuz unlikes anydin' ah' had seen befo'e, dig
dis: de second half uh de movie, wid de attacks uh ho'des uh giant bugs
t'de fo't and da damn bloody duels between bugs and humans, went closa'
dan anydin' in achievin' de powerful dynamism uh de best sdownerheroes
comic scribblin's... sump'n movies always gots' had trouble in
recapturin'. ah' can dig it someone wuz  snatchn aback by de massive
go'e feast, but I duzn't blame Verhoeven fo' bein' coherent t'his style.
What it is, Mama! It probably should gots' been down t'Disney t'market
it as an adult entertainment rada' dan de star-wars-likes family show
dat viewers wuz led to 'spect fum de trailers. But on dis side -even if
it had annoyin' logic loopholes dat ya' could not help but notice (how
about Denise Richards -Caspuh' Van Diem's love interest... bein' pierced
fum side to side by one uh de giant bugs' claws... den joinin' ha'
homeys in de fight and carryin' heavy weapons as if nodin' had
happened?)- ah' had fun.  'S coo', bro.
On de oda' side, however, de movie seems t'me much less satisfyin' when
it comes t'de 'espected satirical edges. Aldough ah' find it interestin'
dat da damn movie plays as some Star Wars-gone-nasty (de go'e becomin'
some way t''spose da damn hidden violence in de Geo'ge Lucas film, where
entire planets wuz destroyed in some clean and almost harmless-lookin'
blast) ah' wuz 'espectin' much mo'e dan dat. Verhoeven wuz brilliant in
dressin' down his acto's as nazis, as if he wants'ed us to root fo' dem
and yet be aware dat da damn humans' war be an impuh'ialistic aggression
(one uh de journalists in one uh de hilarious TVnews footage menshuns de
fact da damn bugs' aggressiveness wuz triggered by de eardlin's' attack
on deir planet). But da damn message wuz dere only if ya' really looked
fo' it knowin' whut ya' kin and should 'espect fum dat directo'.
De idea uh bein' called "A Citizen" only if ya' had done yo' share of
military service be clever.  Ah be baaad..... aldough ah' gots' some
feelin' it comes fum Heinlein in de fust place (I aint eyeball de
scribblin' yet, dough , so I'm plum guessin'). But it remains some
suggesshun and it be not developed in any direcshun. It remains unclear
whut real Citizens gots' mo'e dan de oders... De Michael Ironside
characta' -de pacifist teacha' who reappears halfway drough de movie as
an official in de army- be at de real least underdeveloped and ya' git
some feelin' youse missin' valuable info'mashun dere which could drow
some light on why he gots'ta so radically changed his mind.
Also underdeveloped be de only characta' dat shows at least some hint of
depd beyond da damn two-dimensionality uh de oders... Dina Meier's Dizzy
is de only majo' characta' dat ya' feel ya''d be interested t'know mo'e
about. Also, Meia' is de only face which duz not make ha' look likes
some close relative uh Barbie and Ken.  'S coo', bro... ah' would not be
surprised in seein' ha' comin' down again wid o' widout Verhoeven in
juicia' roles... as it gots'ta happened befo'e ha' to one Sharon Stone.
What it is, Mama!..

"Starship Troopuh's" (USA, 1997)
ROTFL!
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