Past Tense - Bugs, Big Bomb And Zealots Part II


Rant.



I really like this flick. This installment was the closest to the tone of the first movie. I've been reading reviews from folks who were bothered by the ideas this chapter gave.

* The framing of anti-war protesters on conspiracy charges (capital crime) - to be hanged.
* The co-opt of religion by the Federation.

Lethal pout.

I am puzzled by some who didn't get the first movie. We were NOT the good guys. In fact the world government was deceiving us into going to war. Keep the masses frightened and angry, give them a common enemy; this runs the wheels of power.

The bugs are ruthless, true, but we started the war with them. This one world government is an empire. And as all empires do - they expand. We expanded to bug territory and thought we could kill these primitives and take their resources. They fought back.

In the first film we had a major disaster with a meteor which impacted Buenos Aires, it nearly totaled the metropolis. This act was the tipping point, a declaration of war was announced. The thing is how?

How could the bugs have sent that rock to Earth? They have no FTL (Faster Than Light) carriers. In fact they spread by sending their seeds into space. They might land on a moon or a planet - new colony. Yes some could fly into space, but no faster than a jet engine. If they had sent that rock to us, it would've taken thousands of years to arrive - long before we ever had the ability of basic flight, before we first ventured into space itself.

Lets be perfectly clear - that rock could not go faster than they can throw/spew out.

The government told us the bugs sent it, they lied. This future world has an over population problem. The conflict was a way to kill two birds with one stone; help them to eliminate a threat to their expansion and thin the herd at the same time.

Why is this concept hard to understand?

You are a second class person without Citizenship; very little rights. By serving in the military, if you survive, you have rights. It's a militaristic state depicted here, not a happy world.

The other would be a power play. This war could be used to justify taking away/reducing civil liberties; more fuel to keep the empire running. It's never about the individual rights, just the "collective". That being the nice word for The Elite.

Lets get this clear - the film series is satire.

I remember when the first movie came out, reading how some didn't see it any further than a sci-fi action piece. Really? Dude, that's disturbing. The military leaders were dressed like Nazis. Filmmakers made a parody of war and politics. C'mon, one of protesters in "Marauder" was going to be hanged in his wheelchair... they actually built a ramp for his chair just to kill him.

Reminds me of "Team America: World Police" (2004). There were viewers who didn't see anything wrong with what happened on screen (minus the puppet sex and puppet vomit). Did they not understand it was satire? It wasn't a patriotic motion picture - at all. WTF? *sigh*

Across the federation, federation experts agree that: A: God exists, B: He's on our side, C: He wants us to win.
I like how the film (number three) ended with a public announcement that we have a new weapon against the bugs. It left it rather open ended as to what they meant; the Marauders mechs or government sanctioned religion. As for the folks who are saying its anti-Christian, they never said what religion they followed.

Would You Like To Know More?

At one point, you could find "Starship Troopers 3: Marauder" with its slipcover at Big Lots! for three bucks.

- - -

How many in the franchise?



Five films in total - four of them direct-to-video sequels and the last two were CGI features.

"Starship Troopers" (1997) - 129 minutes

"Starship Troopers 2: Hero Of The Federation" (2004) - 92 minutes

"Starship Troopers 3: Marauder" (2008) - 105 minutes

"Starship Troopers [4]: Invasion" (2012) - 89 minutes

"Starship Troopers [5]: Traitor Of Mars" (2017) - 88 minutes

The first film is now twenty-three years old and still looks great. And better than a lot of CGI laden motion pictures today. This is what happens when you create CGI that is designed to exist in real world daylight, not for muted and altered hues.

Actor Casper Van Dien reprised his role of Juan "Johnny" Rico in the last three movies. And Dina Meyer reprised Isabelle "Dizzy" Flores from the first film for "Traitor Of Mars". Pardon? Yes, she died in movie one - but is a hallucination here, Johnny's torment and inspiration.

By the way, the last one is good. It's a sci-fi, political thriller. Rico is demoted (from general to colonel; aftermath of "Invasion") and dropped on Mars to train the local enlisters. The planet has been terraformed. It's a nothing job, no bugs. There is however a hidden infestation.

An up and coming Sky Marshal is keeping that a secret - planning to perpetrate a false flag against her rival when the arachnids attack. Then making the claim she had no choice but to detonate the planet killing bomb (all evidence of her wrong doings incinerated). She rises up the ranks at the expense of Mars, everyone on the surface and in orbit in the space station. It's up to Johnny and his newbies to expose the fraud and expose her.

Man, I would love to have a sixth film. There is strong continuity and story themes. Have no problem with that being CGI as well. That's cool, just have a good plot and voice actors, plus Van Dien. Maybe even have Denise Richards come back for a voice role. It's not like she's doin' anything.

- - -

Wave IV of tantalizing Halloween costumes.



This outing is a hit and miss kind of thing.

Wasn't ever a fan of "The Jetsons" (cartoon felt weak and pandered in the most obvious way), but I do like the effort made for "Judy Jetson Space Futuristic" costume. The $39.99 tag comes with bustier, skirt and wig. You provide the fishnet stockings and knee high boots. That outfit works, on the right woman quite the head turner.

The other - what is it?

Sexy Kenny from "South Park". Yeah, that's something nobody asked for. It's for someone who wants to be an attention getter, but fails because it's not that kind of thing. That's like dressing up as Sexy JonBenét Ramsey. No. Nobody wants this. Why even do?

Don't bother looking at the specs, 'Sexy Kenny' shouldn't be a thing.