Starship Troopers
Official franchise logo
Created by
Original workStarship Troopers (1959)
Owner
Years1959–present
Print publications
Novel(s)Starship Troopers (1959)
Films and television
Film(s)Starship Troopers (1997)
Animated series
Television film(s)Starship Troopers 2: Hero of the Federation (2004)
Direct-to-video
Games
Traditional
Role-playingStarship Troopers: The Roleplaying Game (2005)
Video game(s)
Miscellaneous
PinballStarship Troopers (1997)
Official website
starshiptroopers.com

Starship Troopers is an American military science fiction media franchise based on the 1959 novel of the same name by Robert A. Heinlein and the satirical 1997 film adaptation by screenwriter Edward Neumeier and director Paul Verhoeven.

Setting

The series is set hundreds of years in the future, after a collapse of Western democracy and many resulting wars. In this future, human society is now ruled by the Terran Federation, a government run by military veterans. Military service is voluntary, but required to earn the full rights of citizenship, such as holding office and voting.

Much of the series focuses on the experiences of Juan "Johnny" Rico and the lessons he learns enlisting in military service along with his hometown friends, Carmen Ibanez (a love interest who becomes a pilot) and Carl (who, in the films, is shown as being a psychic who joins military intelligence). Johnny joins the 'Mobile Infantry', the primary foot soldiers of the Federation (depicted in the book as having advanced armored suits equipped with jetpacks and nuclear weapons). While Johnny is in training, an alien species known as the "Arachnids" attacks Buenos Aires, resulting in the death of Johnny's family (only his mother in the books, his entire family in the film). After this, the Federation goes to war and the series follows their attempts to defeat the "bugs", especially by capturing part of the Arachnid ruling class.

Novel

Starship Troopers (1959)

At some point between 1958 and 1959, Robert Heinlein put aside the novel that would become Stranger in a Strange Land and wrote Starship Troopers. His motivation arose partially from his anger at US President Dwight Eisenhower's decision to suspend US nuclear tests, and the Soviet tests that occurred soon afterward.[1] Writing in his 1980 volume Expanded Universe, Heinlein would say that the publication of a newspaper advertisement placed by the National Committee for a Sane Nuclear Policy on April 5, 1958, calling for a unilateral suspension of nuclear weapons testing by the United States sparked his desire to write Starship Troopers.[2] Heinlein and his wife Virginia created the "Patrick Henry League" in an attempt to create support for the US nuclear testing program. Heinlein stated that he used the novel to clarify his military and political views.[3]

Like many of Heinlein's books, Starship Troopers was completed in a few weeks. It was originally written as a juvenile novel for New York publishing house Scribner; Heinlein had previously had success with this format, having written several such novels published by Scribner. The manuscript was rejected, prompting Heinlein to end his association with the publisher completely, and resume writing books with adult themes.[1][4][5] Scholars have suggested that Scribner's rejection was based on ideological objections to the content of the novel, particularly its treatment of military conflict.[4][6]

The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction first published Starship Troopers in October and November 1959 as a two-part serial titled Starship Soldier.[5]

Commentators have written that Starship Troopers is not driven by its plot, though it contains scenes of military combat. Instead, much of the novel is given over to a discussion of ideas.[7] In particular, the discussion of political views is a recurring feature of what scholar Jeffrey Cass described as an "ideologically intense" book.[8] A 1997 review in Salon categorized it as a "philosophical novel".[9] Critics have debated to what extent the novel promotes Heinlein's own political views. Some contend that the novel maintains a sense of irony that allows readers to draw their own conclusions; others argue that Heinlein is sermonizing throughout the book, and that its purpose is to expound Heinlein's militaristic philosophy.[8]

Films

Live-action

Film U.S. release date Director(s) Screenwriter(s) Producer(s)
Starship Troopers November 7, 1997 Paul Verhoeven Edward Neumeier Jon Davison
Alan Marshall
Starship Troopers 2: Hero of the Federation April 24, 2004 Phil Tippett Jon Davison
Starship Troopers 3: Marauder August 5, 2008 Edward Neumeier David Lancaster

Future

In December 2011, film producer Neal H. Moritz announced plans to produce a reboot of the Starship Troopers film franchise.[10] In November 2016, Columbia and Moritz announced the writing team of Mark Swift and Damian Shannon had been signed to pen the screenplay.[11] Verhoeven expressed skepticism at the proposed remake, citing reports that it draws heavily from the original militaristic 1959 novel.[12]

Animated

Film U.S. release date Director(s) Screenwriter(s) Story by Producer(s)
Starship Troopers: Invasion August 28, 2012 Shinji Aramaki Flint Dille Shinji Aramaki
Joseph Chou
Shigehito Kawada
Joseph Chou
Starship Troopers: Traitor of Mars August 21, 2017 Shinji Aramaki
Masaru Matsumoto
Edward Neumeier Joseph Chou
Max Nishi
Tomi Hashimoto

Television

Series Episodes First released Last released Showrunner(s) Network(s)
Starship Troopers 6 October 25, 1988 December 17, 1988 Tetsurō Amino
Roughnecks: Starship Troopers Chronicles 36 + 4 clip shows August 30, 1999 April 3, 2000 Richard Raynis BKN

Cast and characters

List indicator(s)
  • This table shows the principal characters and the actors who have portrayed them throughout the franchise.
  • A dark grey cell indicates the character was not in the film or video game, or that the character's presence in the film or video game has not yet been announced.
  • A V indicates a voice only role.
Character Anime series Original series Animated films Animated series
Starship Troopers Starship Troopers Starship Troopers 2: Hero of the Federation Starship Troopers 3: Marauder Starship Troopers: Invasion Starship Troopers: Traitor of Mars Roughnecks: Starship Troopers Chronicles
1988 1997 2004 2008 2012 2017 1999–2000
Fed Net Announcer John CunninghamV Stephen StantonV Corey BurtonV Andrew LoveV
Juan D. Rico
John
"Johnny"
Rico
Yasunori MatsumotoV Casper Van Dien Casper Van Dien David MatrangaV Casper Van DienV Rino RomanoV
Carl Jenkins Yūji MitsuyaV Neil Patrick Harris Justin DoranV Rider StrongV
Carmencita Ibañez
Carmen
Rei SakumaV Denise Richards Luci ChristianV Tish HicksV
Charles Zim
Charlie
Akira KamiyaV Clancy Brown Clancy BrownV
Yvette Deladrier Mika DoiV Brenda Strong
Emilio Rico
Bill
Shinji OgawaV Christopher Curry
Mrs. Maria Rico Kazuko YanagaV Lenore Kasdorf
Smith Alphard
Kitten
Kazuhiko InoueV Matt Levin
Pat Leivy
Ace
Shō HayamiV Jake Busey
Ian Frankel Tomomichi NishimuraV
Theodore C. Hendrick
Ted
Kazuyuki SogabeV
Greg Paterson Hirotaka SuzuokiV
T. Azuma Shūichi IkedaV
S. Cherenkov Masahiro AnzaiV
Clea Saeko ShimazuV
Dunn Shingo HiromoriV
Isabelle Flores
Dizzy
Dina Meyer Dina MeyerV Elizabeth DailyV
Shujumi Anthony Ruivivar
Jean Rasczak Michael Ironside Jamie HanesV
Zander Barcalow Patrick Muldoon Nicholas GuestV
Breckenridge Eric Bruskotter
"Birdie" Byrd Ungela Brockman
Djana'D Tami-Adrian George
Katrina McIntire Blake Lindsley
Lei Sahara Colleen Porch
V.J. Dax Richard Burgi
Pavlov Dill Lawrence Monoson
Dede Rake
(née Deladier)
Brenda Strong
Dix Hauser Boris Kodjoe
Lola Beck Jolene Blalock
Omar Anoke Stephen Hogan
Enolo Phid Amanda Donohoe
Holly Little Marnette Patterson
Bull Brittles Stelio Savante
J. Kirby Nicole Salandra
"Slug" Skinner Garth Breytenbach
A. Sunday Tanya van Graan
Link Manion Cécile Breccia
A. Danner Graeme Richards
M. Hightower Antonio Summerton
Elmo Goniff Joe Vaz
Tony Daugherty   Sam RomanV  
"Ice Blonde" Melissa DavisV
Tia Durer
Trig
Emily NevesV
"Mech" Jovan JacksonV
Henry Varro
Hero
David WaldV
Otis Hacks
Bugspray
Andrew LoveV
"Ratzass" Leraldo AnzalduaV
"Holy Man" Kalob MartinezV
Francis Brutto David DeLuiseV
Richard LaCroix
Doc
James HoranV
Jeff Gossard
Goss
Bill FagerbakkeV
"Colonel" T'Phai Steve StaleyV
Marlow Thomas WagnerV
Miriam Redwing Irene BedardV
Sanchez R. Lee ErmeyV
Earl Walker Michael HarringtonV

Reception

Critical and public response

Film Rotten Tomatoes Metacritic CinemaScore
Starship Troopers 63% (63 reviews)[13] 51 (20 reviews)[14] C+[15]
Starship Troopers 2: Hero of the Federation 33% (6 reviews)[16]
Starship Troopers 3: Marauder 50% (6 reviews)[17]
Starship Troopers: Invasion — (4 reviews)[18]
Starship Troopers: Traitor of Mars — (4 reviews)[19]

References

  1. Both Neumeier and Verhoeven are involved on the writing of the movie; the former received the screenplay credit. Four of the five films that form the main continuity of the movie universe (including the first movie itself) were written by Neumeier.
  1. 1 2 Gifford, James (1996). "The Nature of Federal Service in Robert A. Heinlein's Starship Troopers" (PDF). Retrieved March 4, 2006.
  2. Heinlein 2003, pp. 468–469.
  3. Heinlein 2003, pp. 468–469, 481–482.
  4. 1 2 Samuelson, David N. (1979). "Starship Troopers". In Magill, Frank N. (ed.). Survey of Science Fiction Literature: Volume V. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, US: Salem Press. pp. 2173–2177. ISBN 0-89356-199-1.
  5. 1 2 "Biographies of Robert and Virginia Heinlein". The Heinlein Society. Retrieved March 4, 2006.
  6. Crim, Brian E. (2009). ""A World That Works": Fascism and Media Globalization in Starship Troopers". Film & History. 39 (2): 17–29. doi:10.1353/flm.0.0105. S2CID 155012971.
  7. Booker & Thomas 2009, p. 215.
  8. 1 2 Cass 1999, p. 52.
  9. Shoales, Ian (November 13, 1997). "Ill Humor". Salon. Archived from the original on May 14, 2009. Retrieved March 27, 2010.
  10. White, James (December 4, 2011). "Starship Troopers Remake Planned". Empire. Retrieved January 27, 2012.
  11. "'Starship Troopers' Reboot in the Works (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. November 3, 2016. Retrieved June 7, 2017.
  12. Reed, Ryan (November 16, 2016). "Original 'Starship Troopers' Director: Remake Fits Trump Presidency". Rolling Stone. Retrieved December 20, 2017.
  13. "Starship Troopers (1997)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved May 4, 2020.
  14. "Starship Troopers (1997) Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved May 4, 2020.
  15. "CinemaScore". CinemaScore. Archived from the original on April 13, 2022. Retrieved April 16, 2022.
  16. "Starship Troopers 2: Hero of the Federation (2004)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved May 4, 2020.
  17. "Starship Troopers 3: Marauder (2008)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved May 4, 2020.
  18. "Starship Troopers: Invasion (2012)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved May 4, 2020.
  19. "Starship Troopers: Traitor of Mars (2017)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved May 4, 2020.

Sources

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