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You Apes Wanna Live Forever? Starship Troopers Might Be One Of The Few Remakes Worth Doing

By TK | Posted Under Trade News | Comments (24)

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Paul Verhoeven’s 1997 cheese-fest Starship Troopers is pure, unadulterated guilty pleasure. It boasts some absolutely spectacular special effects, but they’re coupled with some horrendous acting by actors who have, NPH notwithstanding, rightfully vanished into b-movie and Lifetime purgatory. Casper Van Dien? Good God, we are better off, as a people, with him being gone from our multiplexes. But that aside, it’s a fun movie.

It’s also being explored as a potential remake vehicle, which in some ways makes a hell of a lot of sense. As much stupid fun as Verhoeven’s film was, there was a great deal about Robert A. Heinlein’s novel that was left out, and it could be rebooted into something far superior than the 1997 film. According to Vulture, producer Neil Moritz has enlisted Ashley Edward Miller and Zack Stentz (Thor, X-Men: First Class, “Fringe”) to whip up a script. There’s no word on whether or not they’re planning to be more faithful to the novella, but I’m hoping so for one big reason: armored suits. In the novels, the greatest weapon for the grunts against the plague of giant killer bugs isn’t testosterone, rifles, and wooden acting, but giant robotic suits that make them look like huge, metallic super-strong gorillas bristling with firepower. If used, it would create a far more interesting dynamic — and avoid the futuristic arena football uniforms that Van Dien and company sported.

So call this one a rarity — one of the few times I’m not necessarily opposed to a remake.









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Comments

Please let this be true.

I need to see the "apesuits" with laser-guns and mounted small tactical nukes. I need to see the drops. And I want no fascist double-speak please.

Bring back Clancy Brown. Leave everyone else at home.

Posted by: Fredo at December 5, 2011 10:49 AM

I keep seeing Starship Troopers 3: Marauder pop up on Instant, and Van Diem is in it as COLONEL Johnny Rico.

Goddamnit, kill/remake 'em all.

If used, it would create a far more interesting dynamic — and avoid the futuristic arena football uniforms that Van Dien and company sported.

And then subsequently worn by soldiers in Firefly and many other generic "space marines"-type movies/TV shows. I think that armor has been in more movies than Michael Ironside, which is no small feat.

Posted by: Jast at December 5, 2011 10:52 AM

I am. I'm opposed to this remake. And James Cameron already tried Giant, Mechanical Gorilla Suits vs. CGI in Avatar and I was distinctly underwhelmed!

Posted by: MurderBot at December 5, 2011 10:56 AM

IF the writers stuck to Heinlein's original story then it would be very interesting.

Another one would be John Steakleys "Armor". Now that books was a damned compelling read.

Posted by: Wolf at December 5, 2011 11:07 AM

No! The 1997 one is dead-on for what it is. Heinlein is teabaggy, but the movie manages to be subversive and awesome.

Posted by: Kat at December 5, 2011 11:11 AM

One of the few things the 1997 version did right was the whole "women can be badass soilders too" in that (as far as I can remember) nobody made a big deal of it. In fact, nobody mentioned it at all. What a fucking concept. If a remake could keep that vibe going (especially with the whole mechanical suit thing, what the fuck does it matter if there's a man or a woman inside it) and NOT be true to the book on that one point, that would be great.

Posted by: mandasarah at December 5, 2011 11:38 AM

The best part about the 1997 film, apart from the special effects perhaps, is that Verhoeven turned it into a satire of Heinlein's essentially pro-fascist tract.

I hope that satire is kept, but regardless I'm not still not convinced it's need remade - armoured suits notwithstanding (plus didn't some version of the suits appear in the direct-to-DVD third film).

Posted by: csb at December 5, 2011 11:39 AM

I'd like to know more.

Posted by: Groundloop at December 5, 2011 11:39 AM

If the world is really in need of a power-suits vs. CGI baddies flick, well, there's always The Matrix Revolutions.

Leave Starship Troopers be, it's perfect as-is.

Posted by: jon29 at December 5, 2011 11:39 AM

Or they could forgo that whole thing and start producing a Battletech movie. Giant robots all the way!

Posted by: FabMax at December 5, 2011 11:42 AM

The novel was about the ethics of war and the rights and restrictions of the protected versus the rights and restrictions of the protectors. A serious take on that would be worth doing.

Also Troopers 3 sucked far less than Troopers 2 mainly because it had fuckoff giant power armor.

(also Felix needs his day in the shadows. Film Armor NOW!)

Posted by: Adam C. at December 5, 2011 12:01 PM

It's not just B-movies and Lifetime. There is much further to fall. Let us not forget Van Dien's star turn in "The Omega Code"

Posted by: ShagEaredVillain at December 5, 2011 12:09 PM

I'll stick with the awesome CGI saturday morning cartoon Roughnecks thanks

Posted by: Luke at December 5, 2011 12:31 PM

I read the novel before the movie came out, and I was surprised at how little action is in it. Most of it is just the kid waiting around for something to happen. I thought it was unfilmable. When the soldiers/citizens are in the big armoured suits, they are alone. That doesn't really make for great cinema.

Any chance they'll make "The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress" instead?

Posted by: BWeaves at December 5, 2011 1:08 PM

What Groundloop said.

Also, bring back Clancy Brown, Michael Ironside, and Rue McClanahan. Wait... dammit!!

Posted by: MM at December 5, 2011 1:18 PM

I'm in as long as NPH and his psychic ferret get a cameo.


RICO'S ROUGHNECKS! HOOAH!

Posted by: Matty at December 5, 2011 1:39 PM

The best part of the 1997 film was Casper's ass.

Posted by: Drake at December 5, 2011 1:53 PM

Well done Groundloop.

Posted by: Socraz6 at December 5, 2011 2:05 PM

I'd like to know more.
+1, Groundloop. My friend and I still use this line whenever possible in everyday conversation.

Posted by: Markus at December 5, 2011 2:08 PM

No,

just no,

Heinlein was awesome in the original impress of Starship Troopers - it felt like a genuine call-out to all those fascists who thought that it was nothing more than an appeasement to them.

The original movie was such a sarcastic jab at fascism that I don't think anyone who watched it should have ever thought that it was supporting the perspective.

The original movie was not trying to give us the underlying 'power exists in those that are willing to take it' - that was literally a throw-away by Michael Ironside.

A remake without understanding what came before would be an injustice (I count the sequels as an injustice also)

Posted by: petesh at December 5, 2011 3:33 PM

If they want to try Heinlein again, I agree that "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress" is the way to go. Heinlein's best book and a great yarn to boot.

I would like to see "Friday", too, though I fear the public would think it was just another Hot Chick Secret Agent is Betrayed Movie.

While we're at it, can we get "The Forever War" by Joe Haldeman? Now there's a bad-ass powered-armor movie just dying to be made.

Posted by: No Pithy Name at December 5, 2011 4:20 PM

I always felt the Casper Van Dien was trying to make a Adam Baldwin sort of career. Just not as successfully.

Posted by: james at December 5, 2011 5:55 PM

Machine guns vs giant insects, I love the movie, but I cringe every time during the battles when the poor troops are trying to kill those giant insects with whimpy rifles. They would have been better off just creating a giant fly-swatter.

The special effects still hold up well, the outer space scenes with ships breaking up and crashing into each other are spectacular.

"I only have one rule. Everyone fights. No one quits. You don't do your job, I'll shoot you myself. You get me?"
- Jean Rasczak

Posted by: TrickyHD at December 5, 2011 8:41 PM

"And I want no fascist double-speak please."

That's fair, since the original novel was pretty much written in fascist single-speak.

Posted by: Craig at December 6, 2011 9:41 AM