This movie is the 2004 sequel to Starship Troopers that came out in 1997. I will first provide a quick synopsis of the first movie before I dive into my review of the sequel. In the first movie, Earth is attacked by another planet that is inhabited entirely by “bugs.” So, of course Earth goes on the offensive to take out that planet. The movie follows a group of cadets that sports the acting talents of: Casper Van Dien, Denise Richards, Jake Busey, and Neil Patrick Harris. To not spoil it for those who have not seen it, it progresses through a few battles, and the “war against the bugs” itself, and does so with some great special effects. I really enjoyed the movie, not for its great acting, or its story-line, but for those effects that made it stand out. The story had a conclusion, but as with most movies these days, the ending was left open to the possibility of a sequel, which I will now get into reviewing.


My roommate and I were sitting back on Saturday night, enjoying all of the new channels that we had been given with our new cable package. One of those channels was ShowTime, and we started looking for a movie to entertain ourselves. We stumbled across Starship Troopers 2, and agreed that we should give it a watch. Now even before we started watching the movie, we exchanged comments that included, “lets not have too high of expectations for this film.” Both having seen the first one, we were also aware that it had not done very well in the box office. That coupled with the fact that we had not known about a sequel until we saw that it was playing on ShowTime, led us to believe that the money spent on the first one would be far superior to the second one. We also took note that none of the actors from the first one were returning to the movie. This did not deter us from watching the movie though, because we are big time into movies, and are always willing to give a film a first chance before talking bad about it. It was a decision that we would not feel bad about at the conclusion of this film.


For those that have seen the first movie, it jumped all over the place with scenes on Earth, at training facilities, and on the “bug planet”. This film however, takes place entirely on one section of the bug home world. The movie opens with a band of “troopers” fighting a battle with the arachnid species of bugs that are on the planet. These arachnids are about 5 times the size of a normal human being, and are made with a think exo-skeleton that allows them to travel fast, and take out their prey very quickly. They seem to be the “bug” most prevalent on the planet itself, and have taken an extreme disliking to the human species. They are a returning “villain” from the first film, and unlike in most sci-fi films where we do not know the intent of an alien species, they are out to kill all humans. They are able to take out other planets by shooting their “spores” out into the atmosphere and shooting then towards other planets. It seems a little far-fetched for even sci-fi, but it does not take away from the story so we will leave that little fact alone.


The main characters of the group of troopers are General J.G. Shepherd (played by Ed Lauter), Private Jill Sandee (played by Sandrine Holt), and Captain Dax (played by Richard Burgi). The only real notable actor is Burgi who you may recognize from roles on the television shows; The Sentinal, 24, and Judging Amy. Holt on the other hand, is just getting her career started, and you will see her in the upcoming film Resident Evil: Apocalypse. They are all believable in their roles, and I liked them, and their supporting cast. For a sequel that was made to go straight to video, I was impressed with the acting, and the storyline itself.


So, back to the movie, and our group of about 20-25 troopers that are trapped on a ridge surrounded by the enemy arachnids to start out the film. The General calls for a withdrawal and retreat, and we start to see all of the characters take shape in how they deal with this quick 5 minute situation. I think this is the only weak part of the movie, because a lot of the characters fall into the normal stereotypes that can be attributed to movies, in that there is the person who is afraid to fight, the person who wants to die for the cause, and the person who can run out into the enemy, kill a bunch of them, and run back unharmed. I explain this sequence, because it does not give away any of the movie, and helps to show that the Director did care about developing his characters, it was just that he went the easy rout e with some of them.


The troopers evacuate the ridge, leaving behind a group that will stay and fight to let the rest escape to a run-down out-post that was only about half a mile away. So they break off, and at that point in the movie are left to guess exactly what will happen to the General who stays behind, and the troopers under his command. Those who make it to the out-post, find it fully stocked with supplies, food, and weapons, but not operational as an out-post until a lot of work is done on it.


I will not delve to far into what else they find in the out-post, but I must explain the main characters role that does not come into the movie until they reach the out-post. There the troopers find a man looked up in the boiler which was serving as a holding cell for the prior residents of the out-post. There is a lot of evidence that shows the bugs have over-run it, but they could not get to this man who has been locked down. A personnel file is conveniently located right outside, and Sandee is able to determine that he killed his superior officer and had been locked up for treason. This is the character player by Burgi, and he is a gruff man who has seen everything that can take place during a war. He is very believable in the role, and goes a long way to developing what makes his character tick. Is he an evil murderer or is he a great soldier?


I will leave it there in describing the plot, so that you will still have something to see in the film itself. It was a very well done science fiction movie, and the plot revolves around this group of troopers surviving the onslaught that the bugs on the planet are trying to dish out in a span of one night. The troopers want to be transported out, but are waiting for a rescue team at this out-post. What transpires from there is a good story, that although devoid of great actors, is believable by the way it is performed. A new evil bug is introduced, and there are many battles that the humans must survive through, but it is worth the wait to find out the ending.


The title is not fully understood until you see the last scene of the movie, and you will then fully understand what “Hero of the Federation” means. This is a film that I recommend seeing if you are bored one night, and want to watch a good science fiction movie. Though you should not expect the acting prowess of other movies, if you go into it with an open mind, like my roommate and I did, I think that you will enjoy this movie as much as we did.


Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: VHS
Video Occasion: Good for Groups
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older