STARSHIP TROOPERS 2: HERO OF THE FEDERATION (2004) At least the bugs look good Nooo, direct to video...well, it could've been a lot worse, but this is likely to disappoint most fans of the first film, and anyone who'd hoped this would be more like Heinlein's novel is advised to shop around for a ticket back to Earth. Starship Troopers 2's biggest problem is its story; beyond that, many of the things I liked about the first movie are still here, wedged out into the opening fifteen minutes and the closing ten, anyway. The stuff in the middle, while well-made and -acted, doesn't pack that kind of intensity simply because of the familiarity of the situation. The war against the bugs flogs on, as hapless humans in inadequate body armor (the opening propaganda tells us they're "armed with victory") do their best to hold out against dismemberment-crazy insects the size of elephants. On one planet where the battle is obviously a losing one, one squad of troops holes up in a communications tower trying to call for backup, but find themselves with a couple of unpredictable elements in an admitted murderer they find locked in the furnace, and a new version of the bugs that takes over human bodies by being passed mouth to mouth. So basically it becomes The Hidden as if it were in the middle of Aliens, with "red" scenes and "blue" scenes as in that latter movie. The big shredder bugs were the best part of the original, and though there's only so much you can do with them, they're probably the best part here. They still look great, and more importantly they still look real and big - the funny thing about CGI armies is that no matter how "realistically" they're done, the individuals usually end up looking tiny instead of just looking like they're seen at a distance. This was never a problem with the bugs in the first movie (they really look like they have mass, and a sea of them looks vicious and frightening), and that's not a problem here. However, especially early in the movie, they are inelegantly bluescreened in behind the live-action actors. The actors look fine, and the bugs look fine (even though they go down too easy, compared to those in the first film). But together...not so fine. If you don't miss Doogie Howser and Denise Richards, then good news: the only recurring actor is Brenda Strong, playing what I can only assume is a different role because I can't imagine what a starship captain would have to do to get busted down to sergeant and tossed into the meat grinder with the rest of the grunts. And, I think, she died in the first movie. The only other person I recognized was Richard Burgi as the murderer, who brings all the right elements to create a grizzled, crusty sort-of hero. I understand this was originally supposed to be Clancy Brown's character from the first movie; well, they got the right guy for the role and probably would've done fine if they didn't even change the name. Elsewhere there are a few sexy girls (one of which gets naked, a few times) and a bunch of guys who can't die fast enough. Lots and lots of blood, and not all of it from bug-inflicted wounds, either...these humans do nasty things to each other, and like in The Hidden, once you've got a bug in you you're pretty much invulnerable to anything that doesn't completely obliterate your body. Directed by longtime FX guy Phil Tippett, Starship Troopers 2 isn't shy about earning its R rating. Roger Ebert has long lamented the Talking Villain, the badguy who spends to much time talking about his diabolical plan that it gives the hero a chance to rise up and win when the villain isn't paying attetion. This is the only movie I can think of with a Talking Hero. BACK TO THE S's BACK TO THE MAIN PAGE