Review of Starship Troopers 3: Marauder (2008) by Dave F — 24 Aug 2008

Here we are again with a second direct-to-video sequel to the 1997 cult classic STARSHIP TROOPERS. Much like the second film, this one is completely different from its predecessors, but leans a bit closer to the ideas behind the first than the second.

STARSHIP TROOPERS 3: MARAUDER is set ten years after the events of the first film. Johnny Rico (played once again by Casper Van Dien) is now a colonel in the Federation and in command of an outpost which is critical to earth's fate in the war against the arachnids. Soon enough, the fortress is overtaken by the bugs and Rico, along with brothers in arms General Dix and Captain Beck, are thrust into political and life & death turmoil.

Just why is my description so vague? Easy. This film, unlike the first two, is almost entirely thematically driven. And, unlike certain overrated bat-related movies of late which attempt to be thematically driven, this film contains enough coherent ideas so that it actually works.

Once again, the satire is back. The first film was about the fascism of World War II, the second was about the ideals which drive war set against a backdrop comparable to that of the Korean War and this one... Well, anyone with more than five braincells will be able to tell what this film is really about.

And that's why so many people don't like these films: They take them literally. Well, if you do that then you might as well drop acid before watching Back to the Future.

Fortunately Ed Neumeier (writer of all three films) took the job of directing this time and he didn't bother to cater to the masses. Anyone who watches the film as an action flick will be lost within the first five minutes. Any real fan will be in bliss.

There are only two serious drawbacks to the film.

1) The CGI effects are terrible. This greatly takes away from the film. The first two movies had eight-legged critters which looked as real as it gets. This time, Phil Tippett was apparently nowhere to be found and the realism of the digital bugs suffers greatly because of it.

2) The music. Basil Poledouris wrote a fantastically dynamic score for the first film. For the second John Morgan and William Stromberg composed a rich, brassy score full of percussion and bravado. For the third one... Klaus Badelt was brought in. Klaus (Pirates of the Caribbean) Badelt. I just have one question: Why? Why slap a film by attaching one of the many Hollywood kings of mediocrity to it?

Luckily, the ideas driving the film are strong enough to overcome even these obstacles.

Watching the film, I realized the reason that this one, and the second, were direct-to-video. Because, unlike most of what emerges from Hollywood now, they are truly art. They're not something which can be enjoyed by those looking at what's ostensibly apparent. They're intelligent and you've got to have some amount of awareness about you to get it.

During the finale I was astounded at the courage which Neumeier demonstrated with his writing. That man has some serious guts. And I praise him. He's probably one of two men in Hollywood (the other being Paul Verheoven) who would have the courage to make the statements in this film which he does as boldly as most summer blockbusters flaunt the fact that they want to make money for the sake of money.

The fact that films like this are still able to be made gives me hope for Hollywood. It's a fascinating film and, while it's not as satisfying story-wise as the first two (the only reason I didn't give it a five), the various ideological facets leading up to, and especially including, the finale are what make the movie shine.

This is one of the most fantastically bold films I've ever seen and I highly recommend it to anyone who *thinks* they have a grip on where they are in the world. I know that many of the ideas of the film would probably make a few of my friends angry if they were to watch it but, to me Neumeier is a genius and this film deserves much higher praise than that which it's receiving.

See it. Regardless of whether or not you've seen the first two, if you've ever wanted to see a truly intelligent film, make this the one.