Starship Troopers: Invasion
Dir: Shinji Aramaki
2012
**
Shinji Aramaki's Starship Troopers: Invasion is supposed be a 'sort of' sequel to the original 1997 movie, albeit several years later and without any of the original actors, quality or satire. Basically it totally misses the point of the original. The film is animated, a full blown live action version would have been an expensive mistake and I think the makers know this but this has also obviously been a work of passion by the animators involved. Plus I get the feeling there wasn't exactly a lot of money backing up this production. The animation is pretty good though, apart from the people's faces but it is like watching a really detailed video game without being able to actually play it. No one likes watching someone else playing video games and that rule applies here also. As no brainer action films go I guess it's okay but Starship Troopers deserves better than this. The weird animated porn scenes made me like it even less so and only goes further in suggesting that the makers didn't really get what the original was really about. It's odd and unnecessary.

Starship Troopers 3: Marauder
Dir: Ed Neumeier
2008
**
The satire is back, and thank goodness for that. War, leadership and religion are timely targets this time round although it's not always clear what they are trying to say with it. The Marauder business is a bit pointless but the political hangings and the Peace terrorists are a welcome return to its Verhoevenian roots. The question is, after two very disappointing sequels, Would you like to know more?

Starship Troopers 2: Hero of the Federation
Dir: Phil Tippett
2004
**
An unimaginative crappy low budget sequel that re-hashes the overdone and in this instance, misplaced 'body-snatcher' storyline. It's rubbish......until the last 20 minutes where it goes into classic low-budget horror mode. It didn't save the film overall but it certainly made up for the crap beginning. It's a shame that it misses the point of the first film and stays void of satire, it's funny in places but I don't think it's intentional.

Starship Troopers
Dir: Paul Verhoeven
1997
****
Starship Troopers is Paul Verhoeven back doing what he does best. A great political and social parody in the guise of a Sci-fi spaceship/Alien B-Movie action film, although I do get the impression that no one told poor old Casper Van Dien who I've always suspected was duped. The 'Would you like to know more' snippets of satirical propaganda are genius and make the film the original gem that it is.