Starship Troopers is a 1997 Academy Award nominated sci-fi-action film directed by Paul Verhoeven, written by Edward Neumeier, and starring Casper Van Dien, Dina Meyer and Denise Richards. The movie is loosely based on the controversial novel of the same name by Robert A. Heinlein.

Synopsis

Starship Troopers is presented to the viewer as a mix of traditional scenes interspersed with simulated interactive televised broadcasts providing brief news reports, asking the viewer "Would you like to know more?" after each segment.

In the far future, with interstellar travel and a wide-spreading galactic government known as the Federation, humanity has found themselves at war with an alien race from the planet Klendathu named the Arachnids, or "Bugs" for short. John D. "Johnny" Rico, his girlfriend Carmen, and best friend Carl are all graduating from high school in Buenos Aires; Carmen and Carl both plan to enlist in the military service to become upper-class "citizens" after their tenure. Johnny, wanting to follow Carmen, goes against his parents' demands and enlists himself. However, he finds that his grades are too low to join Carmen in Flight School, and is instead assigned to the Mobile Infantry. There, he and the rest of the recruits are drilled by Career Sergeant Zim. Johnny shows himself to be an outstanding leader, and is assigned head of his squad. He also meets an old high school classmate, "Dizzy" Flores, who specifically requested transfer to Johnny's division, as she is infatuated with Johnny. Johnny comes to learn that Carmen is happy with her training and has met up with an old high-school rival of Johnny named Zander who is helping her learn the ropes, but that she will likely make the fleet her career, dashing Johnny's dreams. After a training incident in which one of his squad is killed, Johnny is demoted from squad leader and publicly flogged. As Johnny is preparing to quit the Infantry and actually speaking to his parents via videophone, the transmission is interrupted: a huge asteroid launched from Klendathu has struck Earth, destroying Buenos Aires and killing his parents. As invasion plans are made, Johnny stays with the Infantry.