STARSHIP TROOPERS: TRAITOR OF MARS. The Next Installment of the Famous Science Fiction Series

Before film studios began their desperate battle to create universes capable of producing countless sequels, prequels, and spin-offs, a story emerged that was begging for further exploration. Unfortunately, up until now, “Starship Troopers” has fought its hardest battle against terrible scripts and poor direction, but after twenty years since the original’s release, fate has smiled on it once again.

I remember the fantasy-evoking ads for “Starship Troopers” on TV, a world free from spoilers (and largely from the internet), and the excitement just before the screening in the now-defunct Neptun cinema in Gdańsk. Paul Verhoeven‘s idea made a colossal impression on me, and I eagerly reached for the subsequent low-budget sequels, though each only showed a soulless war against a bunch of bugs, which didn’t even live up to a commercial for cockroach traps. “Traitor of Mars” is a step in the right direction, although not without its flaws.

The first few minutes are a display of formulaic thinking. First, we watch a dramatic battle full of casualties, which turns out to be a computer simulation, followed by some cliché jokes about the superior officer standing behind the backs of the laughing young soldiers. Fortunately, things get much better from here. None of the previous sequels have replicated the success of the 1997 film, not only due to budgetary limitations but primarily because they removed the satirical elements. Sharp, politically charged commentary in the spirit of Mike Judge gave “Starship Troopers” more than just being another science fiction movie where Earthlings fight off space invaders. The second and third films, as well as the 2012 animated “Invasion”, lacked this and rightly failed.

The humor in “Traitor of Mars” is not as bizarre, biting, and unapologetic as in the original, but it gets back on track. Moreover, the directing duo (Masaru Matsumoto and Shinji Aramaki, known for “Appleseed” and “Captain Harlock: Space Pirate”) is well aware of their target audience—thirty- and forty-somethings who watched the original film in theaters. This is a generation that is extremely nostalgic and loves revisiting childhood, so lines pulled straight from the original film’s script or the presence of the four main characters (yes, even Dizzy Flores, with her original voice actress Dina Meyer) immediately bring a smile to one’s face. Of course, Johnny Rico remains at the center of the action, aged along with us. He now looks like Solid Snake from “Metal Gear Solid” and has the personality of a stereotypical ’80s action hero who not only kicks everyone’s butt but also drops one-liners à la Paulo Coelho in every other scene. It’s cheesy, but with taste—in the spirit of “so bad it’s good.”

The biggest drawback of “Traitor of Mars” is the animation—not because of its quality (which is far superior to the 2012 “Invasion”, though lip-syncing often falters), but due to its very presence. A sequel with the same script, done in live-action and with Verhoeven’s enthusiasm, could have once again charmed fans of this hard-to-love series. There isn’t a single battle on screen so spectacular that it couldn’t have been shot with Casper Van Dien on set instead of behind a microphone (especially considering that Van Dien now takes on any role, from “Sharktopus vs. Whalewolf” to “Avengers Grimm” by Asylum Studios, where he played… Rumpelstiltskin). This could have been a solid continuation balancing between B-movie science fiction and political satire, but instead, we get a decent animated film that feels like scenes from video games (especially “Gears of War”), topped off with a script strong enough to get you through to the credits painlessly. It’s not bad, but you can clearly feel the wasted potential.