Starship Troopers 3: Marauder

Die-hard fans of “Starship Troopers,” Paul Verhoeven’s infamous 1997 cult-favorite sci-fi show, will be relieved to be told that its second direct-to-video sequel bravely attempts to duplicate the original movie’s over-the-top style and self-satirical tone. Unlike 2004’s unimportant “Starship Troopers 2: Hero of the Foundation,” a completely straightforward action flick, the latest sequel reprises Verhoeven’s love-it-or-hate-it mix of horrible chaos, exaggerated drama, sneaky nudity and insincere fascist visuals. For that reason alone, “Starship Troopers 3: Marauder,” released in 2008, likely will get larger sales and rentals than its previous sequel. Improved production values definitely won’t hurt its predictions.

Genre specialist Ed Neumeier, script writer of the first two “Starship Troopers” films, makes his directorial debut this time around, working from his own scenario about the ongoing war between human soldiers and giant arachnids. At the start, Neumeier indicates just how seriously watchers should take the film: Omar Anoke, played by Stephen Hogan, the heroic sky marshal in charge of fighting the giant bugs, is, as Joe Leydon of Variety says, “a charismatic celebrity and chart-topping singer whose onstage movements and militaristic song list suggest Adolf Hitler as an “American Idol” contestant.”

Casper Van Dien, protagonist of the first film, returns as Johnny Rico, a trigger-happy soldier who’s reintroduced in his new task as commander of military forces on a farming-colony planet. Leydon states, “Unfortunately, when his outpost is overrun by hordes of mammoth, man-eating insects, Rico is blamed and receives a death sentence at his court-martial.”

However, he’s allowed to cheat the hangman, literally, when fellow officer and estranged friend Dix Hauzer (Boris Kodjoe) drafts him for a rescue mission to a distant planet, where Anoke and a few other survivors – including Captain Lola Beck (Jolene Blalock), Hauzer’s girlfriend and Rico’s ex-girlfriend – have been stranded after a spacecraft crash. I guess everyone can tell that there are a lot of giant insects on this planet, right?

Like most other makers of direct-to-video sequels, Neumeier cleverly balances the need to cut corners with the need to recapture at least some of what made the first film typical. “Starship Troopers” is, as even its fans will say, very much a developed flick. However, “Marauder” does manage to carry some of its traits, although watered down.

Leydon notes, “New pic adds a sprinkling of seriocomic religious allusions to the original goulash served by Verhoeven (who’s credited as a “presenter” of the vidpic). Also conspicuous are bits of throwaway dialogue that heavy-handedly reference post-9/11 paranoia.” Performances are deliberately broad throughout the cast.

I have to admit, when I saw this film, I was relieved at how much better it was compared to the second film. Thankfully too, because the second film was notoriously bad. If those who are reading this review and didn’t like the second film, you can watch the third film and you will like it. However, it is not as good as the first film because that film is like catching lightning in a bottle. The same thing will never happen again. Still, check it out and have a fun time watching the enjoyment of trying to redo what the first one did.

You would think that they would have stopped making direct-to-video films to “Starship Troopers,” but think again. After this, they tried to make animated sequels. How are they compared to the live-action films? Stay tuned next week to find out when we continue “Starship Troopers Month.” Sorry for posting this late. I completely forgot today is Friday.