27 years after its release, a true cult film is making a comeback. The reason for this is the shooter Helldivers 2, which is clearly based on the cinematic original.
Which movie is it about? Helldivers 2 is currently one of the most popular games and is having trouble coping with the influx of players. In its presentation and thematic direction, it is reminiscent of the film Starship Troopers. The science fiction film is from 1997, so it has been around for quite a few years.
Starship Troopers was directed by Paul Verhoeven, the Dutch director known for films like Robocop, Total Recall, Basic Instinct, or Showgirls.
Upon its release, the film caused quite a stir and was even indexed in Germany. The reason for this was the depiction of violence. Over the years, Starship Troopers became a cult film. Now it is making a comeback and is being watched by more people again. This is likely due to Helldivers 2.
In the fight for freedom and democracy
What are the parallels? Starship Troopers is about humanity’s fight against alien insect creatures, called “Bugs”. As part of a large-scale offensive, their planet is to be attacked.
Just this premise should remind one of Helldivers 2, where players also face off against giant insects. The overall tone is pathetic, as it is a fight against the aliens to save the day and, at the same time, democracy.
Here, the exaggerated tone that characterizes Starship Troopers becomes evident. At first glance, the film seems to glorify the military, war, and violence. However, all elements in it are so exaggerated that a closer look reveals that it is a satire.
Even the soldiers’ armor looks ridiculous against the Bugs. Furthermore, the enthusiasm with which the soldiers blindly rush into battle demonstrates that not everything should be taken seriously here. On the contrary, the soldiers with their cheer-Patriotism even appear ridiculous.
Not everyone in the audience understood this when the film was released. The film found little acceptance. As mentioned, it was indexed in Germany. The fact that the exaggerated violence is also part of the satire probably played a secondary role for the Federal Review Board at the time. The indexing was only lifted in 2017 (via schnittberichte.com). Until then, the film could only be seen heavily cut.
Anyone currently playing Helldivers 2 will likely be constantly reminded of the game while watching Starship Troopers. The humor is similar, which is also inspired by D&D. Nevertheless, the game offers enough of its own ideas. The viewer numbers for the film have definitely risen lately, as this post on X clarifies:
Thus, Starship Troopers is once again making a return to the screens. In this country, the film can be seen on Disney Plus.
It may be due to the style of director Paul Verhoeven that some of his films flopped at release but later developed into cult films. For example Showgirls from 1995. Or his films are so brutal that they were indexed here. In addition to Starship Troopers, Robocop from 1987 also experienced this. There is a current game recommended by MeinMMO author Niko Hernes related to this.
