Director
Paul Verhoeven (Showgirls, Total Recall) reunited many from his 1987 Robocop
team for this $100-million science fiction adventure, adapted from Robert A.
Heinlein's 1959 novel, originally serialized in The Magazine of Fantasy and
Science Fiction (October-November, 1959). After graduation, Johnny Rico
(Casper Van Dien) volunteers for the Mobile Infantry to do his Federal
service — but also to win over his girlfriend, Carmen Ibanez (Denise
Richards), who has signed with the Fleet Academy to become a starship pilot.
Johnny joins other boot-camp recruits — Dizzy Flores (Dina Meyer), who has
had a crush on Johnny since school, and Ace Levy (Jake Busey). Ace and
Johnny become pals, and Johnny's abilities earn him the squad leader
position. A training accident occurs on Johnny's watch, and he is about to
resign when Earth is attacked by alien insects intent on eradicating all
human life. Johnny's home, Buenos Aires, is no longer on the map. Horrified,
he chooses to stay on and fight to destroy the insect threat. The Mobile
Infantry travels to the planet Klendathu to battle the warrior bugs, a
ruthless enemy with only one goal — survival of their species no matter
what. In the initial encounter, some 100,000 lives are lost. At a distant
fort, Johnny's unit discovers that the bugs drain brains to acquire
knowledge. Soon they are overwhelmed by an advancing arthropod army of
immense proportions, attacking both in space and on the planet surface. The
notion of human extinction becomes a possibility. For this $100-million
production, some 300 artists and technicians combined models and miniatures
with CGI effects to fashion a variety of creatures — from breeder bugs to
armored tanker bugs. The film employed hundreds of extras and has over 500
visual effects shots. Filming began 4/29/96 in California (LA and Long
Beach, where Cal State's pyramid gym was used for the Jumpball game), New
York, South Dakota, Wyoming (Casper, Hell's Half Acre), and Utah (an
abandoned Wendover airstrip where the Enola Gay WWII bomber crew trained).
At an abandoned airfield in Fountain Valley, California, an elaborate set
was constructed to resemble a military boot camp of the future — complete
with an array of pup tents, gull-winged spaceships, hurdle obstacle course,
and training facility buildings. Cinematography by Jost Vacano (Showgirls).
Licensed products include Lewis Galoob Inc. toys. | Casper Van Dien | Johnny Rico |
| Dina Meyer | Dizzy Flores |
| Denise Richards | Carmen Ibanez |
| Jake Busey | Ace Levy |
| Neil Patrick Harris | Carl Jenkins |
| Clancy Brown | Sgt. Zim |
| Seth Gilliam | Sugar Watkins |
| Patrick Muldoon | Zander Barcalow |
| Michael Ironside | Jean Rasczak |
| Rue McClanahan | Biology Teacher |
| Marshall Bell | General Owen |
| Eric Bruskotter | Breckinridge |
| Matt Levin | Kitten Smith |
| Blake Lindsley | Katrina |
| Anthony Ruivivar | Shujimi |
| Brenda Strong | Captain Deladier |
| Dean Norris | Commanding Officer |
Genre/Type - Science Fiction, Sci-Fi Action, Action Thriller, War Adventure,
Political Satire
Produced by - Sony Pictures Entertainment / Touchstone Pictures / TriStar
Running time - 129 min.
Aliens (1986, James Cameron)
Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within (2001, Hironobu Sakaguchi)
Pitch Black (2000, David N. Twohy)
Independence Day (1996, Roland Emmerich)
Lost In Space (1998, Stephen Hopkins)
Total Recall (1990, Paul Verhoeven)
Robocop (1987, Paul Verhoeven)
Alien (1979, Ridley Scott)
is followed by: Starship Troopers 2 (2004, Phil Tippett)