Starship Troopers 3: Marauder

• Written and Directed by Edward Neumeier
• July 19, 2008 (Japan) / August 5, 2008 (US)

Eleven years into The Second Bug War the improved Mobile Infantry tactics are countered by new Arachnid variants as the conflict devolves into prolonged trench warfare.

Who knew Starship Troopers spawned a second live action sequel? Starship Troopers 3: Marauder starts out as a clear attempt to return to much of what was done in the first film. There is certainly a push to address jingoism and war as an adventure. It also takes aim at manipulation of religion and media by the government as well as the government using the credibility of celebrities to push their agenda. You could even see a critique of post 9/11 America and its policies taken in the name of fighting terrorism.

This is largely done through the character of Sky Marshal Omar Anoke (Stephen Hogan)-a charming military leader who is also quite a singing celebrity. He has a Top 40 hit “It’s A Good Day to Die” that sounds like it was fashioned largely for a superficial boyband. You can certainly see how people would be impressed with the character’s humble approach and easy charm.

Sadly Anoke is completely delusional and thinks he can meet the bug god when their god is just a really big bug that the bugs worship. Hogan turns in a fantastic performance. When he is first introduced, he’s charming and a man of the people. As he becomes more delusional you can see he is detached from the reality of the situation.

Despite touching on several things, religion is probably the main target here. Anoke’s faith and nearly fanatical drive spark dialogue among the characters though the religious other than Anoke are treated as simpletons. Holly Little (Marnette Patterson), an aid to Anoke, comes off as not that smart. Prayer is portrayed as futile though it is slightly balanced out with a few moments where faith is rewarded. By the end military leadership is impressed by how Anoke was strung along by the bugs and decide to highjack Christianity with Holly as a spokesperson but cynically bend it for their purposes. This movie does have a point of view and is doing its best to say something.

I applaud the effort to say something with Marauder, but I think their efforts are limited by what can actually accomplish based on its budget. They have champagne wishes but only a sparkling apple cider budget. Nobody decided to pull things back based on budget. It doesn’t have the material resources to do what it wants to do. They have an ambitious story but cannot meet those ambitions.

Casper Van Dien returns to the series as Colonel Johnny Rico. Rico is portrayed this time around as much more in the mold of his teacher than that of the easily influenced young man he started as in the original. Unfortunately Casper Van Dien plays it a little hammy rather than a little straight. This kind of satire works best when you take the material seriously. This is not a comedy so going goofy is not an option.

Jolene Blalock plays Captain Lola Beck who is an old friend of Rico. Beck in presentation is like three different characters in Marauder. In her initial introduction as Anoke’s personal pilot she has virtually no substance and is kinda vapid. When she, Anoke, and a few others are stranded on the surface of a planet called OM-1 she becomes a hardass squad leader who is a bit cynical. And then there’s the closing moments when she has a conversion to faith and is very religious for reasons… I have trouble seeing how those connect but individually she’s good in each one. Either her part was rewritten on the fly or some conglomeration of three independent characters that were merged prior to filming.

The United Citizen Federation is portrayed as much more authoritarian than previously. Criticism of the war effort or the government is dealt with swiftly and permanently via execution much like what could often be found in Nazi Germany. Those in charge are not above using bad situations to gain power before going about fixing things such as what Admiral Enolo Phid (Amanda Donohoe) does when she learns Anoke has been compromised.

Marauder also builds up on the story of the first film. Anoke has taken a special interest in the brain bug captured in the first film. Hence his turn to the bug side. That capture turns out to all part of a bug plot to devastate the UCF and end the war in their favor. This is demonstrated through some security footage and is quite possibly the only point where Anoke borders on silly.

Speaking of the bugs, the bug effects look rather cheap. They are two dimensional and poorly texture. I understand this is on the lower budgeted side but if you’re going to have your camera frame filled with something it needs to look good and there are a few moments where the camera frame is filled with the arachnids and they look like bad game graphics of the era. Hero of the Federation was no great visual achievement, but it looked better than this.

Ultimately Starship Troopers 3: Marauder is a good idea harmed by not enough money and performances that needed to be a little more serious. It certainly has something to say and at times says it well but not nearly often enough. Having said that there is still plenty to enjoy here. Science fiction fans will like but maybe not the general movie goer.