Why the first Starship Troopers movie failed as a parody, a thread: Watching the movie, it was clear the director was aiming for a campy, over-the-top depiction of the Terran Federation. Perhaps not an outright mockery, but certainly a drastic departure from the serious novel.
First, let's tackle a writing pitfall that irks Leftists to this day. If you make your characters naturally handsome, fit, and well-groomed, then it becomes increasingly difficult to properly mock them. Beauty is self-evident, and all the characters in ST are good looking.
This extends to the overall Terran Federation as well. We see clean, beautiful streets. Life seems good for Rico in his polite high school. This is a far cry from the crime ridden and drug addicted cities we know today. Where are the homeless encampments, the ghettos?
Can we nail the Terran Federation for being cruel? I guess. But when you play off cruelty as a joke, you are undermining your own message. This isn't a dialogue about the brutal conditions for training soldiers in a futuristic setting. This is a gag, and it's hilarious.
All right, what about a critique of comparison? Perhaps the enemies of the Terran Federation have a better system. Oh wait, no, they're bugs. I've seen people genuinely argue that the bugs are supposed to be sympathetic. But they're still bugs...
THIS is not a face I can relate to, sympathize for, or even have a dialogue with. This screams at me to kill it with fire. Even IF I didn't want to kill this thing, I want to be in orbit, far away from this creature. It's horrific, and only a contrarian can argue against that.
The only thing you can really critique about the Terran Federation is the propaganda and incompetence. But when everything is so slapstick, it fails at landing a serious point. These guys are badasses in a funny movie, not a warning about the dangers of fascism.
@HariSel57511397 The fact you typed this one right here, without recognizing what it says about you (and which the movie knows it says about you) kinda illustrates the film's point. Pretty it up and dehumanize the enemy enough, and the evil of fascism is lost in the absurdity.
@HariSel57511397 "THIS is not a face I can relate to, sympathize for, or even have a dialogue with" Yeah, the point is this is also how you feel about muslims and mexicans
@HariSel57511397 Or someone with actual empathy, not just the “in-group” preference that people who discriminate between consideration of lifeforms solely based on appearance present.
@HariSel57511397 Seems like someone's upset the fascism parody cut a little too close to their real life beliefs.
@HariSel57511397 Also, like, if you made peace with them, then maybe it turns out they have a language, maybe oral histories. Maybe stories and folktales and culture. They're insects, so it might lack humanity, but notlw that's a cool new perspective that you get to learn about. Sounds cool.
@HariSel57511397 Just say you hate fat women, gawd.
@HariSel57511397 you would not survive in the valley of nausicaä i'm afraid
I don't have arachnophobia or any aversion to bugs other than I don't want them biting or otherwise harming me, my property, or any other human. But if they were sentient then I would certainly have a dialogue with them. As a matter of fact it would fascinate me to have the opportunity.