Line #1 Fridge/StarshipTroopers


1	![[Literature/StarshipTroopers The Book]]:
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3	!!FridgeBrilliance:
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5	* In the book's climax, Rico, a [[EnsignNewbie probationary 3rd Lieutenant]] with no real command authority, learns that his platoon sergeant has gone missing, and intends to go search for him. He orders the rest of his platoon to continue on mission without him, but they insist on going with him on the search and rescue despite his orders. While this is of course a SugarWiki/{{Heartwarming Moment\|s}}, it makes a certain degree of sense that they disregarded his orders to stay on mission: he has no real command authority anyways, making it the lead NCO's call instead.
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7	![[Film/StarshipTroopers 1997 Film]]:
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9	!!FridgeBrilliance:
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11	* ''Troopers'' was criticized on release in 1997 for having a very ''Series/BeverlyHills90210''-ish cast. WordOfGod said it was deliberate, and it becomes obvious why, since the film is actually supposed to be one big PropagandaPiece by the InUniverse fascist government. Naturally, they're trying to make joining the military look fun (hey, co-ed showers!)
12	* The asteroid hitting Earth is often said to have been orchestrated by Federation. This doesn't look like it has much direct support from the movie except for the fact that the Federation is jingoistic and people want to expand into bug territory. However, after the Klendathu massacre, it becomes clear that neither the military nor the people generally believe the bugs to be intelligent; if so, then the Army couldn't have seriously believed that that the Bugs were actually aiming asteroids from half way across the Galaxy. The fact that a large portion of the population could both believe that the bugs are unintelligent and attacking them from across the Galaxy, just shows us how DoubleThink is in full effect.
13	** It's a classic fascist talking point: make your enemy simultaneously appear powerful and weak.
14	* In the early battle scenes, we see a lot of bugs with blown off limbs, still fighting. Then there is a break and a short PSA which points out the vulnerable spots on a bug. In the next battle, the bugs fall in droves with blown off vulnerables instead. This could be indicative both of the ShowWithinAShow nature of the narrative, or of the information being pushed out in the most rapid method available (mass media) after the Federation discovers a weakness.
15	* During the movie's first PSA involving the cow, the camera censors the death of the cow to the single arachnid. Then as pointed out on the CMOF page, they show the bodies of the dead "Mormon extremists". Well why wouldn't they if they want to make sure people stay clear of the quarantine zone ''and'' make sure that the people rely on the Federation to protect them.
16	* Why does the recruiter have a robotic hand but not robotic legs? He has a desk job, and having another hand improves his ability to do his job, while having legs would not. The Federation only cares about its citizens insofar as they are useful.
17	** It's actually a different kind of fridge brilliance directly from the book. Johnny sees him later walking and he mentions that he doesn't wear his legs at work because it scares away squeamish people before they sign up and have to quit.
18	* When Rico calls out Ace for cutting in line, Zim is lurking in the background. CinemaWins suggests that Zim is looking for recruits with leadership material. But also, the way the scene is blocked, there's almost no way that Ace doesn't see him approaching, so Ace deciding to serve Rico and Dizzy and make friends is him trying to avoid getting on Zim's bad side.
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20	!!FridgeHorror:
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22	* Carl controls his pet ferret Cyrano ("Go bug Mom!"):
23	-->'''Carl:''' I gave him the impression that there's a grub crawling up my mothers leg, he's on a mission to go eat it.\
24	'''Carl's Mom:''' (banging noises can be heard upstairs) What are you doing?! GET OFF MY LEG!! AWWWW! ...Carl!\
25	'''Johnny:''' Carl, promise me you won't ever do anything like that to me.\
26	'''Carl:''' Don't be afraid. Can't do humans... yet.
27	:: A funny little scene establishing Carl is psychic, right? Later in the film, Rico - who had just ordered his unit not to go after Carmen, because she was almost certainly dead - is suddenly filled with mysterious certainty that she's alive and down a particular tunnel, going so far as to abandon his unit and mission, disobeying orders. And he finds her, as the audience already knew, in the clutches of the Brain Bug. After the Bug has been captured, Johnny talks to Carl, who talks about how getting the Brain Bug will turn the tide of the war etc... and Johnny, suddenly realising, asks him "It was you, wasn't it? You told me how to find Carmen." Carl basically winks and says "that's classified". Carl didn't know Carmen was alive. He had figured out how to "do humans". He was sending Johnny on a "mission" to find the Bug.
28	** Reread the above quote. Rico asks Carl to promise never to do it to him, and Carl ''changes the subject''. He never promised.
29	* Whatever led to the devolution of military tactics from modern squad-based fire-and-maneuver with integrated combined arms to what we see in the movie. Even with the confirmation that the movie is in-universe propaganda, how long has humanity let it's ability to defend itself atrophy in the event of war?
30	** Or is it deliberate? Prior to the BugWar, the Federation evidently required a license to have babies. Could be that they were trying to avert human overpopulation in more ways than one, restricting birth rates ''and'' ensuring there's a steady attrition of would-be soldiers.
31	* It is quite possible that the whole war is a staged artificial conflict purely to maintain control of the status quo. The planet is run as a military fascist state - but one that has defeated all (human) enemies. So they build a military base inside an alien species' domain (it is later reveal there is already a base there). The film notes that it is possible that this base caused the Bugs' aggression, but the Federation could well have provoked this on purpose. It's purpose: As in most dicatorships, getting the people to believe that they must unite against a foreign/alien enemy instead of potentially overthrowing their own government. This theory explains a number of things:
32	** The Federation used to require a license to have babies. The BugWar is a far more effective means of population Control. The destruction of Buenos Aires could similary be intended population control, combined with a propaganda purpose.
33	** It is a logical explanation for the atrocious military tactics and equipment. The Federation does not want to win the war. They are simply intend on having some enemy to fight, and to kill some of its population in the process. Only in a war you do not want to win would you send ill-equiped soldiers across the galaxy on an unnecessary offensive. The Federation clearly has the technology for e.g. orbital strikes (a single asteroid nudged out of orbit could easily wipe out a planet) but instead choose to send its soldiers into essentially hand-to-hand combat.

Context Fridge / StarshipTroopers