No, I understand that the giant bugs make good monsters, but you have to sort of ignore the obvious faults it brings when pitting them against a modern military. First of all, they are, for some reason, forced to fight the bugs up close and personal with small arms. I understand it's dramatic to show it like that, but it's hard to watch it and not wonder why it would be done like that. Wouldn't armor be the way to go? Or chemical weapons, napalm, fire, anything other than bullets that are ineffectual. I know and love the Alien universe and it doesn't compare to this. First off, the xenomorphs die just how you would expect when hit by bullets, and second, they don't fight head to head like the bugs do. They ambush and use stealth. They die by the dozens when going against a well armed team, as shown in Aliens.
And as for the other guy who said numbers will come out on top against technology. Where exactly is your proof to back that statement up? The United States military is the most technologically advanced military power in the world. They aren't the largest. However, I'm pretty sure a larger army, like North Korea's wouldn't stand a chance in hell. If you were to put 1000 army ants against 100 weaponized armored fire ants, I'm sure the technology would come out on top.
My point is, the plot of the Starship Troopers universe is asking too much of my suspension of disbelief. As long as there is a decent fictional or psuedo science explanation, I can suspend that disbelief all day. That's all I'm saying it needs.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fi5PFI3rMTQ
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cockroachcharlie
9 years ago
I won't try and back up the numerical superiority thing. But I will mention a section from the book. At one point Rico states something around, "if one trooper is killed for a thousand bugs, it's a net win for the bugs.) And this is with the heavy marauder armor in the book capable of washing the bugs with death. So in this case, it isn't just numerical superiority, it's EXTREME numerical superiority. Even when they do wash the bugs with wide area weapons, they still only barely put a dent into the numbers the bugs have.
It's also stated that the bugs keep a huge number incubated, ready to wake up at a moments notice. Again he says something to the order of "It takes months to train up a single trooper, and minutes for a hundred bugs."
Basically, Starship Troopers bugs have mastered the Zerg rush to the Nth degree and have even improved on it. Look at the battle at the outpost in the first film. There are certainly more dead bugs than troopers, but they still just kept on coming. And yeah, it's totally a hive mind system. Very similar to Enders Game.
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racy1285
8 years ago
First of all, they are, for some reason, forced to fight the bugs up close and personal with small arms. I understand it's dramatic to show it like that, but it's hard to watch it and not wonder why it would be done like that. Wouldn't armor be the way to go? Or chemical weapons, napalm, fire, anything other than bullets that are ineffectual.
LOL you act as if its that easy to make weapons like that compact and safe.
Using chemical weapons is pretty dumb move to be using with an infantry unit. Accidents are bound to happen. Hence why most chemical weapons are only used in long range situations.
The same goes for napalm and fire. The movie takes place in space so it would be beyond stupid to use fire and napalm as weapon because of the oxygen. You would blow up the entire ship doing that. Something the first Alien film forgot to mention.
And as for the other guy who said numbers will come out on top against technology.Where exactly is your proof to back that statement up? The United States military is the most technologically advanced military power in the world. They aren't the largest. However, I'm pretty sure a larger army, like North Korea's wouldn't stand a chance in hell. If you were to put 1000 army ants against 100 weaponized armored fire ants, I'm sure the technology would come out on top.
Obviously you need to open a history book and look up "Vietnam War" to realize how wrong you are. The guy who said numbers will win over technology was completely right. The Vietnam War is living proof that having superior technology doesn't automatically give you a win in a War. The US army clearly had every technological advantage imaginable in the Vietnam war. It didn't stop the Vietnamese from beating the US just by having numbers and having a strong belief in their cause.
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perineum1
8 years ago
Weapons aren't meant to be safe, because they are weapons. It's kind of the point. I spent 6 years as an infantry soldier in the Army. I know a lot about weapons. They are compact and have been for generations, not to mention this is a fictional universe way in the future where anything is possible. Nukes have been delivered through artillery. Open a history book, as you mentioned. A part of the movie takes place in space, but all the infantry battles happen on the planet surface. You could just nuke it from orbit, like Hicks recommends in Aliens.
You do make a valid point about the Vietnam war, although I would argue they didn't beat us so much as we left the fight. We could have turned Vietnam into barren wasteland if we chose. If the Vietnamese were killing us on our own soil by the millions, like the bugs in the movie, that's exactly what we would have done.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fi5PFI3rMTQ
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racy1285
8 years ago
Lol thats moronic using weapons that arent safe. Thank goodness the US Army is smarter than you are and actually care about weapons saftey. Thats why we have drones now. Im aware nukes have been delivered through artillery and Im also aware that none of them were ever used in combat. Because the US Army were never stupid enough to try it in actual combat because how dangerous it could be. The book and the movie already explained this. Using nuclear weapons is pretty ineffective since the bugs live underground. So no you cant just simply nuke them from orbit Dwayne.
Lol the "we left excuse" yeah like Ive never heard that before. Sorry no matter anyway you slice it at the end of the day we still got our butt kicks by a bunch of farmers with outdated equipment. Despite our technologcal advantage. The mere fact that we had to possibly result to nuking the vietnamese is pretty embarrassing statement to how badly we fared in Nam.
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cockroachcharlie
8 years ago
Ok. I won't deny that we got our asses handed to us in Vietnam, but AK 47S were hardly outdated.
Likewise, numerical vs technological advantage is easily argued for both sides.
The "nukes" used in the film were hardly what is considered a nuke by today's standards. If they were really launching nuclear weapons from rocket launchers they'd have wiped themselves our through radiation alone.
But the question does arise that where the hell is the armor and air support? In the books the MI were walking tanks. In the film's they are basic infantry. Why are their no armored vehicles anywhere to be seen. The only airstrip we get is to clear a path for another infantry rush.
Problem is, we were trying to out zerg rush the zerg.
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