The director didn’t write the screenplay. Whatever anger you have, it is directed at the wrong man.
But still, the book really is fucking awful.
No, it’s really not.
When I heard they were making Gladiator, my first thought was they were adapting the Philip Wylie novel. Then later on I found out it was an overblown (and I figure over-rated) sword-and-sandal flick.
No, it really is. Coming up with some ideas that were routinely ripped off by better science fiction works, from book to film to video game, doesn’t make the original book any the more readable.
No, it’s really not.
I’d just give up, Rik. IIRC Amanset thinks that Starship Troopers is a grand allegory for the evils of colonialism, or of the Israelis government, or fascism, or something.
And he thinks it “ripped off” stuff that appeared in other works created long after RAH wrote the thing…
No need to give them a pass. There was interstellar adventure, future space marine boot camp, bug fighting and some very sly fun with fascistic future Earth, all of which at least had echoes in the original novel. They did drop the powered armor, and the general lethality of the space marines as fighters. It was a poor adaptation in certain respects, but actually a serviceable SF B movie.
I think that’s the issue though. If they’d called it “Bug Wars!”, Heinlein fans would’ve been cool with it, albeit maybe a bit eye-rolley at the rip off factor. But by calling it “Starship Troopers”, they deliberately made a piece of shit movie and effectively ruined the chance of us ever seeing a real Starship Troopers movie, ever. Or at least, any time soon.
That’s really too bad.
Still waiting for the real “I, Robot” to make an appearance.
And the real tragedy is, a faithful adaptation would be chock full of the kind of stuff that Hollywood loves. You wouldn’t need to spice it up by adding more big explosions and flamethrowers and jetpacks and gee-whiz gadgets, because those are all already in there. I mean, the book has nuclear hand-grenades, for crying out loud.
Meh, the society in the novel Starship Troopers doesn’t strike me as particularly fascist, or at least no more so than any nation with mandatory military service (the relevant example being Austria or Switzerland) - with a twist that in effect anyone can decline to perform such service (though they can cahnge their mind at any time), but then they don’t get the vote.
The only element that vaguely annoys me is the pointless sexism, but given the time the book was written, it’s forgivable. Why can’t women operate the power suits? If anything, being physically smaller might be advantageous. Heinlein anticipated technological changes, but not social ones.
This. When I heard about the movie, I thought that my husband, who enjoys crashes and explosions and everything that goes BOOOOM! would enjoy watching it with me. Yeah, the book is sexist…to modern readers. At the time it was written, though, it was incredibly progressive. Remember, it was written for preteen and teenage boys, not adults.
A movie that was actually faithful to the book would be incredibly popular. I’d like to see women as fighters in such a movie, but that’s about all that I’d change.
This is my answer as well. Although I might describe my reaction as one of trepidation more than excitement. My own imagination did a pretty good job creating a world for that book.
I was really disappointed that Hayao Miazaki did not do the Wizard of Earthsea. I believe he would have done an exemplary job of capturing the spirit of the book…
What ever happened to Hyperion?
Years ago I had read that Tom Cruise had bought the rights to Carter Beats the Devil, a story about a 1920s magician, based (loosely) on a real magician. It was a wonderful novel - I really should reread it - but it seems to have languished into permanent pause.
That’s why I’m trying not to get excited about Michael Chabon teaming up with HBO to create a series based on the War Magician, the story of the fantastic work magicians did in staging illusions to fool and defeat the Nazis (like the fake 30,000 troops they created, complete with inflatable tanks). But o boy, so I want to see that happen!
Once upon a time, the Pinis were talking about the upcoming Elfquest movie, and I was very interested. Ages and ages later, I’m less interested. I think the universe is waiting for me to become totally indifferent to the project before it will release the karma and allow it to exist.
I don’t know, the bar for King adaptions is set pretty low.
Robotech. Tobey Maguire was supposedly trying to get a live action film made, but I haven’t heard anything the past few years.
Voltron/Thundercats. Live action films were in the works, but instead we just got two new cartoons.
Oops I guess those aren’t books 
LeGuin wrote an interesting blog post in reaction to the film. Apparently, she was impressed with the movie as a “film”, but very disappointed with it as an “adaptation” of her books.
She also apparently only gave her blessing because she thought that Hayao Miyazaki would be directing it, and was very disappointed when the director turned out to be Hayao’s son, Goro.
http://www.ursulakleguin.com/GedoSenkiResponse.html
I saw the film with a Japanese friend a few years ago. I was familiar with the Earthsea books while my friend wasn’t. Much like LeGuin, I thought it was well animated and visually interesting, but a lousy adaptation of the books (think in terms of a poorly done mash-up between “The Farthest Shore” and “Tehanu”).
My friend thought it was an uninteresting film all around!
Another vote of support for “Starship Troopers” (the book). I read it once in high school, and once again in university, and really enjoyed it both times.
Tastes are subjective, people have different opinions, etc. and so I can understand not liking the book. But dismissing it as “fucking awful” seems a bit much.
I was just going to ask if anyone knew how much of Locke and Key I should familiarize myself with before the show starts but Wiki said it’s already been cancelled too and they’ve stopped trying to get another network to pick it up 