Defining Military science fiction can be tricky- it's a subgenre of sci-fi that
features a protagonist -who's normally part of the chain of command, and
is directly involved in some kind of war or military situation- where there is
a clear difference between a military lifestyle, and one of that from a
civilian perspective.
Which leads me towards the opinion, that the best military sci-fi aren't
necessarily the ones with the most space battles and armed combat,
although those are always fun to watch.
So today I thought I would make a video -focusing on Military science fiction
in all shapes and forms, and where better place to start than with
Paul Verhoven's sci-fi action adventure -Starship troopers
Set in a futuristic military earth, where high school teenagers are
encouraged to become citizens by joining the military.
Johnny Rico joins the
military for all the wrong reasons his love for a girl- But what Johnny
doesn't realise is that he'll soon be right in the middle of a full scale war
against a race of large alien insects.
Starship troopers is pretty much a working definition of a military sci-fi,
where it has mindless violence vs nameless enemies -with tonnes and
tonnes of action, quotable one liners and nonstop entertainment.
While some will criticise this movie for its wooden acting, and questionable
military tactics�- they would be missing the whole point of the film.
It's
supposed to be clich� and satirical - where this militaristic world
government uses its control of the media to brainwash its people into
supporting its war.
It's a great movie, and if for some strange reason you
still haven't seen it yet, what are you waiting for?
Fred Wilcox's classic sci-fi adventure
Forbidden planet Based on Shakespeare's "The Tempest" is set where an
Earth starship crew goes to investigate and look for survivors on a planet
whose colony has gone silent.
Only able to find two survivors and a robot,
the crew are informed by a Dr Morbius that some unknown force which
roams the planet killed the rest of the colonists some 20 years ago.
With ground breaking special effects on its release, and a very young but
serious Leslie Nielsen as a captain, this movie is still entertaining with a
original plot that will keep you intrigued, especially when it comes to the
murdering monster.
Yes this movie has men in a flying saucer & Robbie the Robot is a guy in a
suit, but he is thoroughly believable as a robot.
Forget about dated plots,
cheesy acting and old special effects, Forbidden planet is a true classic of
its type and definitely worth a viewing.
Paul W.S.
Andersons sci-fi Action Drama -Soldier
Set in the future -where soldiers are selected at birth, and trained in such a
manner that they become inhuman killing machines.
The most successful
veterans Todd 3465 finds himself replaced by a new breed of soldier.
After
being believed to be dead Todd is dumped on a waste disposal planet-
where he finds a new purpose in life and takes it upon himself to defend his
new home.
While it's not a perfect movie -Kurt Russell does a great job staying in
character -not speaking and being virtually an emotionless badass for the
entire film.
As the protagonist of the movie he only has 104 words of
dialog.
The film is also meant to be set in the same world as Blade-Runner
where you have engineers soldiers fighting on off world colonies.
If your after a movie with near endless explosions, and slow motion fights
then you will probably love this movie, but if you want character
development and a dialog -then all mean, give this a miss.
Director Christian Duguay's sci-fi Thriller � Screamers
Based on Philip K Dicks short story -Second variety, is set on a distant
mining planet ravaged by a decade of war between two rival factions.
Where scientists have created the perfect weapon: a blade-wielding, self-
replicating, killing devices known as Screamers.
But unknown to its
creators this weapon has continued to evolve, and now has devised a new
mission: to kill all life.
Starring Peter Weller known for his role in 'Robocop', this film aptly shows
that you don't need a big budget to make a good movie.
The story is pretty
original and imaginative, and faithfully follows Phillips K Dicks work.
While the supporting cast all play clich� roles- the real stars are the
Screamers who start out as these creepy mobile buzz saws that gradually
evolve into something quite a bit different.
Don't let the low budget visuals
put you off, this is an underrated sci-fi classic.
Doug Limans Action adventure Edge of Tomorrow
Based on the manga "All you need is Kill" follows an inexperienced major
in the United Defence Force, who against his will is forced to fight on the
frontline against extraterrestrial beings - that have invaded the earth.
On
the field he violently dies and wakes up back in boot camp -where he soon
realises he has acquired the ability to reset time -every time he dies .
Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt play their characters perfectly, it has a
fantastic story, which is well told with really fast action which also looks
amazing.
Believe it or not, this movie was not a commercial success, probably due to
its very bleak and depressing trailer.
The comical aspects during the first
half of this movie work really well,�as well as the tone and pacing, which is
incredibly tight, It's not overly gloomy- instead it focus on fun, action,
thrills and wit.
Even though the movie repeats it's self a lot, it never has a
dull moment and will keep you gripped to the edge of your seat from start
to finish.
Wolfgang Petersen's sci-fi action adventure -Enemy Mine
In the distant future, humanity goes to war against a reptilian race called
the Dracs.
During a space battle a soldier from Earth crash-lands on an
alien world where he eventually encounters another survivor, a Drac.
They
both put aside their differences and band together to survive on this
hostile world.
This is pretty much a sci-fi remake of Hell in the Pacific, where Dennis
Quaid and Louis Gossett Jr both have great performances in their
respective roles as enemies.
and the space battles, props and matte
paintings are really well done for film of its age.
Here's a sci-fi film that doesn't heavily rely on space battles or special
effects.
Instead, it focus on a touching and compelling story of conflict,
hate and survival between bitter enemies becoming unlikely allies and
eventually, close friends.
Roland Emmerichs sci-fi action adventure �StargateWhen a giant structure
is found in the Egyptian desert, it's revealed to be
an interstellar teleportation device.
The story kicks off when Egyptologist
Daniel Jackson is brought in to decoded the symbols on this device.
Where
a team led by Air Force Colonel Jack' O' Neil and Jackson -are sent on a
mission to travel across the known universe to a distant planet.
For the time, this was a pretty original and refreshingly different type of
sci-fi, where Kurt Russell and James Spader are good as the exact
opposites, the scientist and the soldier.
With a capable cast, solid script and set design, Stargate itself is a really
solid movie and worth seeing.
While isn't going to knock your socks off, its
superb atmospheric music, & intriguing story easily compensate for any of
its shortcomings.
It's premise had so much potential it's no surprise that a
few years after its release, it produced a very successful TV franchise.
Michael Vejar's sci-fi action drama Babylon 5: In the Beginning
The story follows where Earth military encounters an advanced alien race
called the Minbari.
Through a series of misunderstandings, accidents and
sabotage, a very one sided war breaks out that nearly results in the death
of every human on Earth.
I've saved this to last, as you're kinda required to have at least seen the
1st Season of the TV series Babylon 5 for it to fully make sense.
But it's
still a really solid movie as a standalone, and a perfect reason to bother
getting into the series itself if you aren't already a fan.
On its own, the narrative and characters are great, where it tells a
dramatic story of courage and heroism in the face of overwhelming odds.�
Those of you interested in good military sci-fi would do well to check this
movie and franchise out.