Starship Troopers: Invasion

Starship Troopers: Invasion is currently streaming in Australia on Netflix, and in the UK on Netflix, and it earns its premise rather than just borrowing genre trappings. The length is exactly right for the story it is telling — nothing rushed, nothing dragged out. A 6/10 rating says what the writing already makes obvious: this one works. Luci Christian's performance is the anchor the more ambitious scenes need. Put it on tonight on Netflix and see for yourself.

Starship Troopers: Invasion arrived without much fanfare and built its audience the hard way — through word of mouth. The world-building is meticulous, but it is the characters who carry Starship Troopers: Invasion through its more ambitious moments. The troopers of two starships have joined forces to terminate a massive bug attack at a Federation outpost. Before the mission can be completed and the survivors evacuated, one ship abruptly departs and goes inexplicably dark. The remaining battle-hardened troopers race to the rescue only to discover that the threat from the bugs is about to hit home. Luci Christian and David Anthony Matranga lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. It was released in 2012. The rules of Starship Troopers: Invasion's world are consistent enough that the big swings never feel like cheating. There is real craft here, even in the moments that do not fully land.

Sci-fi fans who want ideas alongside the spectacle will find Starship Troopers: Invasion genuinely rewarding. It does not lean on comparisons to make its case. The complete film is available and best experienced without too much prior knowledge of where it goes. Luci Christian's performance is the anchor the more ambitious moments need. The world-building pays off in ways you will not anticipate on a first watch.