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Starship Troopers is a 1997 Academy Award nominated science-fiction-action film directed by Paul Verhoeven, written by Edward Neumeier, and starring Casper Van Dien, Dina Meyer and Denise Richards. The movie is loosely based on the controversial novel of the same name by Robert A. Heinlein.

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Starship Troopers is presented to the viewer as a mix of traditional scenes interspersed with simulated interactive televised broadcasts providing brief news reports, asking the viewer "Would you like to know more?" after each segment.

In the future, with interstellar travel and a wide-spreading galactic government known as the United Citizen Federation, humanity has found themselves at war with an alien race from the planet Klendathu named the Arachnids, or "Bugs" for short. John D. "Johnny" Rico, his girlfriend Carmen, and best friend Carl are all graduating from high school in Buenos Aires; Carmen and Carl both plan to enlist in the military service to become upper-class "citizens" after their tenure. Johnny, wanting to follow Carmen, goes against his parents' demands and enlists himself. However, he finds that his grades are too low to join Carmen in Flight School, and is instead assigned to the Mobile Infantry. There, he and the rest of the recruits are drilled by Career Sergeant Zim. Johnny shows himself to be an outstanding leader, and is assigned head of his squad. He also meets an old high school classmate, "Dizzy" Flores, who specifically requested transfer to Johnny's division, as she is infatuated with Johnny. Johnny comes to learn that Carmen is happy with her training and has met up with an old high-school rival of Johnny named Zander who is helping her learn the ropes, but that she will likely make the fleet her career, dashing Johnny's dreams. After a training incident in which one of his squad is killed, Johnny is demoted from squad leader and publicly flogged. As Johnny is preparing to quit the Infantry and actually speaking to his parents via videophone, the transmission is interrupted: a huge asteroid launched from Klendathu has struck Earth, destroying Buenos Aires and killing his parents. As invasion plans are made, Johnny stays with the Infantry.

The Federation's forces attempt a full-out invasion of Klendathu, which turns into an unmitigated disaster because the Bugs' abilities both on the ground and in the air had been critically underestimated. Bug Plasma discharges from the surface, which were thought to be "random and light", turn out to be a coordinated and devastating surface-to-space artillery barrage that destroys much of the Fleet. Cut off from air support, the Mobile Infantry is further swarmed by Bug warriors on the surface, whose abilities they had also underestimated. Over 300,000 troops are killed before a general retreat can be made. Johnny's squad is almost entirely wiped out, Johnny himself requiring surgery and several days of treatment to recover. Back on Earth, Federation scientists are baffled at the Bugs' use of intelligent military tactics and postulate that there must be an as-yet-unseen leadership caste of "Brain Bugs" that serve as generals for the Arachnids.

Johnny, Dizzy, and fellow squad member Ace are brought into the "Roughnecks", led by Johnny's old high-school teacher, Lt. Rasczak. The military intelligence and general staff replan their attack, using strategic strikes on other planets in the Arachnid system to learn more about them. The Roughnecks participate in such a mission, with Johnny's leadership abilities earning him a field promotion to Corporal. That night, Lt. Raszcak grants the squad rest and relaxation, during which Johnny and Dizzy wind up in bed. The Roughnecks are assigned the next day to investigate a nearby outpost, where they find the Bugs have sucked out the brains of some humans. The outpost is quickly ambushed by thousands of Bugs, killing much of the squad, including Lt. Rasczak. Johnny takes command and requests an evacuation ship, which happens to be flown by Carmen and Zander. As they are about to board, Dizzy is stabbed by a Bug, and though Johnny removes the claw that had penetrated her torso, she bleeds out and dies in his arms. After Dizzy's burial in space, Johnny and Carmen are joined by Carl, now a member of the military intelligence division. Carl admits that the Roughnecks had been used as bait to test out a theory, which enrages Johnny, but that theory has proven correct; there exists a single "brain bug" that controls much of the Arachnids' behavior. Carl assigns the Roughnecks to search for this Bug on their next mission.

As the Roughnecks, infused with fresh but young troops, explore the surface of Planet P looking for the brain bug, Carmen's ship is hit by Arachnid fire, killing Captain Deladier, and Carmen and Zander are forced to flee in an escape pod that lands on Planet P, deep inside a Bug nest. Johnny learns of Carmen's flight and tells the rest of the squad to keep searching, while he, Ace, and squadmember Watkins search for Carmen. They come across Carmen and Zander just as Zander's brain is sucked out by the brain bug; Carmen is able to save herself by injuring the bug with a knife. Watkins, injured by a Bug, gives the others cover, while holding onto a nuclear detonator, sacrificing himself to wipe out the bug nest. Johnny, Ace, and Carmen escape the blast and learn that the brain bug had also attempted to flee, but was caught by the Infantry, led by Zim, who dropped his rank to Private in order to take part in front-lines combat. As everyone celebrates, Carl joins Johnny and Carmen on the surface, explaining that now that they have the brain bug, they will be able to learn how the Bugs think and can turn the tide on the war. Johnny, Ace and Carmen continue on in their service to the military as heroes and prime examples to incoming recruits.