Starship Troopers (film) - Plot

Plot

In the future, humans are a space-faring Federation and contend for planets with a hostile species of large insects known as the Arachnids or "Bugs," whose home-world is the distant planet Klendathu. In the Federation citizenship is not a birthright, but a privilege earned by those who serve society through such activities as military service; citizens are granted many opportunities prohibited to non-citizens. Athlete John "Johnny" Rico, his girlfriend Carmen Ibanez, and best friend Carl Jenkins attend high school in Buenos Aires. Fellow student Dizzy Flores is in love with Rico, but he does not return her affections. After graduation all decide to enlist in Federation service. Carmen excels academically and becomes a spaceship pilot while Carl, who is psychic, is assigned Military Intelligence for scientific research on the Bugs. Rico enlists in the Mobile Infantry mainly to see Carmen, but is surprised to see Dizzy, who has enlisted there to be near him.

At Mobile Infantry training the brutal but effective Career Sergeant Zim heads the recruits. Rico is promoted to squad leader and finds a friend in Ace Levy, but his hopes for continued romance with Carmen are dashed as she desires a career with the fleet and serves under Rico's high school sports rival, Zander Barcalow. After a live-fire training incident that results in the death of one of Rico's squad, he is demoted and publicly flogged. He decides to resign and calls his parents, but the call unexpectedly drops; an asteroid launched by the Arachnids has obliterated Buenos Aires, killing millions including Rico's family. Rico rescinds his resignation and remains with the Infantry as an invasion force is deployed to Klendathu.

The first strike on Klendathu is a disaster, with heavy casualties. Rico himself is wounded and mistakenly labeled KIA, causing Carmen to believe he is dead. Rico, Ace, and Dizzy are reassigned to the Roughnecks, commanded by Rico's high school teacher Lieutenant Jean Rasczak. Dizzy and Rico begin a romance and The Roughnecks respond to a distress call from Planet "P", where they discover a deserted outpost that had been overrun by Bugs. The distress call is a trap by the Arachnids, who swarm the outpost. Rico euthanises a mortally wounded Rasczak at his own request and Dizzy is fatally wounded, dying in Rico's arms as they are retrieved by a rescue ship piloted by Carmen and Zander. Rico and Carmen reconnect at Dizzy's funeral, where they encounter Carl, now a high-ranking Intelligence officer. Carl reveals that the reason for the ill-fated mission on P was to confirm the existence of an intelligent "brain bug", directing the other Bugs and showing that the Bugs have a desire to learn about their human enemy. He field-promotes Rico to lieutenant and gives him command of the Roughnecks, ordering the infantry to capture the brain bug.

As Rico's Roughnecks join the mission on the planet, the Fleet encounters fire from the Bugs, and Carmen's ship is destroyed. The dying Captain Deladier orders them to abandon ship. Carmen and Zander leave in an escape pod but crash into the Bug tunnel system near Rico's location. Rico, unknowingly guided by a psychic suggestion from Carl, takes Ace and teammate Sugar Watkins into the tunnels to rescue Carmen. They find a wounded Carmen and Zander disarmed in a cavern with several Arachnids, including the brain bug, which drains the contents of Zander's cranial cavity with a proboscis. Before it can do so to Carmen, she severs it with a knife. Rico threatens the Bugs with a small nuclear bomb, so the brain bug reluctantly allows them to escape. When Arachnids pursue them, Watkins is mortally wounded and sacrifices himself by detonating the nuke while the others escape. After returning to the surface, they find that former Sergeant Zim, who had demoted himself to private so that he could serve, has captured the brain bug. Carl congratulates Rico and tells him and Carmen that the humans will soon be victorious, now that Intelligence can study the brain bug.