Director Paul Verhoeven blends the conflicting elements of intentional camp and perverse sincerity into a single tone—and he doesn’t resort to simple irony.

In its early scenes, 'Troopers 'is basically a goofy high school movie, complete with love triangles, a big game, and a school dance (and sex) after. Once they've begun infantry training, the flexing of machismo so over the top, it can only be satire.

More effective as a satire than as an action extravaganza.

Might not be the revisionist masterpiece some make it out to be, though its message does hit a lot harder than when audiences merely thought they were getting a bombastic sci-fi spectacle.