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Starship Troopers
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Starship Troopers (1997) was an epic Science Fiction action film helmed by director Paul Verhoeven. It varied quite radically at times from the famous book by Robert Heinlein.
The following weapons were used in the film:
Morita Mk I Rifle
- The Morita rifle is used by Rico and all the other Mobile Infantry soldiers. The full sized Morita MK I is built around the Ruger Mini-14/AC-556 rifles with with an underslung Ithaca 37 shotgun. The Ruger AC556 used is housed in a modified Muzzelite MZ-14 bullpup stock. The Full Sized rifle has the short barreled Ithaca Model 37 mounted underneath the barrel. For convenience, a majority of the Ithacas were actually metal mockups with working slides, with only the real Ithaca being used in a scene with it firing.). These weapons also feature an M60-style muzzle brake.
One instance where we see the underslung Ithaca Model 37 Shotgun being fired, is by Rico when he is wounded. The other time Rico again fires the underslung Model 37 is at Whiskey Outpost, when he kills a Flying bug, who then lands on and kills General Owen (Marshall Bell). Also when we first see Rico use the shotgun, it fires more rounds than the Ithaca can hold.
Morita MK I Carbine
- The shorter Morita Carbine is carried by NCOs, fleet pilots and officers. It is the same Ruger AC556 based Muzzelite Custom stocked rifle as the full sized Morita, except that it is shorter and missing the Ithaca Model 37 shotgun.
Roughneck Leader, Lt. Jean Rasczak (Michael Ironside) uses a Morita Carbine
Lt. Jean Rasczak (Michael Ironside) uses a Morita Carbine to fire down at the bugs.
Fleet Pilot Zander Barcalow (Patrick Muldoon) uses a Morita Carbine during the rescue.
Fleet officers Carmen Ibanez (Denise Richards) and Zander Barcalow (Patrick Muldoon) are trapped in the caves, using Morita carbines to defend themselves. Note the incredible flash that the .223 blanks generate in low light conditions.
Morita Mk I Sniper Rifle
- The Morita Sniper Rifle is merely a Morita with a large multi use Scope. It was used by Pt. Watkins (Seth Gilliam) on Planet P. It is the same basic weapon with the addition of an advanced scope capable of tracking and zooming in on a target.
Pvt. Sugar Watkins (Seth Gilliam) aims his Morita Sniper in the Badlands.
Pvt. Sugar Watkins (Seth Gilliam) covered in Bug goo watches a battle.
Lt. Jean Rasczak (Michael Ironside) takes Watkin's rifle and shoots his RTO who has been taken by the bugs.
MK55 Tactical Nuclear Launcher
- The Mini-Nuke Launcher (called by some, the MK55 Tactical Nuclear Launcher) is a small man portable nuclear missile launcher that comes with a suitcase outfitted with six portable nuclear missiles. Each missile must be assembled from two pieces and armed prior to front loading into the launcher. It is used by the Troops on Klendathu to take out the Plasma bugs and Rico uses it to Destroy the bugs coming out of the tunnel. What is interesting is that the 'loaders' go out of their way to tap the helmet of the firing soldier (several times "blocking" the firer's field of view), but unlike the M1 "Bazooka" the MK55 is not loaded from the rear, but from the front, so the firing soldier can clearly see that it's loaded. The loader doesn't have to tap the firer's helmet, but the director was mimicking all things World War II at this point.
- Note: Different sources call it different things. The original armorer just called it "the rocket launcher", but that name is just banal. For lack of a better name, the term "MK 55 Tactical Nuclear Launcher", the name ascribed to the collectible toy replica of the weapon, will be used.
Johnny Rico (Casper Van Dien) with a MK55 Launcher
Dizzy Flores (Dina Meyer) helps Rico load his MK55 Launcher
Johnny Rico (Casper Van Dien) with a MK55 Launcher
MX-90 Hand Grenade
- The MX-90 resembles an standard grenade but packs a big punch. It is used by Dizzy on Planet P and by Rico in the badlands. One can ready the grenade two ways. By pushing the red button, the spoon flies and you have the standard 3-5 second delay before explosion. Or you can remove the spoon and delay pushing the red button. Then when you push the red button, the grenade is on hold until you release. In theory (courtesy Hand Prop room).
Johnny Rico (Casper Van Dien) MX-90 Hand Grenades in his web gear.
Dizzy Flores (Dina Meyer) pulls the spoon off of the MX-90 Hand Grenade with her teeth.
Morita MK II Advanced Systems Rifle
- The new improved battle rifle of the Mobile Infantry is shown at the end of the movie is shown destroying the top of a hill in a large explosion. Unlike the first model, this has no live firearm housed inside. It is a completely fabricated prop, made out of vacuum formed plastics, aluminum and resin.
Fake DShK Heavy Machine Guns
The twin heavy machine guns at Whiskey Outpost on Planet P were Fake Soviet era DShK heavy machine guns. These were Browning M2HB .50 cal machine guns that were outfitted with modified DShK barrels. The barrels have been available for some time, but the guns have not made it into the chain of commerce in the U.S. Most of the Russian DShK Machine guns seen in films are these modified Browning M2 .50 cal guns with original Soviet barrels attached.
Specials
Location: Badlands National Park, South Dakota
- Since they were filming these sequences in a national park, the production had to make sure that they didn't damage any of the permanent geological structures. Unlike a Western movie, there was serious bug splatter, pyrotechnics and ground explosions. One of the scenes where Rico fires a nuke is actually on a man made sand dune on a Southern California backlot. All the dead bugs and debris had to be carefully removed after filming, and any especially messy sequences were either inserts from a California set or CGI. This area has been used many times in Western films, from How the West was Won, to Dances with Wolves.
- What many people don't know is that the neck wrap was made from rubber wet suit material, and the jacket was a thick rubberized cloth. Frankly, it was hot in those outfits, especially while wearing the rubber outer armor. During filming in Badlands National Park in South Dakota, it was nearly 110 degrees and actors were as serious risk for heat stroke. During this one scene, they opted to let the actors and extras wear only their black T Shirts under the armor. A heat wave dictated the costume change.
Location: Hell's Half Acre, Wyoming USA
- The set of the Whiskey Outpost on Planet P was built in Hell's Half Acre in Wyoming. The entire region of the U.S. at the time was suffering from a heatwave, however, filming in Wyoming was helped by several days of overcast and semi overcast skies, which helped keep the rocks from reflecting the sun's heat.
The Completely Unsafe Live Firing Exercise
- Of note is the somewhat ridiculous scene in boot camp where the recruits are training with "live ammo". This exercise ends with the death of a recruit and the punishment of Johnny Rico. However, any firearms person (or military person) would cringe at the completely unsafe environment for a live fire exercise (as well as the questionable parameters of the training exercise to begin with); then again, this is in keeping with the equally extreme nature of the rest of the training the recruits undergo, which includes a drill sergeant breaking one recruit's arm essentially simply because he can.
Dizzy Flores (Dina Meyer) runs with her fully loaded Morita. In plain sight are other recruits marching. There is no backstop to protect others from errant rounds.
Dizzy Flores (Dina Meyer) fires her Morita rifle, again with others clearly unprotected, just walking in the background.
And this is what happens in unsafe "live firing" exercises.... Note: the dummy prosthetic head for Breckinridge (Eric Bruskotter) is quite realistic. The eyes and mouth actually move before getting blown apart by a pyrotechnic charge.