15 Film Adaptations Completely Different From The Book

13. Starship Troopers

Wanted poster
TriStar Pictures

Starship Troopers takes place in the future when humanity is at war with intergalactic aliens called Bugs. But in the book, mankind is at war with several alien races, many of which are similar to humans. The Bugs are more dangerous in the novel as every one of them is capable at spewing plasma. Many battles take place in mid-air since each infantryman is equipped with a jetpack.

Most of the film characters appeared in the book but only play minor roles. Dizzy (who is a man) and Carl are killed off early in the war. The military training doesn't play as a big of a part in the novel but is inarguably more ruthless. Recruits are abandoned in the woods in the freezing cold and are expected to survive the night.

In the film, the attack that wipes out Buenos Aires kills Rico's family. In the book, it only kills his mother, encouraging Rico's father to join the army. The pair team up together while fighting in the Bug War.

Also, the book has talking dogs. Why that was left out of the movie is a crime against cinema.

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James Egan has been with Whatculture for five years and prominently works on Horror, Film, and Video Games. He's written over 80 books including 1000 Facts about Horror Movies Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts about The Greatest Films Ever Made Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts about Video Games Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts About James Bond 1000 Facts About TV Shows