Why is it that when hollywood makes a movie based on a work of a libertarian like R.A. Heinlein, they allow a hacky scriptwriter to butcher it, but when they base a movie off a work of a socialist like H.G. Wells, nothing is so important as "staying true to the book"?
Ed Neumeier wrote the screenplay. He worked with the director on Robocop, so you can assume that the director brought him in.
What comes off well in books often doesn't come off well on the screen. Heinlein would be a laughing stock if translated straight from book to screen. He was very much of a particular era, i.e. Farnham's Freehold.
A true point with many examples. The Lord of the Rings, as written, would also make for a very boring movie (all that tedious elvish and whatnot).
But the screen "adapter" of Starship Troopers didn't even try. He just cobbled together a hackneyed collection of his own ideas and prejudices, loosely glued on a stripped down summary version of the book's plot, and dishonestly tried to pass it off with the Starship Troopers title. And then called it "satire" when fans weren't taken in by the butchery. Note that they only stared calling the movie a "satire" after they found they'd pissed off a lot of R.A.H. fans with their crappy little movie.
If hollywood really wanted to do a satire of Starship Troopers, they'd have given the project to someone like Sam Raimi. He'd at least have the honesty to call his film something other than Starship Troopers. That, or why not make a movie of Bill the Galactic Hero if they're so desperate to make a movie satire of Heinlein? Bill would have made an excellent film with only minimal "adaptation" (especially the fuse room scene). I have no problem with honest satire. What I can't stand is a dishonest slash job.
Heinlein would be a laughing stock if translated straight from book to screen. He was very much of a particular era, i.e. Farnham's Freehold.
Some of his plots are definately dated. But the themes and ideas he presents are pretty damn timeless and universal. Many of his short stories (i.e. Tunnel in the Sky) would make for damn fine movies.
But hollywood simply can't be bothered to read, understand, or even stick to works of science fiction except where it suits their ideologies (such as when the author is suitably socialist). Just look at the steaming pile they tried to pass off as I, Robot.