Well into his forties before moving to America to work, Dutch-born director Paul Verhoeven has thrived in the world of big budgets, exercising his vivid imagination to become a master of modern sensation. His first three Hollywood films were authentic smash hits, beginning with the brutality of "RoboCop" (1987), continuing through the gasp-making action of "Total Recall" (1990) to the viscerally explosive and controversial "Basic Instinct" (1992). He also directed the turbo-charged sci-fi actioner "Starship Troopers" (1997), raising the standard for spaceship battle effects while offering a satirical political subtext.