Dina Meyer is a persuasive presence in physical genre roles, giving capable women some feeling as well as determination. We rate that commitment, while Starship Troopers shows that it cannot rescue romantic material stretched beyond its usefulness.
Fi1m perspective
As Dizzy Flores in Starship Troopers (1997), Dina Meyer brings physical commitment and enough feeling to make determination seem personal. She is convincing as a capable woman in an action film, without treating capability as the whole performance. We rate her directness, and this is a useful place to see it. Paul Verhoeven gives that determination a troubling context: these young people have little capacity to question their society.
Her early leading film roles were Jane, opposite Keanu Reeves, in Johnny Mnemonic (1995), and Kara in Dragonheart (1996). Starship Troopers then brought wider recognition. The progression through science fiction and fantasy makes sense for an actor so often cast as tough, physically capable women. These parts ask for determination, and she can make that worth watching without much fuss.
The qualification matters most in Starship Troopers, where Meyer shares the central group with Casper Van Dien and Denise Richards. Van Dien and Richards have the polished appeal it needs, but their stiffness is a liability in the romantic scenes. We grew impatient with the romance because it spent so long on private lives that never became interesting enough. Meyer’s emotional commitment as Dizzy gives us something to respond to, but we would not recommend the film on the strength of those relationships. Giving them less time would have helped.
Birds of Prey (2002–03) gave her a television lead as Barbara Gordon / Oracle. As Detective Allison Kerry in Saw (2004), she began a recurring part across the first four films, through 2007. There is a clear continuity with the tough, capable women of her action work, even as the jobs move between television and film.
Her later work has mainly been television guest and recurring roles alongside independent and direct-to-video films. That is a reason to choose by the part, rather than assume that her presence is a recommendation for everything around her. Start with Starship Troopers if science fiction is already your inclination.
Biography
Dina Meyer is an American actress. She was born on 22 December 1968 in Forest Hills, Queens, New York City. She graduated from Long Island University with a BBA and trained for three years at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre in New York.
Meyer began her career with a recurring role on the television series Beverly Hills, 90210 (1993–94). She made her feature film debut opposite Keanu Reeves in Johnny Mnemonic (1995). She is known for her role as Dizzy Flores in Starship Troopers (1997) and as Detective Allison Kerry in the Saw film series (2004–2007). Other film credits include Dragonheart (1996), Bats (1999), D-Tox (2002) and Star Trek: Nemesis (2002).
On television she starred as Barbara Gordon / Oracle in Birds of Prey (2002–03) and appeared in recurring roles on Friends, NCIS, The Mentalist and other series. She has also had guest roles on Criminal Minds, The Flash and Castle.
