Vagabond,
It's a long while since I've read the book myself, but it always struck me as pro militarism and pro war: not just suggesting that wars are sometimes inevitable, but also that there's something nifty about the whole undertaking. (As Brian Aldiss has pointed out, a truly foul attitude coming from someone who spent WW2 designing pressure suits.)
I'm inclined to agree that the film is, if not more liberal, then at least more ambiguous (or morally complex). On the other hand, it's possible I'm not cutting Heinlein enough slack."
