Sony Pictures | 1997 | 129 min | Rated R | Region free
| Aug 05, 2008
From the bridge of the Fleet Battlestation Ticonderoga, with its sweeping galactic views, to the desolate terrain of planet Klendathu, teeming with shrieking, fire-spitting, brain-sucking special effects creatures, acclaimed...
Sony Pictures | 2008 | 105 min | Rated R | Region A (B, C untested) | Aug 05, 2008
A Federation starship crash-lands on the distant alien planet OM-1, stranding beloved leader Sky Marshal Anoke and several others, including comely but tough pilot Lola Beck. It's up to Colonel Johnny Rico, reluctant hero of the...
Please note: all screenshots in this review were captured from Starship Troopers 2: Hero
of
the Federation. For screenshots from Starship Troopers
and
Starship Troopers 3:
Marauder, please click here
[Starship Troopers] and here
[Starship Troopers 3: Marauder].
You never kill them all, son.
The Starship Troopers trilogy is a prime example of a movie franchise turned quickly from
cinematic gold to forgettable rubbish. The first film remains a beacon of Science Fiction done
right, a seminal work in the genre that pushes all the right buttons and not only holds up
remarkably well more than ten years following its theatrical debut, but is a film with a staying
power thanks to its myriad of successful plot devices, melding director Paul Verhoeven's
trademark styles -- strong social commentary, over-the-top violence, humor, and excellent
production values. Seven years went by before the series was re-visited, and between 2004 and
2008, the series would spawn two atrociously bad direct-to-video sequels, Starship Troopers
2: Hero of the Federation, a story of a group of ragtag soldiers fending off a threat both
outside and inside an abandoned military compound, and Starship Troopers 3:
Marauder, a terrible (even by direct-to-video standards) film that banks on the return of
Johnny Rico (Casper Van Dien) for its success, but it forgets one little detail: a plot we care about.
Now, all three films are together in a single high definition Blu-ray package. Owning the first film
is a no-brainer, but are the two sequels worth the price of this boxed set?
Richard Burgi tries to decide if he prefers being eaten by attack dogs or giant bugs.
Starship Troopers Rating: 5/5
Johnny Rico (Casper Van Dien, Sleepy Hollow) is an
idealistic product of the system, eager to become a full-fledged "citizen" of the Federation
by
joining the armed forces and following in the footsteps of one of his high school instructors, Mr.
Rasczak (Michael Ironside, Total Recall). He also
has ulterior motives to join. The girl of his dreams, the intelligent and beautiful Carmen Ibañez
(Denise Richards, Wild Things) has
signed up and her high math scores have her on the fast track to becoming a pilot. Another
compatriot, the intellectual and psychic Carl (Neil Patrick Harris, Harold & Kumar Go to White
Castle) is bound for "games and theory," the intelligence division of the service.
Meanwhile, Dizzy (Dina Meyer, Saw), who has her eye
on Johnny, joins up to stay close to him in hopes of winning him away from Carmen. The story
follows each cadet's training as they grow further apart from one another and continue to foster
an idealistic yet foolhardy view of the world, unaware of the danger they face both from the
society in which they live, and from the bugs they'll be sent to destroy. Their wake-up call comes
during their military training when a large-scale, interplanetary 9/11 scenario devastates Earth
and their
already tarnished view of
the clean, utopian society in which they reside completely falls apart. Or does it?
If Starship Troopers seems to be some sort of convoluted Nazi Germany meets the
future meets "Beverly Hills 90210" meets Full Metal Jacket
meets Eight Legged Freaks on Major League steroids, you'd be on the right track, but like
any good Sci-Fi Paul
Verhoeven (RoboCop) film, there is
much more to the film than violence and action. On the surface, Starship
Troopers is a violent, gore-fest of a movie about a war with advanced arachnids and bugs not
of this world, but director Paul Verhoeven leaves
nothing to our imagination, either with regards to the brutality of the conflict or the plainly
obvious social message the movie showcases. Known for both of the features so prevalent
throughout the film -- social commentary and extreme violence -- Verhoeven has another
futuristic Science Fiction masterpiece on his hands, and like RoboCop and Total
Recall before, Starship Troopers is an amalgamation of vision, violence, and vigilance
that, on the whole, entertains but also hearkens back to the times and trials of Nazi-occupied
Europe where Verhoeven grew up and forewarns audiences of the dangers of embracing such a
society that seems utopian on the surface but can just as easily disintegrate into a dystopian
disaster.
Michael Ironside's character, Rasczak, may not be the film's central character, but his ideals are
the driving force behind the film. Early in the film, using the classroom setting as an
indoctrination center, Rasczak teaches that violence solves every problem, and says that pacifism
solves nothing. "People that forget that always pay," he says. The rest of the movie will go
about proving him wrong. Certainly Rasczak has paid a steep price, the loss of an arm, but the
ideals he espouses seem to prove contradictory to his own life, evidenced by the stub that was
once his arm, and the mechanical hand he employs later in the film. Rasczak's status as a
severely maimed individual, still hanging onto the "violence solves everything" credo, shows the
deep, pervasive brainwashing that permeates such a society. His character is the mouthpiece for
the combined political and militaristic system seen in the movie, and he later says, "figuring
things
out for yourself is the only freedom
anyone really has." Indeed, this future vision of Earth is one with few freedoms and no privacy,
evidenced both by the co-ed showers at the barracks and by the 6-foot screen that so
prominently displays your academic record for all the student body to see. Little do these young,
still malleable minds truly know of the real world. When they meet a man
who was also maimed in battle, he proclaims their
idealism is
for naught and that they are nothing more than "fresh meat for the grinder." "The Mobile
Infantry made me the man I am today," he says, revealing not only an artificial hand but a torso
with no legs. He serves as the foil to Rasczak, but his character is brushed aside as quickly as the
passing "big deal" glances shared between the recruits when they meet him. Will the violence
and despair of a seemingly futile war change these character's outlooks, or was the real damage
done long before they were old enough to fire a weapon?
Starship Troopers 2: Hero of the Federation Rating: 1.5/5
With the battle on Planet P successful and mankind now on the march towards victory against
the bugs, Starship Troopers 2: Hero of the Federation tells the tale of a group of troopers
fighting a horde of arachnids on a desolate chunk of real estate, and as almost always seems to
be the case, in a losing effort. For every bug that is pumped full of lead, ten more seem to take
its place. In the midst of an intense battle, and Fleet Command unable to provide aerial
extraction, a group of troopers locate a recently abandoned outpost in search of safety and
reprieve from the fighting. There, they find locked in a furnace the "murderer" Captain V.J. Dax
(Richard Burgi, Hostel Part II),
imprisoned for the alleged killing of his commanding officer. He's a hard-nosed, smart soldier with
plenty of battlefield experience, and during a seemingly lost battle with the bugs, he is freed from
captivity
and allowed to join the fight, saving much of the group in the process. As the film develops, we
learn the bugs have infiltrated the compound by implanting the humans and slowly infesting the
troopers, with the ultimate goal of placing a bug inside General Jack Shepherd (Ed Lauter) to
glean information and, ultimately, infest the entire chain of Federation command. It's up to Dax
and semi-psychic trooper Lei Sahara (Colleen Porch) to foil the plan and, ultimately, save the
Federation.
Taking on more of a horror/suspense angle, and coming across as much drearier than either its
predecessor or successor, Starship Troopers 2: Hero of the Federation valiantly attempts
to show us an interesting corner of the Starship Troopers universe but fails to do so.
Gone is the social and political commentary, the humor, the good looking cast, and the bright
locales of the first movie, and introduced is a single dark, musty locale where the vast majority of
the film takes place and a handful of scruffy, war-torn (and ultimately forgettable, one of the
film's most fatal flaws) troopers hole up in search of safety from a horde of bugs. The idea isn't a
bad one at all. With an interesting world already
fashioned and established in the previous film, a look at the darker, nerve-racking, and
frightening life of a group of regular troopers on the ground, all the while building on the lore of
the Federation and the War against the bugs, seems like a great idea. Sadly, the movie fails in a
number of areas. First, the characters that inhabit it are uninteresting and poorly developed,
serving as nothing more than empty vessels to move the story along. Even the film's title
character, Dax, who becomes a "hero of the Federation," sees little development. We never
really care about his past, his intentions, or his motivations. The script does try to develop him in
all three areas, but the thin plot and generally lackadaisical acting from not only Richard Burgi but
his fellow cast members certainly does not help the movie. Second, the film features little in the
way of production values. The sets are completely uninteresting and devoid of life, and even
taking into consideration the dark, nondescript nature of the story, they fail to elicit any character
or atmosphere. The props are also incredibly cheap in appearance and function. The rifles,
particularly the large ones, look like a chunk of plastic, and they all shoot a flashing light, as
opposed to bullets as seen in the first film. I've seen better at the local toy store. Third, the
story line is trite and dull. We've seen the
"people trapped with a monster trying to inhabit them" arc countless times before,
(Alien, The Thing), and
done far better than what we have here, too. I could
go on, but there is really little point in doing so. Starship Troopers 2 does feature a few
minutes of decent action up front, but the film falls apart from there. It's a bad movie, but
surpasses the third by leaps and bounds nevertheless, and it is worth watching once for the die
hard Starship Troopers fans and the curious.
Starship Troopers 3: Marauder Rating: 0.5/5
As the movie begins, we discover the Federation is embroiled in "Bug War 2" and the front line is
on
a farming planet called Roku San. Johnny Rico (Casper Van Dien, Starship Troopers) is
back.
Now a colonel, he's one of the ranking officers at the military installation that is defended by an
electrified perimeter that is effective at controlling the bug problem outside its walls. The
Federation's singing Sky Marshall (with whom audiences are encouraged to sing along with
karaoke-style at one point on the FedNet -- can this franchise sink any lower?) arrives for a tour
of
the facility on a shuttle piloted by Captain Lola Beck (Blalock). Soon thereafter, the compound's
perimeter goes down and the bugs attack, with the Sky Marshall and Captain Beck barely
escaping.
Later, Rico is arrested and sentenced to hang for the defeat, but when word comes down that the
Sky Marshall has been stranded on a hostile planet deep inside the Arachnid Quarantine Zone,
Rico's
life is spared and he'll lead a group of troopers armed with a brand new weapon to save the Sky
Marshall and perhaps deal a devastating blow to the bugs.
This is such a terrible movie and a major disappointment to a longtime fan of the original
Starship Troopers that I don't even know where to begin. The production values are
virtually nil. The filmmakers managed to make every cent count in creating the film's sets and
special effects. All of the $1.79 they spent was definitely put to good use. Every single set
looks like a set. I was more under the impression that the base on Roku San was a guided video
tour of a soundstage, not the final product seen in a movie, direct-to-video or not. The special
effects might have looked good a decade-and-a-half ago in a sequel to something like The
Last Starfighter, but what we see are barely on par with the worst Sci-Fi channel-quality
offering. Look at Lola Beck's hair in one of the final shots of the movie against the backdrop of a
planet. The green screen effect is plainly visible through her hair, and it's not even one of those
ever-so-slight edges around her head. Likewise, every actor is horrendous, with the exception of
Starship Troopers veteran Casper Van Dien, who is merely bad. Stiff, uninterested, and
lackadaisical doesn't even begin to explain the performances. The story is
bogus, the FedNet clips are a joke, the action is boring, the violence and gore are minimal (save
for one fun scene where a trooper's severed head is stuck to the leg of a bug), some of the new
bugs look like something ripped off from War of the Worlds, and I yearned for one of the
"bug grenades" to come through my screen and end the misery.
Starship Troopers explodes onto Blu-ray with an exceptional 1080p, 1.85:1 framed
transfer. The film has a wonderful grain structure that plays nicely with the bright, shiny
environments we see throughout the movie, especially those on Earth. Detail in every regard is
absolutely first-rate. Faces show every pore, mole, and blemish (yes, even these teens have a
few
blemishes). Clothing looks exceptional. Close-ups of the various gray military uniforms show
every stitch and the texture of the fabric. Colors are bright but never overblown. "Natural" is
the
rule rather than diluted or overly bright. Many surfaces and locales, like the football field seen in
chapter two, have a plastic, almost fake look to them, but that's the style of the movie -- the
almost
too
perfect, clean, and handsome environments are meant to contrast with the brutal, disgusting,
bloody hell that the troopers descend into on several occasions as they battle the bugs. Flesh
tones
are spectacular, and black levels are solid as well.
No review of Starship Troopers would be complete without mention of the brutality and
gore strewn throughout the movie. The graphic violence in the film stands out as incredibly
elaborate and with vivid, stomach-churning detail. The slaughtered Mormons whose settlement
was devastated by arachnids shows excruciating detail in 1080p, and anyone without a
doubly-strong iron stomach will not want to watch this film, especially on Blu-ray. Take a look at
the two
men who are burned alive at the end of the first battle on Planet P in chapter twelve. I noticed
detail I never saw before on the DVD version. For example, one can see the eye dangling from
the socket of the engulfed-in-flames trooper on the right. Granted, most of the gore is masked
by the flames, but
1080p high definition reveals the little details like never before. The transfer does exhibit a few
extremely minor blemishes that keep it from being perfect. Color banding was an issue in one of
the "FedNet" commercials seen early on. The print also exhibits minimal and barely noticeable
splotches, pops, and nicks, but so miniscule are they that the issue is hardly worth worrying
about. A few effects shots stand out like a sore thumb here and there, evidenced by Rico
standing in front of a star field around the 1:40:00 mark. Nevertheless, Starship
Troopers looks absolutely marvelous on Blu-ray. It's always been a fine looking movie on
DVD, and this Blu-ray edition is a remarkable upgrade. It also comes as close to perfection as you
can get without receiving a perfect score.
Starship Troopers 2: Hero of the Federation Rating: 2/5
Starship Troopers 2: Hero of the Federation lands on Blu-ray with a 1080p high
definition, 1.78:1-framed transfer. Filmed with a Sony HDW-F900 high definition camera, the
film
looks remarkably uninspired. Soft, dull, dreary, and completely uninteresting from a visual
perspective, the film does not make for the kind of material one would demo to sell a Blu-ray
home theater. It definitely has that "video" look to it, and it would be right at home and in-line
with the quality of your average Saturday afternoon Sci-Fi Channel flick. The film exhibits an
incredible amount of noise; the movie's opening battle is awash in it. It is such a massive
amount that Blu-ray fans who yearn for smooth, grain- or noise-free images will scream out for
mercy. The movie also features only moderate black levels, and banding is visible here and there.
There is very little fine detail, most of the interior shots are extremely dark, and there oftetimes
seems to
be a fog over the image. Many of the exterior shots are clouded by an incredible amount of wind,
dust, and debris, while the interior shots are poorly lit and colors consist of blacks, dark blues,
and grays. Flesh tones appear mostly accurate throughout. Starship Troopers 2: Hero of the
Federation fails to impress, but considering the incredibly dark nature of the movie, this is
probably about as good as the movie will look. Still, it pales in comparison to Starship
Troopers.
Starship Troopers 3: Marauder Rating: 3.5/5
Starship Troopers 3: Marauder arrives on Blu-ray with a workmanlike 1080p, 1.85:1
framed transfer that is neither sparklingly good nor atrociously bad. Fairly heavy grain and a dark
image is what you can expect with this one. Detail is solid but sometimes obscured by darkness.
Like the original Starship Troopers, detail in the uniforms and close-ups is fantastic.
Blacks
are solid but crushing is sometimes a problem. The picture features very little in the way of color
during its first act on Roku San. Blues, grays, and blacks permeate the picture, with reds only
used
for blood and gore. On the planet where Beck and the Sky Marshall crash land, the bright, sunlit
beach allows for detail to stand out, and the image looks fantastic. It plays in stark contrast to
the
first third of the film, and it's a nice respite from the dark, drab nature of parts of the movie.
These
scenes also exhibit some heavy grain and a washed-out appearance that is so prevalent in many
of the more recent
desert-centric movies these days (think Three Kings). Color banding was present in
several shots throughout the
movie, as
was minor pixelation. All in
all, the transfer is not a bad one, but it is fairly average at best. The video quality is the best
aspect of the disc,
which isn't saying much.
The weak link on this disc is the Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack. It still sounds rather
good,
but compared to the rest of the package, it feels slightly underpowered. Dialogue is perfectly
clear
and discernible throughout the film, and ambience is excellent. When class is dismissed at the
beginning of the film, we can hear the announcements over the school's speakers in the
background, creating a seamless environment. Parts of the audio sound somewhat subdued,
evidenced by the party the characters attend in chapter three. The music sounds wonderful, but
is
toned down to make dialogue audible. It might be a bit unrealistic, but it makes the scene more
watchable and meaningful. Gunfire, too, seems somewhat subdued and reserved. It's not as
ear-piercing and powerful as I expected it to be. A bombing run on the bugs in chapter 10
sounds good,
with some solid bass and directionality from the fly over of the fighters, but the scene, and most
of
the track, still lack top-flight fidelity, dynamics, and punch. The subsequent attack of the tanker
bug is exciting but fails to overly impress. The battle at the compound in chapter 12 may be the
most entertaining listen of the movie. The heavy machine guns pack a punch, the flying bugs
zoom
in from the back to the front, and the excitement of the scene is elevated thanks to the
aggressive
sound mix. This is a solid, engaging listen, but one that felt somewhat reserved.
Starship Troopers 2: Hero of the Federation Rating: 3.5/5
As is the case with the other two films in the series, Starship Troopers 2: Hero of the
Federation conveys its action aurally via a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack. At the
beginning of the film, we are treated to a very good, expansive sound filed, evidenced by the first
prolonged battle with the bugs. Surrounds are active with the sounds of distant fighting; bass
thumps with each rifle shot, impact of rounds on the bugs, and explosions; the screeches of the
bugs are precise; and dialogue is never lost under the action. As the retreat to the abandoned
outpost is underway, a heavy wind blows all around the soundstage to wonderful effect. Once
inside, where the rest of the movie takes place, the track does a decent job of creating a nice,
spooky atmosphere, utilizing the entire sound stage to nice effect. Sound effects are rendered
impressively, and dialogue reproduction is strong. The sound design of Starship Troopers 2:
Hero of the Federation walks a fine line between realistic and gimmicky, and for the most
part, it walks it well. While there are a few discrete effects that sound out of place, the sound
field generally feels natural and immersive. This is another good effort from Sony.
Starship Troopers 3: Marauder Rating: 2.5/5
Starship Troopers 3: Marauder features an oddly uninspired Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless
soundtrack. Right from the beginning, you'll notice that dialogue, especially on Roku San, is
somewhat lower in volume than expected, but discernment is never an issue. The dialogue
heard
around the 41:00 mark sounds filtered and extremely harsh, almost like it's coming through a
telephone, and this anomaly will randomly plague the rest of the soundtrack. The entire track has
a
subdued presence. Music is low in volume, effects are shoddy, gunfire is muffled and reserved,
and
bass and surround presence is sporadic. It is not until chapter three when the bugs break the
perimeter that the sound kicks in. Explosions, the shrieks of bugs, radio chatter, and gunfire
create
a nice sound field. Still, the sound lacks punch and vibrancy, coming across as dull and
uninspired.
A few nice effects are found in the rear, too. Chapter six again features a good start on some
exciting audio cues, but the effects feel incomplete. The track does pick up in intensity further
into
the movie, but on the whole this one is mundane, boring, and suffers from some strange
dialogue distortions throughout the second half of the film.
Starship Troopers blasts onto Blu-ray with an amazing supplemental package that is one
of the most comprehensive and technically advanced to date. We start things off with a feature
called Blu-Wizard. Viewers can select the special features the want to see, play the
movie, and have only those special features they chose interrupt the film and play at
pre-designated timeframes. All of the
features -- Screen Tests, Deleted Scenes, Scene Deconstruction, Storyboard Comparisons, FX
Comparisons, Know Your Foe, Featurettes, and Death From Above -- are selectable from this
feature and integrated into the movie watching experience. Of note is that all of these
supplements are accessible further down in the special features menu to view in a more
traditional manner. Two audio
commentary tracks are included, the first featuring director Paul Verhoeven and writer Ed
Neumeier. Verhoeven is always good for an engaging, exciting, and surprising commentary track.
The
director delves straight into the political and social undertones of the movie and Neumeier
discusses how World War II propaganda films served as the visual template for the film's
atmosphere. Say what you will about
Verhoeven, his movies, or his politics, but the man is clearly highly intelligent and makes movies
that perfectly express the
message he's trying to get across, and in this commentary track, he does a superb job of
defending
this film. This commentary track is one of the top few I've heard, ranking right up there with the
two tracks found on the First Blood disc. Rarely
is
a commentary so full of relevant and eye-opening information. Track number two again features
Verhoeven, this time accompanied by actors Casper Van Dien, Dina Meyer, and Neil Patrick Harris.
With the actors in tow, this is more of a traditional commentary track that is less in-depth than
the
first one, but entertaining nevertheless. More standard-fare and throwaway comments rule the
day with some rather long gaps of dead air, but this remains a recommended listen for major fans
of the film.
FedNet Mode is a picture-in-picture feature that frames the image in a FedNet-style
frame. A small box appears at the bottom right hand
corner of your screen that features numerous interviews with cast and crew. Much of the
information is similar to what we've heard in the commentary tracks, but with a fresh spin and
more in-depth discussion and thoughts on the meaning behind the film, along with more typical
information such as casting, special effects, and the like. Random facts about people, places, and
things also appear to flesh out our knowledge of the film and make for an excellent feature.
Recruitment Test is next. This 1080p feature asks various questions about pieces of
information that can be gleaned from watching the film, sometimes intermixed with clips from
the film. When the test is complete, you will be assigned a score
and a military rank. Not having seen the film in some time and playing the game before
watching the movie, I only managed to attain the rank of Corporal.
Put Yourself in the Movie allows users who have a Blu-ray player connected to the
Internet to upload a photo of themselves onto the disc's BD-Live page and turn on the feature to
see themselves in the film. Death From Above (480p, 31:57) is next, an excellent
making-of piece that begins with a look at the life and novel of Starship Troopers author
Robert A. Heinlein. The challenge of retaining the original intent of the novel while adding action,
violence, love stories, and more is discussed, as are various elements deleted from novel to film
for budgetary and practical reasons. The piece also delves into casting, director Paul Verhoeven's
style, the involvement of military advisor Dale Dye, the film's score, and more. Three featurettes
are included on this disc. The Making of 'Starship Troopers' (480p, 7:58) is an
entertaining piece told in FedNet style and provides the most basic of information on the film
that, if you have watched and listened to all the supplements already listed, is completely
superfluous. The Spaceships of 'Starship Troopers' (480p, 3:26) looks at the design of
the various spaceships seen in the film and the "orchestra" of lights and special effects that make
the scenes and effects believable. Bug Test Film: Don't Look Now (480p, 1:13) is a fun
early screen test of how some of the bugs look and move.
Moving along, Know Your Foe (480p) is an introduction to several species of bug --
Warrior (5:13), Tanker (2:17), Hopper (2:30), Plasma (1:03), and Brain (6:01). FX
Comparisons (480p) is a series of nine sequences from the film that show the unfinished
edition on your screen alongside the final, effects-filled version in a picture-in-picture window.
Included are Fednet Klendathu (1:04), Censored! (0:13), Carmen Pilots
Fleet Trainer (1:18), Asteroid Grazing (1:30), Klendathu (8:36), Rico
Rides Tanker Bug (1:09), Whiskey Outpost (7:04), Wreck of the Rodger
Young (2:55), and The Brain Bug (5:14). Three scenes are available with 480p
storyboard comparisons, again with the storyboard on your screen with the final scene playing in
a small picture-in-picture window. Included are Asteroid Grazing (1:51), Klendathu
Landing (6:51), and Hopper Canyon (2:31). Scene Deconstruction With Paul
Verhoeven features the director taking us into the creation of two scenes -- Tanker Bug
Ride (480p, 4:06) and Rodger Young Destroyed (3:29). Five deleted scenes (480p,
8:00), two screen tests entitled Johnny & Carmen's #1 (1:49) and Johnny &
Carmen's #2 (1:53), and trailers for Starship Troopers 3:
Marauder, Men in Black, CJ7, and Close Encounters of the Third
Kind conclude this exhaustive supplemental package.
Starship Troopers 2: Hero of the Federation Rating: 2/5
Using the same menu screen as Starship Troopers, Starship Troopers 2: Hero of the
Federation contains only a commentary, two featurettes, and a few trailers. The
commentary track features director Phil Tippett, producer John Davidson, and writer Ed
Neumeier. "It's kind of like beating a dead horse," they say, commenting that the film "seemed
like a good idea at the time." The participants make no excuses for the quality, but do discuss
why the film took on a horror-oriented theme, the reason being the limited budget. There is a
good discussion about the influence of John Ford, of all people, on this film, and how the story
evolved from an idea the team had for the first film when the studio requested its budget be cut.
The honesty of the track is incredibly refreshing. This is not a 90 minute bash-fest, and there is
plenty of pertinent behind-the-scenes information and talk of the effort that went into the film,
even on a limited budget. This is a case of the commentary track being better than the movie.
Inside the Federation (480p, 30:04) is a very good making-of piece that looks at the
work of Phil Tippett. This supplement features the cast and crew discussing the film and their
performances, the camaraderie between the actors, a look at the special effects, and more.
From Green Screen
to Silver Screen (480p, 9:06) features Eric Leven taking us through the special effects
process, from storyboards to the final product.
Rounding out the extras are the same four trailers found on Starship Troopers: Starship Troopers 3:
Marauder, Men in Black, CJ7, and Close Encounters of the Third
Kind.
Starship Troopers 3: Marauder Rating: 2/5
Starship Troopers 3: Marauder arrives directly to Blu-ray with more than its fair share of
extra materials. Two commentaries are the highlight, the first featuring writer/director Ed
Neumeier, visual effects supervisor Robert Skotak, and producer David Lancaster. This track is as
dull as the movie itself. Beginning with a brief introduction of the history of the production, the
track delves into the film's special effects, filming in South Africa, the balance between story and
special effects, and more.
Track number two is an actors track with Casper Van Dien and Jolene Blalock, and they are also
accompanied by Neumeier. Two commentary tracks is completely superfluous for a direct to
video C-movie, but for anyone interested, we can hear this trio bore us to death with stories from
the set, their excitement over the script and starring in the film, and other information. The disc
also features Marauder Mode. This in-movie
experience features behind-the-scenes footage, interviews with the cast and crew, and facts
about the world of Starship Troopers. When activated, the screen is framed with a
FedNet-style graphic and a pop-up window appears almost halfway up the right hand side of the
screen and provides even more information not found anywhere else on the disc.
Put Yourself in the Film: Join the Fight! is the same feature found on the Starship
Troopers Blu-ray disc. Viewers may upload a photo of themselves, build a trooper, and see
themselves in the
film. Two featurettes are next. Evolution: The Bugs of 'Starship Troopers 3: Marauder'
(1080p, 11:32) examines the "bigger and better" bugs found in the film, beginning with concept
drawings and models to the final creatures seen in the film. Enlist: Marauder's Mobile
Infantry (1080p, 13:55) examines the various characters seen in the film. A music video
entitled It's A Good Day to Die performed by Sky Marshall Omar Anoke and 1080p
previews for Prom Night, 88 Minutes, 21, Vantage Point, Dragon Wars, Resident Evil:
Degeneration, The Fall, Untraceable, and Starship Troopers
conclude this supplemental package.
It's truly a shame that a series featuring a film as strong as Starship Troopers has tanked
as quickly as it has. An under-appreciated Science Fiction masterpiece, the first film is classic
Verhoeven, and is essential viewing for a number of reasons, and is an accessible film for lovers of
action, humor, and horror, all the while weaving an intricate web of social and political
commentary, most of it overt but some of it subtly placed throughout the movie. The sequels,
however, leave much to be desired. The second film is filled with potential, but the poor script,
abysmal acting, terrible production values, and forgettable characters make it a disappointing
entry
into the series, but it just misses the "avoid at all costs" label. It's worth checking out once. The
third film, however, is simply putrid, and even hardcore Starship Troopers fans will find it
hard to swallow. Sony has provided a boxed set of all three films, and at the time of writing, is
the only way to own Starship Troopers 2: Hero of the Federation on Blu-ray. Each
individual film brings its own unique video and audio qualities and supplemental features to the
table, with Starship Troopers being the strongest entry in all three aspects. The sequels
are a mixed bag when it comes to their respective audio and video offerings, though each does
include a decent mix of extra materials. As such, recommending this set is difficult. Starship
Troopers is a must-see and a must-own, but the other two films, and this set, are for the
most
ardent Starship Troopers fans only.
Amazon has a Blu-ray related lightning deal going on now: up to 2 p.m. PDT, you can order Starship Troopers Trilogy (comprised of Starship Troopers, Starship Troopers 2: Hero of the Federation -unavailable separately- and Starship Troopers 3: Marauder) for only ...
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has revealed the specs for the upcoming Blu-ray releases of 'Starship Troopers', 'Starship Troopers: Marauder', and the 'Starship Troopers Box Set' which will include all three "Starship Troopers" films in stunning high definition. ...
Starship Troopers Trilogy Blu-ray, Forum Discussions
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