Starship Troopers Trilogy

This review is spread over 4 pages, with the three Starship Troopers films on pages 1-3 and an overall opinion of the boxset on page 4.

STARSHIP TROOPERS

Introduction

Just as he did with RoboCop, Paul Verhoeven worked from a script by Edward Neumeier to make a futuristic satirical sci-fi film. Set in an undisclosed point in the future when the human race is at war with 'bugs', Starship Troopers follows school friends Johnny Rico (Casper Van Dien), his girlfriend Carmen Ibanez (Denise Richards), Dizzy Flores (Dina Meyer) and Carl Jenkins (Neil Patrick Harris). Inspired to enrol in the armed forces to become citizens by their one-armed war-veteran teacher Jean Rasczak (Michael Ironside), they are split up according to their abilities: Carmen goes off to be a pilot, Carl to military intelligence, but Johnny and Dizzy are only deemed fit for mobile infantry.

Whilst Carmen excels at flight school and is hit on by a suave instructor, Johnny's time in basic training is ruined when his actions lead to the death of a collegue, for which he is publicly flogged and compounded when Carmen breaks up with him. Just as he is about to quit, his home city of Buenos Aires is destroyed by the bugs and he resolves to stay with the Mobile Infantry and fight back.

Video

The picture quality is, at times, breathtaking especially on the bug planets when there are huge numbers of people or bugs swarming all over the landscape and yet you can make out details in the distance. Other scenes have some graining especially close ups but it's not detrimental to the viewing experience and the blend of CGI and model bugs work exceptionally well.

This is one of the best transfers I've seen on Blu-ray and the scenes on the showreel are visually stunning.

*The pictures contained in this review are for illustrative purposes only and do not reflect the image quality of the disc.*

Audio

The English soundtrack comes in PCM 5.1 uncompressed and Dolby Digital 5.1 (unlike the Spanish and French options which have DD and DTS). Unfortunately, my amp can't handle the uncompressed track so I can only comment on the Dolby Digital 5.1 which is excellent, with good separation and is reassuringly loud during the action sequences. It's a shame there is no English DTS option though.

Extra Features

Sadly the features are exactly the same as the DVD except this lacks the commentary furthermore it also lacks the commentaries and exclusive Blu-ray features that are on the American disc. Since that is region free, it's probably the way to go despite reportedly containing a six second editing glitch that is absent from this version.

As for the extras that are included, The Making of Starship Troopers is an 8 minute EPK puff piece which is a bit too brief for a film so many action sequences, special effects and characters. There are two Scene De-Constructions each with a commentary by director Paul Verhoeven and a minute long test sequence. In addition there are five deleted scenes, two screen tests and a teaser trailer.

Conclusion

Starship Troopers didn't do particularly well at the box office but has picked up a large following in the home video market. Those that realise it's not a dumb, violent sci-fi movie but a film with something to say with its send-up of fascism (and that includes me) really like Starship Troopers and the other Verhoeven/Neumeier hyper-violent satire, RoboCop.

The acting is good but not great and, unsurprisingly, didn't collect any Oscars, but Phil Tippet's effects work and Verhoeven's direction are excellent. The film is great fun and its step up to Blu-ray has produced an excellent picture and great sound - only tempered by the poor extras.

If you've been hanging on to the original DVD flipper, or even the special edition, neither comes close to the AV quality to be found here. It's a disc worth buying on its own, or as part of the Starship Troopers Trilogy box. Though the extra's are superior on the US release, that disc lacks the uncompressed soundtrack and contains a 6 second editing glitch.

STARSHIP TROOPERS 2

The original Starship Troopers was a big-budget film, with 'name' actors and a well known director in Paul Verhoeven. This straight-to-video sequel was directed by Phil Tippet, responsible for the visual effects on, amongst others, the first Starship Troopers movie and written by Edward Neumeier, who wrote RoboCop and Starship Troopers.

With the war against the bugs still ongoing, Bravo Company takes heavy casualties and seeks refuge in an abandoned army post. They find Captain Dax (Richard Burgi) locked in the furnace room, with the word 'Murderer' painted across the door. Private Sahara (Colleen Porch), a psychic, disobeys orders and releases him. General Shepherd (Ed Lauter) reinstates his rank, much to the consternation of the other officers.

Whilst waiting for help to arrive, they learn that the biggest threat comes from within the base, not from outside...

Video

This was shot digitally at 1080p but, being a straight-to-video movie, nobody could see it at that resolution in 2004. Now you can and it looks great. The bug effects are better than the first instalment, but other CGI effects are noticeable.

*The pictures contained in this review are for illustrative purposes only and do not reflect the image quality of the disc.*

Audio

There are French or English options and several subtitles (English, English HoH, French and Hindi). I watched it with the English Dolby Digital TrueHD and sampled the English subtitles. Both of these are excellent, with the audio effectively escalating the tension and using the surrounds well in the battle scenes.

Extra Features

Disappointingly, there is no new extra material for the Blu-ray release, with all the features duplicated from the DVD.

The audio commentary with Phil Tippet, Ed Neumeier, and producer Jon Davison is a worthwhile listen. It could have been extremely dry, but is informative and occasionally amusing.

There are two featurettes, the 30-minute Inside the Federation and From Green Screen to Silver Screen that runs for 10 minutes. They can be played individually or sequentially, using Play All. They are an interesting companion to the commentary.

There are also trailers for Starship Troopers 3: Marauder, Men in Black, CJ7 and Close Encounters of the Third Kind: 30th Anniversary Ultimate Edition, plus the Blu-ray Disc™ Is High Definition showreel.

Conclusion

I went into Hero of the Federation with low expectations after being sorely disappointed the first time around but, this time, I actually liked it! Whether this was to do with my rock-bottom expectations, or the great Blu-ray picture, is impossible to say, but this time I didn't watch it straight after Starship Troopers, so that may be a factor.

Although only related to Starship Troopers by name, uniform and enemy, this is almost a case of Aliens meets The Thing, as Tippet and Neumeier go for action and psychological horror, rather than the sledgehammer satire and outlandish violence of Verhoeven's film. It's alright - competently acted and directed, with decent special effects, but nothing more.

STARSHIP TROOPERS 3

In this third instalment of the Starship Troopers trilogy, which Edward Neumeier not only writes, but directs this time, Rico (Casper Van Dien), now a colonel, is on a remote planet, populated by anti-Federation farmers and under attack by bugs. The new Sky Marshall and intergalactic pop-star Omar Anoke (Stephen Hogan) is flown in by Rico's old flame Captain Lola Beck (Jolene Blalock) and her current beau General Dix Hauser (Boris Kodjoe).

When the Bugs break down the electrified fences, Omar and a small band of troopers are evacuated by Lola, but their ship crash-lands on another planet. The ambitious Admiral Enolo Phid (Amanda Donohoe) covers up the Sky Marshall's disappearance, faking his death in an explosion, which the Federation blames on anti-war protestors.

Rico is set-up, court-martialled and sentenced to hang but Dix, unsure who he can trust, saves Rico and gives him command of the Marauder project, in order to rescue Omar and Lola.

Video

Brand spanking new, this looks fantastic. The colours, contrast and CGI are all excellent and some of the location shooting in South Africa is splendid.

One of the downsides to such picture clarity is Jolene Blalock's huge top lip - it's quite a sight on a 42" screen!

*The pictures contained in this review are for illustrative purposes only and do not reflect the image quality of the disc.*

Audio

Aside from the English Dolby TrueHD 5.1, there are Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtracks in Czech, Hungarian, Polish and Russian; there are the usual myriad subtitles available.

The sound quality is excellent, with clear dialogue and effects which make great use of the surrounds.

Extra Features

There are two commentaries, the first with director/writer Edward Neumeier, producer David Lancaster, and co-visual effects supervisor Robert Skotak is a dry and technical affair, whereas the second, when Neumeier is joined by actors Casper Van Dien and Jolene Blalock, is more jocular and back-slapping. Both have optional subtitles in English and Dutch.

There are three featurettes which can be played individually or sequentially, using Play All, totalling 50 minutes:
On the Bounce: The Making of Starship Troopers 3: Marauder
Evolution: The Bugs of Starship Troopers 3: Marauder
Enlist: Marauder's Mobile Infantry

These three are well worth watching and are a good companion to the commentaries and Marauder Mode.

It's a Good Day to Die music video (Extended Version)

In addition, there are some features exclusive to the Blu-ray, most of which require Profile 2.0.

Marauder Mode puts a Hud on the screen and every so often a Picture-In-Picture Video commentary appears.
Put Yourself in the Movie: Join the Fight! Is supposed to let you upload a picture so that you appear in some scenes, but I couldn't get it to work.
Comic-Con 2008 is some time-limited downloadable material that has already expired by the time you read this. Seriously - what was the point?
The Federation Needs Your Help Public Service Announcement.
Download exclusive ringtones. Again, what's the point?

Conclusion

Starship Troopers 3: Marauder is very different to Hero of the Federation, closer in tone to the first instalment, with a heavier emphasis on satire and humour than the dark psychological horror of the second film. Casper Van Dien's Rico character links this to the Verhoeven original - even sharing the slightly ludicrous edge with a pop-star Sky Marshall!

It's good to see Van Dien back - a character with whom you identified was sorely missing from the first sequel and Jolene Blalock's Lola is basically the same character as Denise Richards' Carmen in the first film, playing the skilled love interest and the source of friction.

It's another straight-to-video sequel, cashing in on the limited box office success, but huge home entertainment market that the first film attracted. Is it as bad as the second one? No. Is it better than the first? No. Is it worth watching? Yes, but despite the wealth of extras - I watched the film four times to take advantage of the commentaries and Marauder Mode - probably as a rental rather than a purchase.

OVERALL OPINION

I really like Starship Troopers - I'm a sucker for Paul Verhoeven's over the top violence, sleazy nature and satirical swipes. I love RoboCop so it was no surprise that I had a great time watching Starship Troopers 10 years ago.

When I bought the DVD boxset containing the first two films, I was distinctly underwhelmed by the second instalment but it's a film that has grown on me as I've learnt to distance it from its prequel and I take it as it is - a film heavily influenced by The Thing but which stands alone. The third film is more like a sequel to the 1997 original, similar in tone and design - the presence of Casper Van Dien helps a great deal. It also has the best set of extras which will take you hours to get through and that makes it all the more disappointing that the other two are so relatively thin when it comes to their supplementary material.

You'll inevitably find yourself watching the original instalment more than either sequel in the box set, but they are films that are worth a watch - decent additions to the franchise, but not a patch on the first.

Starship Troopers has been released previously on Blu-ray (details here), Starship Troopers 3: Marauder is being released simultaneously on DVD and Blu-ray (details here) with this trilogy box set but Starship Troopers 2: Hero of the Federation can only be found in this set.