5.1 | / 10 |
Users | 2.5 | |
Reviewer | 1.5 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
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 original Bug Invasion on Planet P, to lead a team of Troopers on a daring rescue mission.
Starring: Casper Van Dien, Jolene Blalock, Amanda Donohoe, Marnette Patterson, Stephen HoganAction | 100% |
Sci-Fi | 70% |
Thriller | 66% |
Horror | 33% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1 (48kHz, 16-bit)
French: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
Portuguese: Dolby Digital 5.1
Thai: Dolby Digital 5.1
Portuguese and Thai dubs also @ 640 Kbps
English, English SDH, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Indonesian, Korean, Mandarin (Simplified), Mandarin (Traditional), Thai
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Bonus View (PiP)
BD-Live
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 0.5 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 2.5 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 1.5 |
If you're against the war, you're against us.
Starship Troopers 3: Marauder is a sequel to Paul Verhoeven's classic film Starship Troopers in
name, but it
completely fails
to build on the themes of the first film, choosing instead to stick a familiar face in the lead,
surround
him with some terrible acting, lesser special effects, dumbed down dialogue that fails to capture
the
spirit of the satire found in the first film, forego the ultra-violence of the first film, and focus
primarily on an idiotic plot. The
theme of the movie revolves
around the slogan, "it's a good day to die," and I guess it is only fitting that Jolene Blalock (TV's
"Enterprise") stars in this movie, since the line is a complete rip-off of the old Klingon proverb
from
the "Star Trek" universe. If a movie features plenty of guns and violence, I'm generally more
than
forgiving, but Starship Troopers 3: Marauder was a chore to watch, and after 36 minutes
I
required a lengthy break from the movie before finishing it. The end couldn't come soon enough,
and I fail to recall being quite this disappointed in a movie before.
Yup, ED-209 is my cousin from Verhoeven's side of the family.
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.
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 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 never any fun to write such a negative review, but I have to be honest and report that I absolutely loathed this movie. With a bad plot, no production values, terrible acting, and lame special effects, the movie's pace drags and its 105 minute runtime feels longer than Lonesome Dove, which clocks in at 372 minutes. The difference, of course, is that one film is a gem, the other an epic dud. With only a decent video presentation, a disappointing audio experience, and a group of uninteresting supplements, Starship Troopers 3: Marauder isn't worth watching. Even if you found a copy on sale for a dime, I'd suggest saving your money, and more importantly, your time. Definitely not recommended.
2004
20th Anniversary Edition
1997
2009
2007
1997
Ultimate Collector's Edition
1986
2014
3-Disc Set
2010
2004
1987
1990
Special Edition
2000
2008
2000
バイオハザード:ディジェネレーション / Biohazard: Degeneration
2008
2015
1992
2014
40th Anniversary Edition
1979
2013