This disk does not have quite as many features as the other disks in the series (multiple languages, for example), but they did go back to the studio and enhance the music and audio effects, and the full-length commentary track provides insights into the making of the series.
Even though the target audience was adolescents, I'm in my 50s, and have been anxiously awaiting this "missing week" to complete my collection. (I pre-ordered it as soon as it was available, as I did with the other disks in the series.) As different from the movie as the movie was from the book, it is still Very Entertaining, and I really enjoy watching the reactions of people who see it for the first time. :-)
As revealed on one of the other disks, the actors recorded the scripts of two additional episodes, but they were never animated ... budget constraints near the end led to the creation of two "clip shows" to deliver the promised 40 episodes (5 episodes a week for 8 weeks.) We now have 7 of what should be 8 DVDs, and if enough fans buy them, maybe the producers will complete the unfinshed episodes and include them on a final DVD.
Cast your vote for completing the collection by buying this disk ... and if you haven't purchased any of the others yet, get this one first, because it's a well constructed, self-contained story arc that stands OK by itself, even if it is out-of-context.
Rating: 
Summary: Buggalicious!
Review: Another absolutely stunning adventure for the ROUGHNECKS, the "Zephyr Campaign" has long been referred to as the 'lost campaign,' seeing as it was skipped over in the DVD production schedule due in large part to what the producers had deemed 'questionable effectiveness' to their animation. Some of the imagery had been dubbed 'watery,' and there was thought that this campaign had a snowball's chance of seeing the light of day.
Thank goodness the kind folks decided to release it!
In the scope of the entire ROUGHNECKS series, ZEPHYR introduces some mighty fine species of new bugs for our heroes to fight, and the digital transfer is wonderfully done. The story also expands heavily upon the possible relationships between the principle characters, and the non-stop action continues from start to finish.
Please, please, please! Buy this product so that the producers will be able to justify completing the final three-episode installment to give us a fitting conclusion to one stunning series.
Rating:
Summary: Buggalicious!
Review: Another absolutely stunning adventure for the ROUGHNECKS, the "Zephyr Campaign" has long been referred to as the 'lost campaign,' seeing as it was skipped over in the DVD production schedule due in large part to what the producers had deemed 'questionable effectiveness' to their animation. Some of the imagery had been dubbed 'watery,' and there was thought that this campaign had a snowball's chance of seeing the light of day.
Thank goodness the kind folks decided to release it!
In the scope of the entire ROUGHNECKS series, ZEPHYR introduces some mighty fine species of new bugs for our heroes to fight, and the digital transfer is wonderfully done. The story also expands heavily upon the possible relationships between the principle characters, and the non-stop action continues from start to finish.
Please, please, please! Buy this product so that the producers will be able to justify completing the final three-episode installment to give us a fitting conclusion to one stunning series.
Rating:
Summary: Glued to my TV!
Review: Having read Starship Trooper when it was first released many years ago, I felt like a purist when it came to the movie and a viewer of the Chronicles. But having purchased the first six dvd's and now this new one, I am hooked and convinced that this series is a winner big time.
I am a bit confused about the issue of the last two episodes. I watched Homefront and of course I was totally irritated by the fact that the producers left our heros on earth with bugs doing there dirty best to wipe out the human race and nothing follows.
Are the missing episodes the undrawn conclusion to Homefront episode? I would hate for the bugs to win in the end. :(
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED FOR PURCHASE to anyone that loved the book and the movie. Our heros get more time to rescue all our butts and it is a great story.
Rating:
Summary: Glued to my TV!
Review: Having read Starship Trooper when it was first released many years ago, I felt like a purist when it came to the movie and a viewer of the Chronicles. But having purchased the first six dvd's and now this new one, I am hooked and convinced that this series is a winner big time.
I am a bit confused about the issue of the last two episodes. I watched Homefront and of course I was totally irritated by the fact that the producers left our heros on earth with bugs doing there dirty best to wipe out the human race and nothing follows.
Are the missing episodes the undrawn conclusion to Homefront episode? I would hate for the bugs to win in the end. :(
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED FOR PURCHASE to anyone that loved the book and the movie. Our heros get more time to rescue all our butts and it is a great story.
Rating:
Summary: Give US More
Review: I totally agree with everyone that's reviewed so far. We need the missing 2 catchall clips and the last few episodes!! Why stop when your so close to finishing the mission?
Rating: 
Summary: More is better!
Review: I'm glad to finally see all* of the completed episodes make it to DVD. They produced some wonderful work, and getting this show into the hands of it's fans is a great accomplishment. Hats off to Audu! Thank you!
However, portions of the footage seems grainy, like it was over-compressed, especially shots inside the dropship. I have heard this from others, but don't know if it was a bad batch, or that's the best they could do (...since this story arc was not originally meant to be released to DVD. And then, only after fan pressure.).
Oh, and am I the only one who is bothered by the fact the "M.I." logo on the Special Features menu is upside-down?? ...on every arc DVD? That aside, I would still recommend R:STC to every fan of Starship Troopers! Collect them all! I did!
Rating:
Summary: More is better!
Review: I'm glad to finally see all* of the completed episodes make it to DVD. They produced some wonderful work, and getting this show into the hands of it's fans is a great accomplishment. Hats off to Audu! Thank you!
However, portions of the footage seems grainy, like it was over-compressed, especially shots inside the dropship. I have heard this from others, but don't know if it was a bad batch, or that's the best they could do (...since this story arc was not originally meant to be released to DVD. And then, only after fan pressure.).
Oh, and am I the only one who is bothered by the fact the "M.I." logo on the Special Features menu is upside-down?? ...on every arc DVD? That aside, I would still recommend R:STC to every fan of Starship Troopers! Collect them all! I did!
Rating:
Summary: Roughnecks ROCK! Finish Season 1 and DO SEASON 2!!
Review: Roughnecks is the BEST CGI Sci-Fi drama ever done for TV. Made for kids (I am 50) and botched by Sony/BKN from the start it has
nerver received a fair shake. Please INSIST that the last 3 shows and episode 31 (missing from Homefront)be included on a 2nd
Homefront DVD. I now have all 7 DVD's and 4 of the VHS tapes plus
all of the episodes I recorded during its short run on BKN. For a
show done in 1999 it is still TOPS in CGI Animation. Episode 31
is the exciting space battle between SICON and the Queen as she
heads for Earth, without it the first episode of Homefront makes
no sense! (The war is over????) NOT! Come on SONY...GIVE US THE
REST OF IT!!! It should have been ran in prime time. Great action
and characters, cool special FX and it is the only rendition that
even remotely follows the book! I honestly believe that Troopers
could give any prime time show in a family slot a run for its money! And lets not forget the "Clip Shows", Marooned, Court Martial and Boot Camp (These were how Sony got the magic "40" episodes without actually finishing the series. BUY THESE DVD's!!
AND MAYBE SONY WILL SEE DOLLAR SIGNS AND GIVE US THE REST OF IT!!
Rating:
Summary: Some really clever ideas
Review: Roughnecks used the look and feel of the movie, plus a lot of the storylines of the book to retell the story of the Mobile Infantry fighting a war against an alien invasion. But they also introduced some unique ideas of their own and this episode had one of the better ones.
One intriguing idea that the series introduced was that of an alien race that did not use technology at all, but "bred" or "grew" whatever it needed. So their ships are biological, their artillery is biological, and they have various kinds of fighting bugs as well. That was a clever idea.
But this episode introduced another clever idea as well--the idea of giant "sleeper bugs" that could sleep in space for perhaps thousands of years, looking like an asteroid, until one day waking up to head off to a new planet to invade. I don't know if that is a unique idea of their own, or if the writers got it from science fiction literature, but it is clever. The one downside is that they never really show this sleeper bug very well.
Something that I liked about this series that this campaign showed off well is that the story does not always progress in ways you would expect, but in some ways is more "real." For instance, at one point the troopers manage to get the Zephyr off the ground only to crash it only a short time later. I did not see that coming.
One downside is that the commentary tracks occasionally leave something to be desired. The filmmakers often re-cover the same background and explanations that they have on previous discs and we don't need to hear all of that stuff again.
