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Starship Troopers / Starship Troopers 2 - Hero Of The Federation (Special Edition Two Pack)

Starship Troopers / Starship Troopers 2 - Hero Of The Federation (Special Edition Two Pack)

List Price: $29.95
Your Price: $26.96
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Excellent Fun Movie on a Budget
Review: Excellent fun movie when you want to relax with a good sci-fi film.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: The Most Pathetic Film Ever Seen.
Review: One of the worst films I've ever seen in the history of science fiction or film ever. The scenes are choppy, the acting is second rate at best; I can see why this movie never went to the theatres, it would have lost the company millions. What was the budget of this thing, a $1.00? The plot is synonymous with a 1960 black and white sci-fi monster flick. If that's your objective for some random violent and blood/sex flick, I'd recommend Starship Troopers II. Otherwise save your money on the rental or purchase and let the original be the measurement of what Starship Troopers is.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: The Most Pathetic Film Ever Seen.
Review: One of the worst films I've ever seen in the history of science fiction or film ever. The scenes are choppy, the acting is second rate at best; I can see why this movie never went to the theatres, it would have lost the company millions. What was the budget of this thing, a $1.00? The plot is synonymous with a 1960 black and white sci-fi monster flick. If that's your objective for some random violent and blood/sex flick, I'd recommend Starship Troopers II. Otherwise save your money on the rental or purchase and let the original be the measurement of what Starship Troopers is.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Vive la difference!
Review: Some of the negative reviews of the second movie do strike me as rather unfair, as the reviewers are hung up on the fact that Troopers 2 is a very different type of movie to the original.

The original certainly took more than a few liberties with Heinlein's classic novel, but still conveyed a very powerful and enduring image. Truly awe-inspiring special effects, human interest - love rivalry, jealousy and courage, all interlaced with a hefty dollop of dark ironic humour made this a hugely enjoyable spectacularly epic experience. The DVD presentation is superb, with a genuinely interesting commentary and some fascinating deleted scenes. I love it!

Then, with a budget slashed to the bone, what could poor Phil Tippett do to satisfy the punters demanding a second installment? The answer is to do his very best.

If the original was similar in respect to the zap-em-away-with-machine-guns action of Aliens, Starship Troopers 2 is more of a conventional horror movie in similar vein to the gothic claustrophobia of the original Alien movie. I found something truly compelling in the few terrified human survivors holed up in this abandoned tower, surrounded by countless thousands of bugs. The tension builds with desperate attempts to secure the entrance and get the comms online. The perimeter forcefield (hat tip to Forbidden Planet?) was a nice touch too, subtly highlighting the isolation of our heroes. Without giving any spoilers, the main theme of this new form of bug attack is a very interesting one (if not 100% original) and provides a suitable framework for Tippett to give us some real gross-out gore. Adequate extras on the DVD too. I love it!

Troopers 1 was epic all-out war between two species. Troopers 2 appears on the surface to be merely a minor aside in the war on some isolated backwater of a planet, but the implications for a human victory are every bit as significant.

This is a good-value two-movie set. Just go with the flow and enjoy the contrast here.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Two very different movies about the same thing
Review: The first of these two movies, Starship Troopers, is a stunningly amazing achievement in both visual effects and political satire. The movie is funny yet very graphic in its violence. For those with a strong stomach and a soft spot for dark humor, this is a film that will entertain again and again.

On the other hand, the second movie, Starship Troupers 2, is everything the first movie isn't. This movie takes various elements from the first movie and screws them all up.

The first thing that you'd notice about the second film is the obvious lack of a budget. The film is on a much smaller scale than the first. That alone doesn't make it a bad movie; but the bad acting, half-witted story and poor lighting make it a film with almost no redeeming value. It's like a made-for-TV movie with some nudity.

If you are considering getting the two pack, I would suggest getting only the first (Starship Troupers) instead and skip the second altogether. There was 1 1/2 hours of my life that I'll never get back. Don't make the same mistake I did.


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