Product ReviewsSTARSHIP TROOPERS 3 - MARAUDER (DVD)

Lots of Action, Seriously Hardcore Atttitudes

The original Starship Troopers was an action-heavy movie with special effects which still fell short of Robert A. Heinlein's description of trooper technology described in his book. The flying marauder combat suit which was so important in the book is finally introduced here, but it's converted from flying combat suit to a death-dealing Transformer. I suppose it's understandable. A budget can only go so far and this movie has less budget than the original.

This movie opens with a bang with Johnny Rico, ten years after the initial movie and now a bird Colonel, commanding a defensive fortress penetrated and overrun by Bugs. He gets in trouble with a former subordinate who is now a general and faces the hangman's noose, freely used in what appears to be a society that more nearly resembles Nazi Germany than the US of WWII.

Johnny gets a last minute reprieve so he can lead a squad equipped with new Marauder suits to a Bug-infested planet to rescue the Sky Marshal and Captain Lola Beck (Jolene Blalock), who is involved with the general and a former flame of Johnny's. She also knows the secret location of the fleet headquarters and can't be captured alive. There also appears to be a traitor somewhere in their midst.

A watchable movie, apparently with a bigger budget than the second movie, which wasn't much more than a slice and dice film, or at least that's my recollection. This version gets away from the budget-constrictions which confined the second entry's plot to a dozen people in a dark place getting picked off one at a time by Bugs.

Casper van Dien, who has been relegated to B movies since what should have been a break-out performance in the first film, is a welcome presence.

The attitude this time is more cyncial, as well. I'd like that to have been addressed in the bonus features to see if the filmmakers had a reason for it or were just showing off. Verhoeven suggested fascist elements forced on those involved in a war in the original. This movie takes that idea and runs with it. Not that this should be confused with military culture...the military's unvarnished job is to provide violence when and where needed at the direction of the civilian authority, and that creates a completely separate mindset.

Good bonus features include making-of featurettes and director and cast commentaries (I haven't checked out the commentaries).

This may be a keeper. I'll watch it once or twice more and decide then. Not a ringing endorsement, obviously.Read full review...

Heinlein must be turning in his grave

I never expected Casper Van Dien to play in a good movie. And, while I think Jolene Blalock was a great (looking) Vulcan, I never expected her to deliver a fantastic performance. And after the horrible movie that Starship Troopers 2 was, I didn't think I could see worse. Well, let's be honest, it wasn't THAT bad, but it sucked big time.

The special effects were decent for an obviously tiny budget movie, the acting was towards the bad side, the script was RIDICULOUS, while the directing was average. But the plot! Ugh! Can you believe that in the end a veteran soldier finds religion after being relentlessly pestered by a dumb blond? And the soldier was a woman, so she didn't do it for the normal reason guys get religious around blonds! I mean, it felt like a Christian sect funded movie.

Let me quote you a little: "Maybe we should kill him!" "Why, because he's crazy or he believes in God, like you?" "But... it's the wrong God!". Meh! A mindset fit for a terrorist.

Bottom line: ignore this crappy mutant Starcraft clone tainted with a little of Starship Troopers (which was an anti-war book). Heinlein must be turning in his grave.Read full review...

Starship Troopers 3

Continuing the saga of the Federation's war against the bugs. These stories are (loosely) based on the sci-fi novel by Heinlein from forty or fifty years ago. This, the third in the series is the first to feature the armored suits that made the mobile infantry so fierce a fighting force in the book. Hopefully, if there is a number 4,it will delve more deeply into the gadgets.

There is a story line with some twists in the plot, but this is mainly an action picture with lots of blood and gore, both human and bug. There is plenty of political commentary built into the story line.

A good movie for sci fi fans, especially Heinlein fans.Read full review...

starship troopers 3 dvd review

This dvd has a lot of action great story just as good as the first two. Great to see they brought back one of the original characters from the first movie. I thought that I was going to be disappointed but after watching it I wasn't very entertaining. Read full review...

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: new | Sold by: sr823204

Fun movie

This movie is fun to watch. No redeeming value. Futuristic politics about the same type lies and corruption with similarities to past and present. Giant bugs attacking earth.

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: v1ctheman

Starship Troopers 3: Marauder

A big fan of this movie. The first movie was great and the second movie was awful. The third movie had the return of Casper Van Dien ("Johnny Rico"). In this movie the Federation is still at war with the bugs. In the film, the Sky Marshall and other Federation members are stranded on a planent while the Federation covers it up. I liked the movie and the commercials during the course of the DVD that portrays joining the Federation as being fun and exciting for citizens do. This is a good DVD to have and it made up for how bad the second Starship Troopers is.Read full review...

Kill em All- All who made this movie!

Ok -what I liked - there are troopers and bugs (poorly done bugs but at least they are there)
Dislikes- Plot, CG bugs were horrible, acting ok in some parts to poor in most.
Dialog- mostly poor - but hey it is a trooper movie so the standard does not have to be high :)
My bigest dislike is the bugs were terrible, bad, horrible, pooly done etc....
Why but it!!! It is a trooper movie!!!! Of course you buy it it is a Starship Trooper movie!! Besides there are maybe two or three good sceens!! Hey it is a Trooper movie and you are a fan - buy it you will hate and love it!
JPRead full review...

Starship Troopers 3: Marauder DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME

This movie was an utter waste of time. If you value your memories of Starship Troopers and even the second one Heroes of the Republic, DON'T WATCH THIS ONE. The acting is the worst I've seen and Jolene Blalock looks like plastic surgery gone tragically wrong. The only cool thing in the movie was the actual Marauder battle units that they showed for less than 2 minutes in the last 5 minutes of the movie. This movie is far worse than Aliens 3, and that's bad. This DVD is now a coaster on my coffee table.(Shinny side up)Read full review...

Came brand new in cellophane.

Better than the 2 one. This one actually has Casper Van Dean again.

The Good the bad and the ugly

The Good
The story line had potential, the beginning was good the middle ok, and the end, oh well it was a ending,
The Bad
They could and should have taken this much farther than they did, seems like either they ran out of ideas or ran over and had to cut it shorter than it should have been.
The Ugly
That I actually spent money to watch this. If it was in the dollar rental, it may have been worth it.Read full review...