Hard Light Productions Forums

Off-Topic Discussion => General Discussion => Topic started by: an0n on May 18, 2004, 01:09:05 pm

Title: Starship Troopers 2
Post by: an0n on May 18, 2004, 01:09:05 pm
I downloaded it but my POS computer won't ****ing run it. It's all jittery and unwatchable.

So I'm considering spending £20.20 to get the 2-disc box-set bundle of Troopers 1 and 2.

Whaddaya think? Worth it?
Title: Starship Troopers 2
Post by: Nico on May 18, 2004, 01:10:45 pm
The TV movies thing? Really, I wonder.
Title: Starship Troopers 2
Post by: Fineus on May 18, 2004, 01:16:42 pm
Its not TV, Starship Troopers 2 is a straight to DVD release of a sequal to the film... big buck effects and cheesyness I imagine.

I say it's worth it.
Title: Starship Troopers 2
Post by: ionia23 on May 18, 2004, 01:40:36 pm
Oh please say it ain't so....a sequel to Starship Troopers?????

(disclaimer: I loved #1)
Title: Starship Troopers 2
Post by: an0n on May 18, 2004, 01:44:23 pm
It was straight-to-DVD.

It seems to get some pretty good reviews. Nothing spectacular but things like "Considering the piss-poor budget they did bloody good" and "A worthy sequel".
Title: Starship Troopers 2
Post by: 01010 on May 18, 2004, 01:48:14 pm
Didn't the first Starship Troopers do quite well in the cinema? I don't understand why they didn't do a full blown sequel as the ending of the first left the story wide open.
Title: Starship Troopers 2
Post by: an0n on May 18, 2004, 01:51:59 pm
By the time they got around to deciding to make a sequel all the original actors were busy with other contractual obligations.
Title: Starship Troopers 2
Post by: ionia23 on May 18, 2004, 01:56:32 pm
I'm, well, stunned.  All new cast or did they get them back?
Title: Starship Troopers 2
Post by: karajorma on May 18, 2004, 02:03:43 pm
Denise Richards isn't in it. Dina Myers character is dead. I couldn't care less if Doogie Houser MD is in it or not :D
Title: Starship Troopers 2
Post by: Flipside on May 18, 2004, 02:06:11 pm
LOL I'm glad I wasn't the only one hearing that damn theme tune whenever he was on screen ;)
Title: Starship Troopers 2
Post by: Langy on May 18, 2004, 02:27:16 pm
Hmmm... I may have to look into this. I always did like the first one...
Title: Starship Troopers 2
Post by: KARMA on May 18, 2004, 02:32:53 pm
Quote
Originally posted by 01010
Didn't the first Starship Troopers do quite well in the cinema? I don't understand why they didn't do a full blown sequel as the ending of the first left the story wide open.

maybe they didn't because there isn't (afaik) a sequel of the roman the #1 film was taken from
Title: Starship Troopers 2
Post by: Crazy_Ivan80 on May 18, 2004, 02:35:45 pm
there's always the animated series...
Title: Starship Troopers 2
Post by: SadisticSid on May 18, 2004, 02:37:01 pm
Wasn't even a straight-to-DVD, it was a cheesy TV movie that reused half the scenes from the original film IIRC.
Title: Starship Troopers 2
Post by: Bri_Dog on May 18, 2004, 02:54:39 pm
You're thinking of the trailer, THAT reuses stuff from SST1.
Title: Starship Troopers 2
Post by: Ashrak on May 18, 2004, 03:49:53 pm
THIS IS THE ****TYEST MOVIE IV EVER SEEN


oh please flashlights as weapons and 80% of the CGI scenes used from the first movie COME ON! how ****ty can you get 0 out of 10
Title: Starship Troopers 2
Post by: an0n on May 18, 2004, 03:53:59 pm
What did you think of the first film and Pearl Harbour?
Title: Starship Troopers 2
Post by: an0n on May 18, 2004, 07:22:11 pm
Ordered 'em.

My DVD collection now consists of:

Pirates Of The Caribbean (Guess why)
Starship Troopers
Starship Troopers 2: Hero Of The Federation
Title: Starship Troopers 2
Post by: redsniper on May 18, 2004, 07:29:43 pm
Quote
Originally posted by an0n
Pirates Of The Caribbean (Guess why)

hmmm... er... you   like   pirates   ?
Title: Starship Troopers 2
Post by: neo_hermes on May 18, 2004, 07:49:15 pm
you like johnny depp's acting?
Title: Starship Troopers 2
Post by: .::Tin Can::. on May 18, 2004, 07:51:34 pm
That could be a good reason! :nod:

Depp is the ****...
Title: Starship Troopers 2
Post by: mikhael on May 18, 2004, 09:35:27 pm
Quote
Originally posted by karajorma
Denise Richards isn't in it.


You know, this might actually be worth watching.
Title: Starship Troopers 2
Post by: Carl on May 18, 2004, 09:59:45 pm
Quote
Originally posted by an0n
Ordered 'em.

My DVD collection now consists of:

Pirates Of The Caribbean (Guess why)


http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0461136/ ?
Title: Starship Troopers 2
Post by: Knight Templar on May 18, 2004, 10:15:26 pm
Yup.

Have you seen the cartoon series? It was pretty good IMO.
Title: Starship Troopers 2
Post by: Corsair on May 18, 2004, 11:02:55 pm
Quote
Originally posted by an0n
Pirates Of The Caribbean (Guess why)


Quote
Location: Keira Knightley


;7:D
Title: Starship Troopers 2
Post by: Carl on May 18, 2004, 11:18:27 pm
i wish they would just stop making direct to video movies all together. they really are useless.
Title: Starship Troopers 2
Post by: Fineus on May 19, 2004, 02:19:19 am
I certainly fail to see the profit.. its like they knew they'd flop in the cinemas so they just didn't bother...
Title: Starship Troopers 2
Post by: Knight Templar on May 19, 2004, 02:39:20 am
The Olsen Twins appeared to have made a forune off of it...
Title: Re: Starship Troopers 2
Post by: kode on May 19, 2004, 02:51:18 am
Quote
Originally posted by an0n

Whaddaya think? Worth it?


I almost regret downloading it, to be frank.
Title: Starship Troopers 2
Post by: Janos on May 19, 2004, 05:49:21 am
Aaahahahahahaha, this movie is utter ****.
It beats The Knights. Good thing I spent time downloading that 736Mt file!

an0n: try Core Media Player - my DivX stuttered by CMP played it with no trouble.
Title: Starship Troopers 2
Post by: Gloriano on May 19, 2004, 06:29:39 am
Starship Troopers 2 ? this is first time I hear about this movie I think
Title: Starship Troopers 2
Post by: an0n on May 19, 2004, 07:02:39 am
Quote
Originally posted by Kalfireth
I certainly fail to see the profit.. its like they knew they'd flop in the cinemas so they just didn't bother...
If they have a big media hype and a launch party and an after-premiere party and send the actors out for interviews and advertise on TV it costs a ****load.

By releasing it on DVD, they can please the fans, spend only a little cash on production and advertising, and test the waters for a third film.
Title: Starship Troopers 2
Post by: Fineus on May 19, 2004, 07:07:15 am
Fair enough. You can tell I never took media classes at school.
Title: Starship Troopers 2
Post by: StratComm on May 19, 2004, 08:43:17 am
The catch, of course, is that it has to be a good film.  So of the 20 minutes or so that I saw of it, here goes:

just in case...
Spoiler:
Number one, using the Star Wars scrolling intro text is a bad idea for anything other than Star Wars.  So already, my opinion of the movie is already negative.  Ok, the reused special effects I can get over.  It worked in Lord of the Rings, so why not.  But it was obvious, so we go more negative.  The psychic leiutenant could not ever be in a command position in a real army, the outpost looks like a garbage can with a visor, and all of the weapons are made out of (quite literally) junk that you can identify the origins of.  So -3.  Then the ringer: the bugs new weapon is some kind of mind-controlling worm that spreads through sex or something.  Garbage.  I turned it off.
Title: Starship Troopers 2
Post by: an0n on May 19, 2004, 08:48:02 am
Yeah, well, I liked Judge Dredd, so.........
Title: Starship Troopers 2
Post by: Nico on May 19, 2004, 12:35:46 pm
Heh, I liked it too, but, granted, I was like around 12 I suppose :p
Title: Starship Troopers 2
Post by: kode on May 19, 2004, 12:50:05 pm
I liked judge dredd. cuz max von sydow's in it.
Title: Starship Troopers 2
Post by: Carl on May 19, 2004, 01:17:13 pm
no, no, no, you don't understand. direct to video movies aren't real movies. when you make them, you do it with a ridiculousy small budget and you start with no plans to even think about releasing it in theaters, because you'd be laughed at. they're basically a joke.
Title: Starship Troopers 2
Post by: an0n on May 19, 2004, 01:19:28 pm
No, they're the same as regular movies but with everything scaled down in the same proportions as a Cinema screen to a TV screen.

So you get a fraction of the acting, a fraction of the special effects, a fraction of the audience and a fraction of the media hype all at a fraction of the cost.
Title: Starship Troopers 2
Post by: Knight Templar on May 19, 2004, 05:59:16 pm
And a fraction of the quality and a fraction of the plot?
Title: Starship Troopers 2
Post by: an0n on May 19, 2004, 05:59:46 pm
Now you're getting it.
Title: Starship Troopers 2
Post by: Reez on May 20, 2004, 01:32:38 pm
DID YOU KNOW THAT KEIRA KNIGHTLEY'S HAS DONE NUDE SCENES BEFORE?!!








Now that I have your attention



The fact is that, in general, producing companies don't make alot of money in the theatres, just like the theatres don't make any money on the film, they make it on the popcorn. The theatre is the producer's way of marketting it to the audience to buy it on DVD when it comes out. Then they release the special edition 6 months later so that junkies will buy it again. Then they release it again in 20 years so that junkies will buy it yet again. The money is made on the disc, not on the projector. When they release a direct-to-DVD film, they're using past history to sell their film. Obviously, you can't convince people your product is crap if you're trying to sell it, so that's why they would'nt have put it into theatres.


And no, I don't actually know if Keira Knightley's done nude scenes before. But she's British, so the perverts can keep hoping and keep looking
Title: Starship Troopers 2
Post by: an0n on May 20, 2004, 01:35:37 pm
They weren't 'nude scenes'. She just flashed her boobs in The Hole.

Oh and there was the autopsy scene where you saw her naked torso, but she had lots of scar-makeup on.
Title: Starship Troopers 2
Post by: Reez on May 20, 2004, 01:44:09 pm
Quote
Originally posted by an0n
They weren't 'nude scenes'. She just flashed her boobs in The Hole.

Oh and there was the autopsy scene where you saw her naked torso, but she had lots of scar-makeup on.


News to me. Nice topic i started though? Keira Knightley's naked body.
Title: Starship Troopers 2
Post by: 01010 on May 20, 2004, 03:37:58 pm
Quote
Originally posted by an0n


Oh and there was the autopsy scene where you saw her naked torso, but she had lots of scar-makeup on.


That's good enough for me.
Title: Starship Troopers 2
Post by: Zeronet on May 20, 2004, 03:47:00 pm
I heard it sucks camel hoof. The movie that is.
Title: Starship Troopers 2
Post by: Knight Templar on May 20, 2004, 05:28:13 pm
Quote
Originally posted by 01010


That's good enough for me.


Tha'ts pretty messed up if you think about it.
Title: Starship Troopers 2
Post by: Reez on May 20, 2004, 06:05:58 pm
Quote
Originally posted by Zeronet
I heard it sucks camel hoof. The movie that is.


The term is camel TOE! Jeez... get your slang right :lol:
Title: Starship Troopers 2
Post by: an0n on May 20, 2004, 06:24:48 pm
Even KoRn got it right.....
Title: Starship Troopers 2
Post by: 01010 on May 20, 2004, 06:35:03 pm
Quote
Originally posted by Knight Templar


Tha'ts pretty messed up if you think about it.


I thought about it.

My comment still stands. :)
Title: Starship Troopers 2
Post by: neo_hermes on May 21, 2004, 12:09:03 am
:lol:
Title: Starship Troopers 2
Post by: an0n on May 24, 2004, 09:22:48 pm
Well, I just watched it.

The first film, it ain't.

Hell, the first 15 minutes make Lexx look like a masterpiece of modern sci-fi. And dear God, Tippett should never be let near the directors chair ever, ever, ever again. Can you say 'long shot'? C'z I'm pretty ****ing sure Tippett can't. Would it really have been so goddamn hard (or expensive) to drag the actors out into the desert for a few decent night-shots?

And the guns.....Sure, they look pretty, alot better than most reviews would have you believe, but the friggin light they were using for a muzzle-flash didn't even rapid-pulse. It pulsed once every half-second. Would it really have been that hard to make them flash faster?

With the exception of Richard Burgi who kicks almost as much ass as Rico does in the first film, the acting was pretty poor. Most of the supporting cast couldn't even make it as street mimes. But the few half-decent actors, such as Kelly Carlson (who gets naked a coupla times) drag it up just enough to be watchable. One of the biggest annoyances was that there was not a single ****ing person on the entire cast list who was capable of shouting. They all just raise their voices and talk gruff, but I suppose this might be due to budget-microphones. Oh and they look nothing like the elite military unit of the book and previous film, and exactly like a bunch of under paid extras trying not to fall over on camera.

The special-effects (props not withstanding) are good enough. The storm isn't great, but the bugs and the compositing certainly are. The only exception being one scene in blue-light where the bug is crisper than everything else. But even the first film had odd moments like that (watch the shuttle fly-over scenes). My only real problem here is that most of the technology and building-work don't really gel with what we've already seen of the Federation. The bug-zappers for instance.

The story isn't half bad but personally I think it gives the bugs too much intelligence. It turns them from barely-sentient killing machines into calculating enemies. Basically what happened to the Borg and the Replicators.

The sound-effects have ****ty balance. Alot of things that should be a constant, deafening background noise (gunfire for example) are far too dull and after a while near the beginning, the silence starts to grate on you. And by God, does this film need some ****ing music. Even if they'd just used stock-music I'd've been happy, but instead (again) they go for silence.

The one things that really nags at me though, is the ending. I won't spoil it, but all the way through Dax (Richard Burgi) has been kinda relaxed but hopeful. If he'd shown a little more battle weariness or even just been little less quick to get all pally with tele-woman then the ending woulda made alot more sense. As it is, it's only acceptable.

Overall, I'd say it's a watchable film, if you ignore the first 15 minutes (the General barking orders just annoys the piss outta me). I wanna say it sucked ass and no-one should watch it, but that's because I'm fixating on the details and comparing it to the first film in my head. On it's own, it's not that bad.

Then there's the budget to consider. They suffered horribly from "can't afford it" syndrome, but still I think if they'd looked a little harder for some unknown, talented actors/actresses instead of going for vaguely known D-listers who were willing to get naked on camera, then they'd have been able to spend the extra cash just polishing up one of two little things which (combined with the better actors) would've made the film a ****load better.

To sum it all up: Paying £18 for Troopers is a great deal. Paying £20 for the Troopers 1 + 2 box set is well worth it. Paying £18 for Troopers 2 is a ****ing rip-off. If it's on TV and there's nothing better on, watch it.

Overall, I give it two thumbs up (outta five).
Title: Starship Troopers 2
Post by: Nico on May 25, 2004, 02:57:21 am
mmh... I'll have to make my own opinion, I guess.
Title: Starship Troopers 2
Post by: IPAndrews on May 25, 2004, 03:49:18 am
Starship Troopers 2 should get the Highlander 2 treatment.
Title: Starship Troopers 2
Post by: neo_hermes on May 25, 2004, 03:51:35 am
launch it into the sun?
Title: hmm
Post by: Star Dragon on May 25, 2004, 04:07:12 am
I don't mind scars either, as long as she is "fully functional" :nervous:

  Um.. anyway so does Richard use his SENTINEL powers against the bugs? Spots them a mile away or hears them tunneling through the walls? You know cool stuff like that?
Title: Starship Troopers 2
Post by: Rampage on May 25, 2004, 07:15:17 am
I didn't like the first movie.  Personally, I'd rather play the Zerg campaigns from StarCraft than watch the sequel.
Title: Starship Troopers 2
Post by: StratComm on May 25, 2004, 10:17:33 am
And you'll get a beter plot, more involved characters, and better special effects if you do.
Title: Starship Troopers 2
Post by: an0n on May 25, 2004, 10:56:27 am
Having played StarCraft directly after watching SST2, I'm afraid I have to agree.
Title: Starship Troopers 2
Post by: Ashrak on May 25, 2004, 01:19:57 pm
that is the ****tyes clichey movie iv ever seen .... a single ****ing episode of say B5 was better than the movie 5x :/
Title: Starship Troopers 2
Post by: aldo_14 on May 25, 2004, 01:23:25 pm
Quote
Originally posted by IPAndrews
Starship Troopers 2 should get the Highlander 2 treatment.


Hm...yes.  Introducing Sean Connery would be an improvement.

*I would just like to add i have not a clue what you're on about, but I did have an amusing image added to my brain as a result.
Title: Starship Troopers 2
Post by: Dough with Fish on May 25, 2004, 02:09:44 pm
Well, I for one, think this will be a hit to an extent. Why? Well, for one, the original movie is an insane cult hit. Despite the utter ****tyness and how unlike the book it is, a lot of people love that movie.

Another thing is, according to a coupple of reviews I have seen for the original Troopers movie, it is one of those movies that everyone owns on DVD/video, and it has made more in that market then it did in theaters, so going with that, it makes perfect sense of forgoing a theatrical release, and just putting it out on DVD and video, and letting their many fans pick it up.

And, on a side note, for those out there looking for a really good Troopers expierience, I suggest checking out "The Roughneck Chronicles" It was a series of something like thirty half-hour episodes, and has extremely good production values. It also follows the book extremely well, they obviously had to take a few artiscitc liberties because this was a cartoon on durring the day, so they can't have humans getting impaled and torn apart. The effects blow the original movie outta the water, and the voice acting is some of the best I have ever heard in a cartoon. And the plotlines also made sense, and were a bit more complex then kill all the bugs. Too bad it never got the attention it deserved. It was cancelled before it really got a rightful ending, and the last three or four episodes were never shown.
Title: Starship Troopers 2
Post by: kasperl on May 25, 2004, 02:26:55 pm
I saw that show a few years ago, I kinda liked it, but it went to impossible hours, and then disappeared.
Title: Starship Troopers 2
Post by: an0n on May 25, 2004, 02:48:26 pm
IIRC the DVD's are the incomplete series and they're numbered out of order (Vol 4 comes after Vol 5 or some ****).

Dunno if they've released the few missing eps though, I've not checked in a while.
Title: Starship Troopers 2
Post by: Dough with Fish on May 25, 2004, 03:51:52 pm
They released the DVD's in Campaign sets, usually four, five, and in one case, six episodes a campaign. So, say you buy volume one, thats the first campign, and volume two is like the thrid campign, and volume three is the second one. Follow? They are complete in the sense that they are all the episodes that were aired, minus the three clipshows.

There is a new DVD coming out next Tuesday actually, that has the only complete episode of the three that were never aired (the other two only had something like just the voices recorded and some of the animation done) and the three clipshows on it.
Title: Starship Troopers 2
Post by: Knight Templar on May 25, 2004, 10:18:44 pm
I just saw an ad on the tele for the first time on Starship Troopers 2.

Even from the Ad, it seemed to lack plot aside from "bugs!". Meh.