Review of Starship Troopers 3: Marauder (2008) by Chris W — 18 May 2012

"Starship Troopers 3" desperately tries to achieve the same vibe as the first in the series, and it doesn't quite pull it off. The movie does share similarities with the original, but it pushes the political and--why religious?--themes way too far. I can understand some of the political tension going on, but the faith stuff definitely doesn't jibe with the whole motif of "Starship Troopers.".

The one saving grace of this movie is Casper Van Dien. I'm extremely happy that he came back, it's just a shame that he wasn't given much to work with. Van Dien is the selling point here, and he's great as usual as Colonel Johnny Rico. Some say he only hits one note, but it's a good one! I think he deserves to be in better movies. The rest of the cast tries to gain some ground, but eventually end up wandering through the desert--quite literally. Maybe if the script had more action scenes, and some interesting character arcs, we could actually have a good sequel on our hands. I blame the budget. I know Ed Neumeier is capable of writing a decent story, the first film was at least exciting.

If you're a hardcore "Starship Troopers" fan (like me), check this out. If you're curious about the series and what to start here... don't do it. This one's flawed by a low budget, some corny lines, and poorly rendered visual effects. Only recommended for hardcore fans.