Remember the First Starship Troopers? How bad it was, but you actually loved it anyways? It was way over the top, the acting was nothing to write home about, the bugs had a very fake look, but through all these faults, its always fondly remembered by nerds and non-nerds alike, as a exciting sci-fi action flick. And then do you remember how all that goodwill you had towards the first was destroyed by the horrendous follow up? By all rights Starship Troopers never should have gotten a sequel, but here we are, not one, but 3 sequels later, and to spice things up a bit, this round is entirely CGI.

Starship Troopers: Invasion is the second best film in the franchise. I’ll say this much right now, its nowhere near the “heights” of the original; but it did provide me with much more entertainment than either of the others. This may have something to do with exactly how ridiculous this movie is. There’s over the top, and then there’s over the top. If you wanted to see Johnny Rico in a Mech suit, with a chainsaw that hes using to mow down all sorts of bugs, do a back flip out of the suit while it explodes behind him, promptly grab a sword in midair, and stab a bug in the eye with it, well then this is your movie! That is just one example of the sheer insanity that happens throughout this movie.

Visually Speaking, when I started watching this, I honestly felt like I was watching an extended video game cut scene, however after about 20 minutes I adjusted to it, and it didn’t bother me at all.  Overall the animation is good, if not spectacular, a Pixar film, this is not.

The biggest disappointment with the film is the lack of the original actors voicing their characters. I understand Neil Patrick Harris not retuning, hes got a lot of better things to do, but Denise Richards is not doing much  (cause lifetime television movies don’t count), and worst of all Johnny Rico himself, Casper Van Dien, serves as an executive producer for this, but doesn’t do his lines, a real disappointment.

Overall, if your a fan of the original, I would give this a recommendation. Its not very long, running about 90 minutes, its just enough brainless stupid fun to put a smile on your face.

Score 7/10

Starship Troopers: Invasion comes to you straight to DVD on August 28th!

~Phil