Review:Wing Commander 306
Chris Roberts created a really innovative video game way back when. It was fun, entertaining, and had great graphics and a plot that was mildly entertaining. Sure, I only had 1 meg of RAM and a 286 at the time, so I didn't get to see the superfluous animation in the cockpit. And I didn't have a sound card, so I missed out on the voice samples that really made the game fly. But it was a fun game, and I played through it. Sometimes with cheats, and sometimes without. But without fail, the first thing I would do is kill my wingman.
The reason was simple: they were annoying. They had little messages that would bother you. And they would occasionally kill Kilrathi. A Kilrathi that Paladin or Angel or Maniac killed was one less that I could kill. Killing my wingman made my flight more fun, less interupted, and gave me a higher score.
You can't kill your wingman in the movie. But you'll want to. All of them. Christopher Blair, Maniac, Angel. You'll want all of them dead. But only some of them die. The cheesy acting is easily on par with the traditionally terrible sci-fi fare. The writing is bad. The jokes are bad. Many of the FX are amazing, but I spent most of my time staring in slackjawed amazement at the terrible acting and not marvelling at the really excellent asteroids, and the better-than-average space ships.
The kilrathi are poorly handled. Shot usually in green (very reminiscent of the viewscreen from the games) surrounded in fog. They don't look good. They look like big rubber suits. I mean, in the game, Hobbes was a badass. That's a Kilrathi. Not these cheesy looking big dudes in crappy suits. The subtitles are cleverly handled (they are shown in their native symbolic language, which is overwritten in English. I actually kinda dug that).
Whats wrong with the flick? It feals like MTV. The now-standard intense credits (which were probably the most interesting part of the movie) are quite raw. The charachters are really extreme- especially Maniac (who really is well done. You'll him with a passion. Probably the only believable charachter in the movie, although not after he falls and love and goes from somewhat believable jerk to completely fake guy-in-love). But so many scenes are designed raise our sympathy for charachters, but the acting is so flat that I just wanted to smack everyone.
Hmmm... so great visuals, bad acting. Its pretty much like all sci fi I guess. Not as campy as Lost in Space. LIS knew it was camp. Wing Commander thinks its cool. It just isn't. I'm glad I saw the prequel trailer.
And Chris: I loved your games. Make more. Maybe a Linux Port? I never got to play WC4. Make another movie too, but lose the pretense of being "cool". Just create a fun and interesting universe. Thats what made your games work. Porn Stars and Mark Hamil were just icing on the cake.
special effect (Score:1)
Make sense?
Sure, take the easy way out and bash Star Trek (Score:1)
I am ashamed. (Score:1)
cesspool, not "cespool"
feels, not "feals"
"You'll him with a passion."...what is this supposed to mean?
characters, not "charachters"
I am not trying to say that you suck or that slashdot sucks, just that when you are being read by thousands of people, you need to make sure that your writing doesn't look like you are in 6th grade, with a D in English.
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version conflict
X X
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Bigotry (Score:1)
STAR CONTROL 2 - The Soundtrack (Score:1)
Now please tell me that you were the one who did the UrQuan score and NOT the one that did the Spathi score!
Par for the course? Yep... (Score:1)
You're right though. The one critical piece of that film is that it WAS a propaganda piece. I mean, it gave me that same "get-a-load-of-this" feeling I always get when I see copies of Reefer Madness...another propaganda film if there ever was one.
My review: (Score:1)
To start with, they should have cut about half of the sub-plots, starting with all the "Pilgrims" BS. All the extraneous sub-plots left them too short on time to develop the main plot, which led to the main plot being very jerky and forced, with a lot of explaining why they're doing things rather than just showing it, because the time they should've spent showing they spent having Commander whatshisname reading his lines about how Pilgrims are bad.
Which brings us to the second point... the acting. If you can call it that. The secondary characters (the Pilgrim-hating exec leading the list) were truly awful, the main characters merely cliched. The only bright spots were Maniac (and I never thought I'd say anything positive about Maniac), who played a truly believable asshole for most of the movie, and Angel's very first scene, where she came up to Blair and started firing questions at him. Her role went downhill after that, but for a moment I recognized the Angel from the game - always the technical flier, always studying the specs and the odds.
And then there was Blair's response, which brings us to the real problem with the movie. Blair was in it. The problem with that wasn't even the actor playing Blair, though he wasn't terribly good. The problem was that the part was there. Having Angel, Paladin, Maniac - all the old faces - in the movie is one thing. But Blair is something else, because he wasn't just another of the old familiar faces from the game. To all us Wing Commander veterans, Blair is us. We sat in his starfighter cockpit, we wore his uniform, we answered to his name. I'm sure I wasn't the only one in the audience who measured the Blair in the movie up against my own performance in that role, and found him wanting.
Angel shoots a couple of questions at him, he comes back with a couple of lines of macho BS. Meanwhile, my mental filing system is popping out the correct answers, which I learned the hard way in the cockpit of a Hornet. You got two Dralthi on your six? Punch the afterburners, buy yourself some range, then turn and bring them into your firing cone. Head on at them, dodging fire, until they break, then pick one and dog his tail until he goes up. After that, his buddy's easy meat.
His answer to the other question happened to be correct, of course (So there are six Kilrathi lying in ambush... who cares? Put me in a Rapier (or anything but a Scimitar, actually) and I'm not scared of six Kilrathi anything. I've flown missions where I've killed five times that many, solo, because my wingman ran screaming for home halfway through the first encounter.), but he didn't deliver it as a guy who knew that he was capable of taking six Kilrathi. He delivered it as an inexperienced macho twit trying to impress a lady... and the Angel from the game wouldn't have been impressed.
It might have been possible to do the Blair role right, but it would have taken a damn good actor, and some damn good flying, and it still would've left a lot of old Wing Commander hands unhappy with it because they didn't recognize themselves in it.
Speaking of flying... where the hell was it? Wing Commander was a game about the epic space battle between the Terrans and the Kilrathi (and I'm not even going to mention the giant toads they had standing in for the real Kilrathi), so where was all the epic space battling? They had one real dogfight in the entire movie, and even that one was neither very good or very long. It seemed to exist mostly as a vehicle for bringing on Maniac's personal crisis (And, guys, Maniac doesn't -get- personal crises. Maniac -gives- them.).
And then there were the fighters. The entire game revolved around the fighters. Anyone who's played the game knows what a Rapier looks like. And, sorry, it doesn't look like a mutant Zero with a huge gatling gun for a nose. The Tiger's Claw in the movie didn't look very much like the 'Claw I used to land on, either. The Kilrathi fighters (I assume they were supposed to be Dralthi) weren't too bad (in the few shots they actually showed up in), but their capitol ships didn't look much like the ones I used to hunt, either.
And they played the Star Wars trailer immediately before the movie. It got a standing ovation. The contrast just made the movie worse.
One final comment, then I'll shut up: One of my friends pointed out that the ending left things open for a sequel. I don't know whether to be terrified that they might make one, or to hope that it might give them a chance to redeem themselves.
Gravity (Score:1)
If you want to bitch about scientific inaccuracies, try fact that they were able to hear the approaching Fralthi (or whatever it was supposed to be) through the vacuum... and had to be quiet (not radio or EM silence, actual quiet inside the ship) so it wouldn't hear them... WTF?
And how did whatsername manage to crash that ship, anyway? I've flown home fighters that were in a hell of a lot worse shape than that one. I managed one time to fly a Hornet home after ramming a Gratha to death with it - his five buddies'd shot off both my lasers, and I'd used up my last missile taking out the last of them, so when I got to Gratha number six, I had nothing left but the ship itself. So I hit him with it. Three times. (Gratha are tough bastards.) Then I flew back to the 'Claw with a Hornet that had both wings missing, no armor on front or back, and almost every internal component damaged. Getting clearance with a damaged comm was a bit tricky, but landing was hardly a problem.
Use the Force, Luke! (Score:1)
It would've been funnier if they'd cast Luke in that role like they did in the game, though.
even the fans won't care (Score:1)
I don't mind having spaceships go swoosh for effect when they go by, and hearing the lasers fire and the like (though the 2001-style realistic complete silence may be a more powerful effect). When they start shushing people so the enemy cruiser doesn't hear them, that's taking things too far, though.
Submarine warfare in space. (Score:1)
And Wing Commander had force shields, too. They're what made the Rapier such a vicious fighter... it was small, fast, maneuverable, reasonably well armed, and, while it was more lightly armored than the heavier Raptor, it had better shields than any of the other fighters. Damage that would slag a light fighter often wouldn't even penetrate a Rapier's shields. Cap ships, especially the bigger ones, had massively heavy shields. I can't count the number of times I've spent many minutes staring at the tail end of a Fralthi or a Snakir, pounding on them with my guns, trying to bring those shields down far enough to do some real damage to them - and this after unloading my entire missile load into them. They introduced the torpedo later in the series specifically to take care of that problem.
Speed and maneuverability were more effective protection than even shields, though. I always hated flying the Scimitar, because, while it had decent shields, armor, and firepower, it had all the speed and maneuverability of a pig in mud. The Raptor wasn't too bad... it wasn't terribly maneuverable, but it was reasonably fast, and it was a fraggin' tank. The Hornet, the Rapier, and (surprisingly) the Kilrathi Dralthi were all sweet little fighters, though. I'd always assumed the Kilrathi fighters just sucked until I got a chance to fly a Dralthi in one of the Secret Missions expansion packs. It wasn't terribly fast, well armed, or well-shielded, but it could turn on a dime. It kicked some serious ass in a dogfight. After eating six Kilrathi-piloted Rapiers for lunch with one, I came to the conclusion that it was the Kilrathi pilots that just sucked...
Horrible WC experience (Score:1)
Gravity (Score:1)
ID4 (Score:1)
Ahhh..that's where you're wrong...He didn't really use a cleverly written C program...He crippled the alien mothership's network by installing Win NT!
Wing Commander was the WORST movie I have seen... (Score:1)
in a LONG while. The plot was beyond cliched, the acting was so cardboard they might be able to recycle the film and make toilet paper (which would be the best use of this movie). After a whole group of us from work came back from seeing it we sat down and were asked if we could come up with one good thing from the movie. After a minute of silence one of my workmates said, "The explosions were cool.". So, the legacy of a series of good video games is now a flat, lifeless, pathetic film.
P.S. - The trailer was worth thr price of admission.
P.P.S. - The Kilrathi in the games looked 100 times better and that is not hyperbole.
B Movie?? Ummm no... (Score:1)
This was intended for the big screen from square one. Read the numerous articles in Wired, PC Gamer and other game magazines that talked about it. Not a single one ever mentioned it being a straight to video production. It's easy to tell by the CG that is was meant for theatres. It's not CG's fault that the acting and, what we can loosely call, the plot was more cliche ridden than a made for TV movie about computer hackers.
P.S. - Did anyone else feel like they were watching a high school production of Das Boot with a large FX budget?
You Can Tell.... (Score:1)
By the crapy commercial, or rather the crappy acting in the hastily pasted together commercial; that this movie is a piece of steaming hot feces. I think i'd rather go watch Prince of Space WITHOUT the help of the MST3k crew than even think about wasting 7.50 (or 9.00 in NY) for this celluliod tripe.
List of lamest things. (Score:1)
A list of some of the lamest parts of the movie, IMO, for those who haven't seen it (let these be a warning to you):
what teen/pre-teens are good for (Score:1)
Mortal Kombat II just stunk. There could've been a theater full of pre-teen boys rocking out and I still wouldn't have enjoyed it.
No Subject Given (Score:1)
Actually, in at least one scene, Paladin and another guy were flying Broadswords (don't know if they even resembled those from the game). He used it to take out a cap ship.
There were some good things about it (Score:1)
1) the sign on the box office telling people that the new "Phantom Menace" trailer would be played before "WC", but that they wouldn't get a refund if they left before the movie started
2) the "Phantom Menace" trailer
3) the fighter battle scenes (the FX, anyway)
4) the fellow in the front right section of the theater who (when Blair was told he could navigate that nasty quasar better than a computer could because of his "gift") yelled "use the Force, Luke"
even the fans won't care (Score:1)
Who cares now? I mean, how many people are going to recognize and smile at the broken fuse box in the cockpit that looks just like in the game? or How about that corny cameo by Chris Roberts?
I was a big fan of the game but I couldn't care less about those in-jokes - not after getting assaulted with "facts" like if you make too much noise in space, your enemy can hear you. Yes, it's true, I didn't make this up, guys..
I'm so glad I didn't drag anyone with me to see this crap...they'd demand me to be their slave for a week!
even the fans won't care (Score:1)
The movie has a lot of allusions to naval warfare. There was one scene where a destoyer was "pinging" and dropping "depth charges" on an asteroid to find the Tiger Claw (which is built like a submarine and has Jurgen Prochnow as the CO, btw).
When the destroyer got closer, either Prochnow or Paladin was shhushing everybody otherwise "they can hear us." I think they use the word "hear" literally there.
It's fine with me when movies try to make stylistic impression like the looks of WW2 war machines in this movie - it was cute for a while. But they should not cross the line by letting the story line (or logic) affected by it.
ebert talked about this (Score:1)
email me if you can't find it.
funny notice on the theatre (Score:1)
"NOTICE: We will not issue refunds or exchanges for Wing Commander tickets!"
I guess this is because some people might just want to watch the prequel trailer because the movie doesn't suck that bad. Well, it's really bad, but not as bad as Avengers. On the flip side, people who don't know about the trailer would also get a fair warning on the film quality
Why bother? (Score:1)
Best Game to Movie Conversion Ever! (Score:1)
plus the part where they're talking about the fact that they're Luigi Mario and Mario Mario.. heh
STAR CONTROL 2 (Score:1)
I wrote one of the songs in it.
Go back to Wing Commander, AC (Score:1)
I had a 286, so I couldn't get expanded memory until I got a 386, at least, not without constricting my conventional memory so much the game wouldn't run. I spent so much time looking for extended->expanded converters that took less memory, and this and that, trying to get my extended memory to work with WC, but it never happened.
Go back to school, Rob (Score:1)
Also, it should be "he himself is", not "they themselves are", since "a fool" is singular.
Naw, you can use "they" now as a singular when you don't wanna specify gender.....it's true...honest...
dylan_-
--
I agree (Score:1)
Lawnmower Man 2 (Score:1)
that was the worst movie that could ever be created by humans...
It was especially bad because I never saw the original lawnmower man and had no idea what the hell was going on
Has anyone else seen this terrible movie? Reply, I want to see who else has been forced to witness this crap.
It could have been worse (Score:1)
However, the writing, story, and acting were _much_ better than Starship Troopers. This was Starship Troopers with a smaller budget.
I didn't come out of Wing Commander thinking to myself "My, what a waste of a movie", and that's a lot better than what I can saw for a lot of other sci-fi movies I've seen. Maybe if they make another Wing Commander movie, they'll get it right.
Also, I must add that the budget for Wing Commander was only $27 million.... it can perform in a mediocre fashion and still not be too bad.
-Dean
Hot guys in the flic (Score:1)
-Jake
Don't forget the "Alien" movies (Score:1)
-Jake
Everyone was either Scottish or English... (Score:1)
-Jake
even the fans won't care (Score:1)
-Jake
RISE OF THE DRAGON ? (Score:1)
mny thx (Score:1)
*Whew* Thanks Rob. (Score:1)
--
As long as each individual is facing the TV tube alone, formal freedom poses no threat to privilege.
I Dunno Rob... (Score:1)
Par for the course? (Score:1)
Ivan (something) offroad racing (Score:1)
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Wing Commander better than your writing (Score:1)
It was PERFECT for what it tried to do and its target audience.
What were you expecting ? Shakespeare?
It's a movie based on a _video game_ for Gods sake.
Lighten up d00d!
Starship Troopers (Score:1)
Am I just weird? I thought Starship Troopers rocked. Then again, I didn't go into that theatre expecting acting and a plot, like some people.
"THE ENEMY CANNOT PUSH A BUTTON WHEN HIS HAND IS NAILED TO THE WALL!"|
Gratuitous violence is always kinda fun.
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movies suck (Score:1)
MSt3K (Score:1)
ID4 (Score:1)
j------
Horrible WC experience (Score:1)
So we waited through the train and floored it to the theater. When we got there, the film was already rolling. We sat through two trailers, none of which were of Star Wars. Then the movie started. Damn! Did we miss the prequil trailer?! Either we missed it, or they didn't play it. I figured we should have just left then.
So the opening credits started rolling. I'm thinking, this looks cheesy. Then there was this really impressive shot in space with asteroids. For about 10 seconds, the movie looked good. And then the acting started. It took me about 5 seconds to realize right away that this was a B-movie. It had B-movie written all over it.
This was supposed to take place 600 years in the future. Did you see the equipment and technology they were using? It looked like Star Trek:TOS. Pathetic.
What did it for me was the Kilrathi. I mean, it was so bad it was actually funny. I chuckled at least a dozen times because of have corny it was. I think they used the same cut for each Kilrathi death. It looked like one of those lifesize cardboard cutouts that was just knocked over. I'm not exaggerating either!
Taco liked the alien subtitles
The game had better special effects than the movie did. The movie is worth seeing for a) the prequil trailer, and b) a good laugh. If you're expecting a good sci-fi movie with decent fx, don't waste your time.
Jason.
You just have to start with low expectations... (Score:1)
Yeah it sucked, but Rob's review is hilarious (Score:1)
Troy
Kilrathi == Kzinti? (Score:1)
Jamie McCarthy
Starship Troopers and fascism (Score:1)
Paul Verhoeven [imdb.com]'s movie of Starship Troopers [imdb.com] was a truly bastardized version of the book: almost nothing was kept except the name. But the director - whose parents had a hard time thanks to Hitler and who is keenly aware of what fascism is all about - decided to carry over some of the book's symbolic flavor. Mostly it shows up in, as you point out, the uniforms and various other details. Also, note the brainwashing going on in the "TV spots" between scenes, which are rather clever parody.
And if you think the character of Rasczak is antidemocratic in the film, wait 'til you start reading through his endless lectures in the book. Holy cow.
I'm not one of those who fret over how movies are going to be misunderstood by the unwashed masses, but unfortunately many people are going to see this as another bullets-and-gore flick, and boy do those Nazis dress well. Which kind of misses the big picture. Then again, possibly in the 1950s many people read the book the same way, and who knows, maybe that was the director's point.
Jamie McCarthy
If only it were Open Source... (Score:1)
Linux can serve the popcorn
The games suck too. (Score:1)
There are *six* WC games, not counting privateer (Score:1)
Ok, so I played WC I and II, a little of III. I heard about IV.
There's WC Academy, Armada, and the newest, Prophecy (of which a demo is available).
Then there are Priv and Priv II.
So where are those WC 5 and 6? I'm looking through Origin's site, and there's no mention of them...
And what about his free-for-download? Or is that the demo...?
Patrix.
even the fans won't care (Score:1)
Of maybe I'm pushing things too far...
Patrix.
Another Anonymous Coward Embarrases his Family (Score:1)
Good review, Rob: saves me the jing. Then again, seeing Prequel Trailer B on the big screen is tempting, not to mention the memories: I beat WC I and II without cheats, which took a while, and I too remember being annoyed by most wingmen, except the brilliant Hobbes. I never bothered with the latter 2 WCs. I heard about all the cinematic tripe they were concocting, and begged off.
--Uche
Go back to school, Rob (Score:1)
Ok, the movie sucked, but Saffron Burrows is HOT! (Score:1)
But, on the plus side, Saffron Burrows, who plays Angel, was imho incredibly hot.
-Ragnarok
(pissed cuz I got there too late for the star wars trailer...)
Pkunk Furies (Score:1)
STAR CONTROL 2 (Score:1)
I loved the plot, the humor, the ZatFotPik (they were awesome, the dialog was great)
I wish there was a Linux version. I wonder if I could get it to run under the Dosemu...
When the makers of StarCon2 sent out a survey asking about what we as starcon2 fans wanted in the new version, I begged them to keep the technology low, and the game playability high, humor high, plot high.
They took my advice and shoved it in the trashcan. Starcon3 really sucked ass.
Someone needs to analyze that game (SC2) and make another game with all of the good features, and none of the bullshit that comes with most games these days.
Bigotry (Score:1)
And throw scientific realism out the window. We can now fly around gravitational singularities, and plot courses through hyperspace with our brains. Anyone with a brain would program a computer to do it. A computer can do it faster.
*sigh* But the special effects were good.
Right On, Rob! (Score:1)
Kilrathi == Kzinti? (Score:1)
I also played WC and WC2 for endless hours. I was fortunate enough to have (an original) SoundBlaster when WC2 came out, thus I enjoyed the "Speech Pack" that was sold separately.
Only years later did I start reading some of Larry Niven's science fiction (the Ringworld series, great books!) Now Ringworld was written in the late 60s and early 70s I believe and the Kilrathi aliens of Wing Commander bear a striking resemblence to the Kzinti race in Niven's universe.
Both are a race of large, fercious, tiger-like creatures whose society is militaristic in nature. The physical descriptions of Kzinti given in Ringworld are very, very close to that of the Kilrathi. Does anyone know if Chris Roberts was directly influenced by Niven?
By the way, Ringworld is great and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys quality science fiction, not the crap that is put out by hack authors these days. The Kziniti are a very believeable race, and Speaker-To-Animals is far cooler than Hobbes ever will be.
Rishathra anyone?
Par for the course? (Score:1)
The Federal logo, the anti-democratic sentiments in the school, their plasticised look, Doogie Howser's (whatever his real name is) uniform, their home town, the way the soldiers got younger and younger . . .
Better still, I'm still not convinced the cast were in on the joke.
Why is my timing so damn bad? (Score:1)
but, the trailer did make it worth it for me. unfortunately, my gf took her sons to the bathroom right before it started, so it probably only pissed her off.
:)
sorry to burst your bubble (Score:1)
It was _so_ bad. I wish I could have turned the
game off and watched the cutscenes.
Play Elite instead.
I cannot BELIVE the gall of Linux Idiot #1 (Score:1)
Wing Commander was a very innovative game at its time. In fact, anyone with class, and roots, would appreciate this movie.
I'm sorry your parents allownace didnt warrant better equipment in the day. But you talk like your some bigshot actor or director, your not.
Stick to what you know, linux preaching, broke databases, and your intel i-wish-i-was-a-real-server archetiture.
If you have the odasicty to insult a movie that has roots in the computer world, you obviously are new to the scene.
And who cares about your stupid linux ports. I dont. Software is software, and at least Chris Roberts has the talent to make a game that was innovative, and get it into a movie.
PdM
(you were probably the guy in school who took names while the teacher was out)
:)
But what did you all think of the *game?* (Score:1)
Blah blah blah blah blah blah (Score:1)
Salon has a feature... (Score:1)
I fell out of my chair when he talked about doing a "Saving Private Ryan kind of thing."
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mphall@cstone.nospam.net
Blah blah blah blah (Score:1)
Par for the course? (Score:1)
movies suck (Score:1)
OH YES IT WAS!!! (Score:1)
The trailer was good. Ever notice how sometimes CG shots look a little grainy? The whole trailer had that grainy look that you couldn't really see in Quicktime. I hope the whole film isn't like this!
Then Wing Commander started.
This is the biggest piece of shit I've seen this year. It makes Lost In Space look like 2001.
After about 15 minutes, most of the audience was laughing at it and yelling lines at the screen.
How much more explicitly can I warn you all: It was a huge tub of crap-- from the star wars ripoffs ("I fought with your father in the XXXX wars") to the star trek rip offs ("Half-breed!" they call the half-human, half-"Pilgrim" hero) to the cheesy, flat acting, & horrible generic sets... The editing was INEXCUSABLE. The CG special effects were ok technically I suppose, but not outstanding and mostly consisted of the same type of shot over and over again-- the kind you're used to seeing on Deep Space 9. (If I see another zoom-from-a-spaceship-into-a-window shot again I'll kill myself. This movie does it like six times)
You should see the submarine-like space fights-- no, they're not "proton torpedoes" They're ACTUAL spece torpedos and they suck!!! Maybe they're from the game, but in the film the sub thing looks ridiculous, esp. when the enemy is "pinging" at them and they all have to be quiet so that they can't be found while they're hiding in a crater.
Ugh. After seeing this film I had a headache that lasted three hours. This film ruined my Friday night. The old Buck Rogers & Battlestar Galacticas on TV are more dramatic and had more interesting plot and characters than this.
Oh, and there's a crazy French guy in this film, who for some reason has to have his face two feet from the camera lens in every shot.
You've now been warned. Proceed at your own risk.
W
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This is funny... (Score:1)
Remember that scene in A Clockwork Orange where the government tried to modify Alex's brutal behavior by forcing him to watch those ultra-violent film reels? It's possible that a similar approach could deter computer or video game designers from directing movies--just make them watch the extremely lame Wing Commander, an embarrassing effort from first-time helmer Chris Roberts, the same man who created the CD-ROM on which the film is based.
This is the ONLY actual review of the film (the other articles are about the film coming out...)
If nothing else, THIS outta tell you something!!!
W
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Everyone was either Scottish or English... (Score:1)
Every time he was giving orders all I could think of was Das Boat, which is a great movie. This made the movie somewhat bareable.
YOU CAN SEE THE TRAILER FREE YOU IDIOT! (Score:1)
Par for the course? (Score:1)
The director made comments about how he wanted to portray Heinlein's world "but in a manner which made you think".
Idiot. Heinlein's book already makes you think. The director's problem was that he didn't agree with Heinlein's vision, so Starship Troopers the movie becomes, not propoganda for the Federation (as the newsreel-esque scenes would imply), but subversive propoganda against the ideals of the Federation.
But I watch it on a regular basis anyway, largely for the FX...
Jay (=
sorry to burst your bubble...You must be kidding (Score:1)
Somewhere, a long time ago, Origin forgot that it was about the _game_ and not about the freaking cinematics. I will give WC4 its due though. The opening scenes are fantastic and MUCH MUCH better done than the movie was. Despite WC4's crappy game play, just knowing that Digital Anvil and Chris Roberts worked on WC4's intro and the movie made me have high hopes that the movie wouldn't turn in to a cheezy piece of crap. Too bad I was wrong. Someone needs to take WC and Priv away from Origin/Roberts and give the game and the movie rights to someone with a clue.
Gravity (Score:1)
I WANT Bucaroo Bonsai! (Score:1)
How about MSTK3 the movie? go to a movie to watch someone watch a movie... that would RULE!
Par for the course? (Score:1)
YES, Yes, Yes !!! - STAR CONTROL 2 (Score:1)
Star Wars Trailer (Score:1)
No, it wasn't (Score:1)
I hear the duo behind SC 1&2 have a Playstation game out called Unholy War (iffy on the title).
OH YES IT WAS!!! (Score:1)
It actually seems like most of the characters in the film were either French or British.
The torpedos didn't bother me that much. They had enough destructive power. The Star Wars "Proton Torpedos" you mentioned were nothing but missiles.
What really bugged me also was that they pretended the spaceship was a sub. Everyone knows sound doesn't travel in space, so stop being quiet and looking at the ceiling!
And what was with those wierd looking things they claimed were Kilrathi? The Kilrathi aren't a bad CG version of who knows what! They supposed to be big lion/tiger-like cats with humanoid bodies! I remember the Kilrathi looked 10x better in the WC2 cutscenes!
WC 4... (Score:1)
WC3 rocked very very much, though. Wish they'd based the movie on that, using the same actors...
It's funny... (Score:1)
Someone should come up with a formula relating the number of each type of review to the other to figure out just how good movies really are...
Everyone was either Scottish or English... (Score:1)
Was this a British film? It seems to have gone overboard on the "Naval-Submarine" imagry. In the US, our Space Ships seem to be more Pilot-Airforce related, while this movie was all about Submarines, torpedoes, and such. I felt like I was watching a really bad WWII sub flick.
P.S. Why in God's Name did they make cool computer animation, but make the Kilrathi out of cheesy foam rubber?
U-boat commander in space. (Score:1)
Sample dialogue, translated to geek to shield the easily offended:
"I was going to screw myself to a standstill, but now I'm in no condition to fsck."
Blah blah. (Score:1)
Get your head out of your.
Other great games: (Score:1)
Is this true? I thought Prophecy was the best game in the WC series. Mind you I don't really care about the acting.
--labatt!
So, in the future the Feds have killed crypto? (Score:1)
Dead on. (Score:1)
Although, the frozen-tableau was a great shot, too.
Hooyah. (Score:1)
You're right, on the books, too--excellent reading material. I bought Throne as soon as it came out. Did you read The Integral Trees or The Smoke Ring?
Is your offer still open?
Is it worth $2? (Score:1)
Par for the course? (Score:1)
Starship Troopers wasn't so much a parody or hilarious as it was satire about US/UN politics, imo. The whole thing was essentially a story about propaganda. About how we buy into it so easily. And how accepting we are of what our government tells us.
The whole movie was shot as a propaganda film, for the people set in that universe. The point of the whole thing wasn't that the events were supposed to be believeable to us. The point was that they were supposed to be believeable to the people the film was intended for.
And that's where you've got to make the connection; the satire here isn't the film itself. It's us. We're the satirical part of the equation, because we're supposed to believe it. And we do. We accept Clinton's explanation for why he bombed the Iraqis, and ignored Saddam's explanations of take-over rights, just as the people in this film accepted the explanation the government that the aliens were evil, rather than the explanation that the aliens were just protecting their turf against the expanding humans, who were penetrating their home.
I guess it's easier to look at a film like this objectively when you're not american. Or maybe it's just because I'm Canadian..
Well.. would you?
Second Worst Movie Ever (Score:1)