Product Details

• Actors: Nicholas Guest, James Horan, Alexander Polinsky, Rino Romano, Elizabeth Daily
• Directors: Andre Clavel
• Writers: David S. Clark, Michael Kramer, Pat Allee, Paul Diamond, Robert A. Heinlein
• Format: Animated, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, Full Screen, Subtitled, NTSC
• Language: French (Unknown), English (Dolby Digital 2.0), Spanish (Unknown), Portuguese (Unknown)
• Subtitles: English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Georgian, Chinese, Thai
• Region: Region 1 encoding (US and Canada only)
  PLEASE NOTE: Some Region 1 DVDs may contain Regional Coding Enhancement (RCE). Some, but not all, of our international customers have had problems playing these enhanced discs on what are called "region-free" DVD players. For more information on RCE, click here.
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Studio: Sony Pictures
• DVD Release Date: March 13, 2001
• Run Time: 97 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (71 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000056HP6
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #54,516 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)

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  #8 in	Movies & TV > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Science Fiction > Series & Sequels > Roughnecks: The Starship Troopers Chronicles
  #19 in	Movies & TV > Animation > Computer Animation

• For more information about "Roughnecks: Starship Troopers Chronicles - The Pluto Campaign" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

• This item is part of The Roughnecks: The Starship Troopers Chronicles Series.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Paul Verhoeven's dark, satirical adaptation of Robert Heinlein's Starship Troopers seriously strayed from the novel. This Verhoeven-produced TV series--part sequel, part remake, all CGI animated--hews closer to the spirit of the novel, a space-age twist on a World War II battle adventure. Roughnecks: The Starship Troopers Chronicles--The Pluto Campaign is a mini-platoon epic comprised of the initial five episodes of the series, essentially a series of skirmishes and assignments leading up to the climactic confrontation at Bug City. The episodic nature works perfectly within this framework, and the mix of Marine grit ("No retreat, no surrender!"), military jargon, and understated melodrama give a feel somewhere between the steely seriousness of an old-fashioned war comic book and the spectacle and romance of a Japanese anime space opera. The excellent voice cast includes the inimitable E.G. Daly (who also contributes to Rugrats and Powerpuff Girls) as the gung-ho Private "Dizzy" Flores.

The CGI animation is less ambitious than in such feature films as Toy Story, but it's one of the most impressive examples of the animation made for TV. The detailed designs, rich textures, 3-D modeling, and awesome sense of scale (not to mention the pumped-up action and whiplash speed of the bug army) give it the look of an impossibly sophisticated video game, with the rat-a-tat editing and soaring camerawork of a Hollywood movie. The budgetary shortcuts are evident in moments of blurring and jerking, but overall it's startlingly effective. The PG-level violence (no humans are killed, only demonic-looking bugs) may not be appropriate for younger viewers, but it's aimed at an older crowd and has won a loyal adult following. --Sean Axmaker

Product Description

Battling seemingly invincible forces primed to take over the universe, "Roughnecks: The Starship Troopers Chronicles: The Pluto Campaign" is a state-of-the-art CGI feature length story that features elements of action, humor, coming-of-age, teamwork and fantasy.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

54 of 56 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Roughnecks - the last best hope for SF animation, February 27, 2001

By	C. P. Halliday "doctor_toc" (Bristol, UK) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Roughnecks: Starship Trooper Chronicles can be described in so many ways; underappreciated, underpromoted and trapped in the ghetto of early morning TV. Thankfully, it can also be called revolutionary, daring, visually stunning, dynamic, moving, epic and intelligent. During its run on TV it recieved little attention due to its label as a "kiddie cartoon" and its awful timeslot. However, those that did pay attention to it realised they were watching something very special; an animated show with appeal for younger viewers, but that did not talk down to them or dilute the stories in any way. The characters of Roughnecks are very human, men and women who grow and develop as the series moves on and they face and defeat the challenges of living life during war-time. Instead of the gung-ho mockery of the movie, Roughnecks has a frequently somber tone, interspersed with high-octane action and not a little drama. It's brilliant and engrossing stuff, and your DVD or video tape will get plenty of wear and tear.

One can't review the series without mentioning the incredible computer animation. Without a doubt the work done on Roughnecks has blazed a trail for the animators of the future to follow. The visual designs are brilliantly inventive, and the animation work is remarkably realistic. Of particular note are the characters faces, beautifully crafted works of art capable of silently displaying the most complex of emotions. They are the key to the heart of this show, which amidst all the flashes and bangs retains a warmth and humanity lacking from much of todays childrens fare.

Fans of the original Heinlein novel will be pleased to note that the eponymous troopers wear powered armour, though the characterisations and bugs still take their cue from the recent movie (no bad thing in my opinion). Concerned parents will be happy to note that though there is on-screen violence, it is all aimed where it should be, at the bugs.

So, give your eyes, ears and mind a treat and pick up Roughnecks: Starship Trooper Chronicles. You won't regret it.

Roughnecks Ho!

34 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An underappreciated treasure, January 10, 2001

By	Stephen Liverman (Perry Hall, Maryland USA) - See all my reviews

"Roughnecks: Starship Trooper Chronicles" is probably the best science fiction program you have never seen. Due to an improbable series of marketing and scheduling problems, this outstanding show had only a brief run at early morning hours on a few stations. You may not have seen it, but believe me you want to! "Roughnecks" retells and expands Robert Heinlein's story of a group of young recruits facing life in the Mobile Infantry and combat against terrifying alien creatures called the "bugs". Though it borrows from the Paul Verhoven film, this computer animated series is far superior. The computer graphics are exceptional. The ships, bugs, characters, movement and facial expressions are very realistic. The animated series includes the spectacular suborbital drops that are the centerpiece of Heinlein's book. But surprisingly, I was most impressed with the stories and characters. While appropriate for children, the Roughnecks stories are complex and realistic enough to satisfy adults as well. If you love science fiction, computer animation, military stories, or all of the above, this DVD is a must for your collection.

38 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best SCI-FI that was ever on TV!, January 14, 2001

By	R. Colin "urabob" (Dallas, Texas USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Roughnecks- The Starship Troopers Chronicles is the best Sci-Fi that has ever graced television. A much better adaptation of the Robert A. Heinlein novel than it's live action film predecessor in every way. (Although, purists have and will always complain.) Engaging storylines, wonderful characterization and computer animation- this is a series that will hold it's own for a long time to come. From Pluto to Hydora to a desolate asteroid and back to Earth and few stops on worlds in-between, the series a varied and fast paced. Written more for adults than children, you can expect a higher degree of violence and character introspection than what is normal for an animated series or an any episode of Star Trek. All in all, if you are even just a minor fan the live action movie or just a fan of great television- this series is very much worth your time and money! (It is worth noting that the series was never completed, perhaps it's release on DVD will remedy this.)