Comic Con 2012: Starship Troopers: Invasion – Blu-Ray Release Date and Premiere Reactions

I am a big fan of the original Starship Troopers film, so I was excited for the idea of an all new release that has come in the form of a CG animated feature from the director of Appleseed and Halo Legends.  While at Comic Con, I got the chance to watch the world premiere screening of Starship Troopers: Invasion, which turned out to be a lot of fun.  While more of a straight-forward sci-fi/action film, it looked great, featured some really cool action sequences, and was really able to delve visually into the world of Starship Troopers.  I will have a video interview with the team behind the film posted soon as well, which includes the original Johnny Rico himself, Casper Van Dien.  For now, continue on to read some of my reactions to the film along with information about the upcoming Blu-ray/DVD release of the film.

I managed to make it just in time to this screening, as I had spent the entire day at Comic Con, inside Hall H.  Going into the film I was not sure what to expect, aside from seeing a lot of troopers shoot up some bugs real good.  With that said, I was quite pleased by the time the film was over.  Starship Troopers: Invasion is definitely action packed.  It features an opening that basically sets the tone of the film, providing an exciting action sequence, before settling down to establish who is who, which includes re-establishing the core three characters from the first film – Johnny Rico, Carmen Ibanez, and Carl Jenkins.  It may not be very deep in regards to the characters as a whole, it does quickly get back to being a full-blown assault for an extended period of time.  While this is not a film that really wants to provide the same sort of satirical commentary in regards to propaganda and fascism like the first and third film, it does work quite well as a guns blazing action film, with plenty of fun and creative action set pieces.  It was also neat to see the constraints of a live action film not seem like as much of a factor here, with the world opened up to really go wild with the visuals and fully realize some of the potential of the series.  This includes the use of the power armor, which was a big part of the original novel by Robert A. Heinlein.

Overall, as far as Blu-ray releases and films set in this universe are concerned, I found Starship Troopers: Invasion to be an entertaining feature that looked great and had some really cool action.  Read on to learn more about the Blu-ray.

Official Press Release:

The Troopers Are Back for the Ultimate Battle Against the Bugs In An All-New CGI Animated Installment of the Hit Starship Troopers Series!

STARSHIP TROOPERS: INVASION

The Fight for Mankind’s Survival Continues August 28th On Blu-ray & DVD with UltraViolet, Plus Hours of Explosive Bonus Features

The Troopers are back in action in the all-new CGI-animated adventure STARSHIP TROOPERS: INVASION, landing on Blu-ray and DVD with UltraViolet August 28th from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. With the latest in CGI technology, the next chapter in the beloved sci-fi franchise finds fan favorites Johnny Rico, Captain Ibanez and Carl Jenkins on a perilous mission to rescue survivors of a Federation outpost under attack by the bugs.  Series star Casper Van Dien returns as executive producer alongside Ed Neumeier, screenwriter of the original smash hit Starship Troopers. Shinji Aramaki, acclaimed Japanese director of the animated hits Appleseed, Appleseed Ex-Machina and Halo Legends, brings his unique visual style to this action-packed, visually stunning sequel that utilizes the latest, state-of-the-art CGI technology to render the ultimate battle between mankind and alien bugs.

The STARSHIP TROOPERS: INVASION Blu-ray and DVD come armed with hours of explosive bonus features, including filmmakers commentary, deleted scenes, and an 11-part Making Of featurette, revealing how the movie was made, using a breakthrough mix of animation, motion capture and compositing. As an added bonus to fans, the Blu-ray also features an exclusive Conceptual Art Gallery, showcasing the original designs of the movie’s ships, alien bugs, and more.

Synopsis: The troopers of two starships have joined forces to terminate a massive bug attack at a federation outpost. Before the mission can be completed and the survivors evacuated, one ship abruptly departs and goes inexplicably dark. The remaining battle-hardened troopers race to the rescue, only to discover that the threat from the bugs is about to hit home.

STARSHIP TROOPERS: INVASION was written by Flint Dille (The Transformers: The Movie, Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay video game, “G.I. Joe” TV series) from a story by Shinji Aramaki, Joseph Chou and Shigehito Kawada and produced by Joseph Chou (Appleseed Ex-Machina, Halo Legends, Space Pirate: Captain Harlock).

The film has a run time of approximately 90 minutes and has been rated R for violence, language and nudity.

Blu-ray and DVD Bonus Material

· Filmmakers Commentary

· 11-Part Making Of Featurette

· Deleted Scenes

Blu-ray Exclusive

· Conceptual Art Gallery

Check back soon for an Exclusive Interview, but for now Order Your Copy Here:

Aaron is a writer/reviewer for WhySoBlu.com.  Follow him on Twitter @AaronsPS3.
He also co-hosts a podcast, Out Now with Aaron and Abe, available via iTunes or at HHWLOD.com.