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"Roughnecks: The Starship Troopers Chronicles" (1999) More at IMDbPro »

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37 reviews in total

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18 out of 19 people found the following review useful:
Great show!, 24 June 2000
Author: klchu from California

For a "kids" show, this is one of the better shows on TV. There is more plot and characterization in one season of "Roughnecks" than in five years of "Voyager." The computer animation is excellent (for it's time), but it is not a crutch or the star of the show. Rather, the CGI is just a well-used tool that is used to create an excellent show.

I think this show, as a whole, is much better than the movie in many ways. It has action without being too violent, and drama without being too frightening for kids.

Even though the show is targeted at kids (older kids), there is plenty for adult sci-fi fans to enjoy: good stories, long story arcs, morals, consequences, and characters that are more real than 75% of the "real" shows on TV. The animators give the characters life and the voice actors give them souls.

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17 out of 19 people found the following review useful:
Better than the movie, not as good as the book, 6 July 2001
Author: deapod (deapod@theriver.com)

I first read the book STARSHIP TROOPERS when I was ten years old (now some 25+ years ago) and I have always loved that book. So much of modern SF has come from that novel, like the movie ALIENS, and novels such as ARMOR and THE FOREVER WAR. STARSHIP TROOPERS is more than just a great story, it's actually about the US island hopping campaign in the Pacific during WW2 (Heinlein was a Naval Academy graduate who served in troopships moving soldiers and Marines into battle), and it speaks eloquently about a society and its military, their roles and what is right and wrong with them. It also addresses such things as force structure, officer training, and the "tooth to tail" ratio. This book is even on the USMC reading list for NCOs, as much of the book deals with the interactions within a small, platoon-sized unit. Realizing this, it gives a different perspective on ROUGHNECKS than it does for someone who has never read the book and maybe only seen the movie. ROUGHNECKS does attempt to keep faith with the book, especially with the addition of the Skinnies, even in portraying them as they are in the book--allies, then enemies, then allies again. It also blends in the movie characters, like Zander Barcalow, with new characters like Brutto and Doc. It even leaves Dizzy as a girl (in the book, Dizzy is a guy, and he dies in the first chapter). Also, there is an attempt to add in what made the book so special to begin with--the battle armor. I saw about a dozen episodes in whole or in part, mostly on the local channel that showed it. I can only hope that SCI-FI channel will reshow them, or maybe another cable network, like TNN, could pick it up. New episodes would also be good. One person said that there was more character development in ROUGHNECKS than in five seasons of VOYAGER. That's true, especially as all the characters in ROUGHNECKS were allowed to evolve, whereas on VOYAGER only Seven or the Doctor were really allowed to expand and grow. And for all those out there who have never read the book, or any of Heinlein's work, I would highly recommend it. You'll gain a new insight into this show, the movie, and maybe even more.

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17 out of 19 people found the following review useful:
The best "Sleeper" Animation of 1999, 16 January 2000
Author: HyperPup from United States

Roughnecks omits most of the stylings of the movie in favor of bringing elements from the novel "Starship Troopers" and creative savvy from the producers and directors that make the show. This is all computer generated animation for television at its finest, watchers will be treated to the continuing ventures of Johnny Rico and the Roughnecks as they travel to strange and dangerous worlds in their quest to rid the galaxy of the Alien Insects that wish to conquer them. Be prepared for exotic and very realistic looking characters, locations, vehicles and enemies. This is the future of animation so don't miss it.

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13 out of 14 people found the following review useful:
Very good, but unfinished., 30 September 2005
Author: stevenishershel from United States

This animated series was better than the movie (though I love the movie too), but was unfinished. There were only 37 episodes (though you can see several that never aired on the "Trackers DVD). The problem is that the series ended before the Roughnecks saved earth and kill the Queen. THat being said there were many more positives. First, the animation was top quality (though I would have gone for traditional cartoon over computers). Secondly the character development was fantastic. Thirdly, the "serial" nature of the episodes were reminiscent of some of the old 40's serials. The story starts out on Pluto were the Roughnecks are sent to save miners from the Arachnids. After Pluto is saved, the Roughnecks go to Hydora a waterworld (and probably the best campaign) to find the transport bug which had escaped Pluto. From there they go to Tophet, were we meet the "Skinnies," a race of aliens who are controlled by the Bugs. After liberating the Skinnies, the Roughnecks move onto Tesca, a jungle campaign where the Roughnecks must battle spiders and prejudice. From Tesca, the Roughnecks are marooned on an asteroid infested with "Firefrys" and a living asteroid. From here they attack the Bugs on their home world of Klandathu were they discover the bug queen. The Bug Queen escapes and heads to earth where the series culminates with the "Homefront Campaign."

Good Luck Apes!

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9 out of 10 people found the following review useful:
the roughneck series, 24 August 2005
Author: applseed from United States

I found the roughneck series 100% better than both movies and the book. All six of the dvds are worth purchasing. The stories are very good and the animation excellent. I continue to watch them to this day. There was a little goof up in the continuity when they company had to outsource the production. However, it does nothing to detract from the stories. The only one I did not like was trackers. And the DVD's left out 3 very major episodes. There are episode guides that will fill in the missing pieces. All in all the cgi animation series is excellent entertainment.

Applseed

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8 out of 9 people found the following review useful:
Surprisingly Wonderful Show!, 7 January 2000
Author: SnacksForAll from San Diego, CA

Despite negative reviews, I actually loved the film "STARSHIP TROOPERS." It ran on a feasable and likable theme, and had a good "feel" to it, even if it was a little campy. Why the critics seem to hate it is beyond me.

But to get on with this review, I didn't expect much from "ROUGHNECKS," The Starship Troopers Television series, but in the morning before going to work I managed to catch an episode. I was impressed at first by the visual computer effects. The movements of the CGI characters are very lifelike and believable. But what really had me tuning in from then on were the great storylines. They are deep and intelligent; I have no idea why this show is marketed to children. As an adult, this is one of the few "cartoons" I can still sit through, probably because this show isn't exactly written for younger audiences. From the few episodes I've seen, I can already tell that "ROUGHNECKS" is a completely valid series, and not just because it is entertaining. It refrences many classic moral themes that pertain to the horrors of war, and also references many historical points in military history (most noticeably the Roughnecks' Home Ship, the VALLEY FORGE).

My only complaint is that the three main characters should

closer resemble their real-life counterparts. Call me shallow for wanting to see the familiar faces of Hollywood celebrities, but I can't think of "Johnny Rico," "Dizzy Flores," or "Carl Jenkins" without seeing the faces of Casper Van Dien, Dina Meyer and Neil Patrick Harris in my mind (though to be honest, the CGI character of "Diz" actually does resemble Dina Meyer).

All in all, a great show that is very worthy of all praise it receives. Don't miss "Roughnecks: The Starship Troopers Chronicles." You won't be sorry.

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8 out of 11 people found the following review useful:
A great show., 31 August 2005
Author: JGSLICK99 from United States

Oh, I remember this show so fondly. I came across it in the summer of 1999. It was before The Sci-Fi Channel was sold to Paramount Entertainment and got ruined. From 7AM to 9AM five days a week in the summers. Like many small budget, yet effective, channels it was a BKN (Big Kids Network) outlet. They played a lot of mid-level budget cartoons those days in the morning. Mummies Alive, Extreme Ghostbusters and Roughnecks.

I remember so fondly waking up in the morning and lounging in bed watching Roughnecks. Oh, man I miss my youth. It's right up there with the one summer Sci-Fi played nothing but Anime when I was sick for two months and did nothing but watch it and sleep.

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2 out of 2 people found the following review useful:
just ordered the DVDs, 3 December 2006

Author: ibsrgmd from United States

my brothers and i would wake up at 6:30 before school so we had enough time for 3 things: eat breakfast, shower, and set the VCR to record Roughnecks. this show was absolutely amazing. the CGI work was groundbreaking at the time, and the storyline was the most compelling dramatic series that we watched. the thing is, we discovered this series on the BKN network without ever having heard of the movie or the book. i later went on to watch the movie, which i enjoyed knowing that it was a complete action flick. i have yet to read the book, but hopefully will change that this winter break. i also recently found out that there was a second movie (that most people say isn't worth watching) but having two brothers in the industry and being a big movie fan myself, i think i'll just have to give it a shot. there is also a computer game that i haven't played yet, but apparently it's a mindless shooter that gets old fast. but getting back to the TV series, it has everything to keep people from 9-10 years old and up happy and interested. sure there are cheesy parts sometimes, but it just adds to the masterpiece that is Roughnecks: STC. watch them, buy the DVDs, it's definitely worth it.

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2 out of 2 people found the following review useful:
Excellent series!, 4 September 1999
Author: Lee Thompson from Seattle, WA

The new all CG series adapting the Robert Heinlein novel has finally got it right! After a complete failure (the 1989 Japanese anime attempt), a partial success (the 1997 motion picture) we can finally really get into the story of Johnny Rico and the others.

If you didn't like the movie's adaption, or liked the movie but want the *rest* of the story - check your local listings!

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4 out of 6 people found the following review useful:
How not to do Heinlein, 2 November 2006

Author: sarastro7 from Denmark

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

I cannot help awarding this TV series a low 3 out of 10 rating, because it is specifically about everything that is *not* interesting about Heinlein's Starship Troopers concept. It is purely about action. There is virtually no characterization, and certainly nothing at all about the most interesting thing: the kind of society the story takes place in. The whole world-building dimension is completely and mercilessly cut away, perhaps to make this a kids' story. Heinlein's original novel was juvenile fiction, but it didn't talk down to its readers. It contained all sorts of hardboiled social commentary and philosophy, which today is apparently considered dangerous, or at least uncommercial. The producers of this series have certainly succeeded in utterly sanitizing this concept. Into complete meaninglessness.

But the animation sure is pretty. What a shame to have wasted it on such insubstantial material.

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