Reviews

I have waited years to see this. My local video store did not have it, so I was SOL...until today when a friend lent it to me. Now I wish he hadn't. I will never get back those 90 minutes I wasted. Very weak plot (no plot at all), poor effects, and not even a memorable John Carpenter soundtrack. THis gets ranked down at the bottom of JC films, even below Ghosts of Mars and Body Bags. If you want to see a good Carpenter film see: In the Mouth of Madness, The Thing, Halloween, The Fog, Escape From New York, Big Trouble In Little China. Donald Plesancedid not have a memorable role unlike in Halloween and the rest of the cast was a virtual cast of nobody's. Too bad.

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!