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Starship Troopers 3: Marauder, a review by Tom

Title: Starship Troopers 3: Marauder
Year: 2008
Director: Ed Neumeier
Rating: 15
Length: 105 Min.
Video: Widescreen 1.85
Audio: English: Dolby Digital TrueHD, Czech: Dolby Digital 5.1, Hungarian: Dolby Digital 5.1, Polish: Dolby Digital 5.1, Russian: Dolby Digital 5.1, Commentary: Dolby Digital Stereo, Commentary: Dolby Digital Stereo
Subtitles: Arabic, Bulgarian, Commentary, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, Greek, Hindi, Hungarian, Icelandic, Norwegian, Polish, Romanian, Slovakian, Slovenian, Swedish, Turkish

Stars:
Casper Van Dien
Jolene Blalock
Stephen Hogan
Boris Kodjoe
Amanda Donohoe

Plot:
STARSHIP TROOPERS 3: MARAUDER[/i] explodes with a mind-blowing man-on-bug combat. Col. Johnny Rico (Casper Van Diem) is back to lead his team on a secret mission to rescue a small crew of troopers starnded on the remote planet of OM-1. Battling bugs both new and old, the new "Marauder" advanced weapons technology maybe their only hope against a treasonous element operating within the Federation itself. As Captain Lola Black (Jolene Blalock) and the rest of the starship crew fight to survive in the harsh conditions, it begins to dawn on them that something on OM-1 is very, very wrong. This time the bugs have a secret weapon that could destroy humanity. Join the Mobile Infantry in this intergalactic action-packed adventure.

Extras:
BD-Live
Commentary
Featurettes
Music Videos
PiP
Scene Access
Trailers

I enjoyed this one much more than the second part. Like the first part it is again much more self-satirical about the fascist aspects of the federation. Although I think it is just trying to hard to top the first one in this regard and undermines the first one a bit.
Although the religious aspect is just ridiculous. I am not sure if it is supposed to be funny or not. The religious characters constantly complain about stuff being blasphemy. What is blaphemic about cursing using "f*cking"? If I would be religious, I probably would have found some imaginery blasphemic. Like a gun symbolizing a cross or the "The Creation of Adam" (by Michelangelo) recreation.
I am taking the religious stuff like it is supposed to be a parody (it probably is), and think of it as being purposefully idiotic.

Rating:

(From Tom's Random Reviews on December 12th, 2009)

Die Another Day, a review by Rich

Die Another Day





An amazing start, complete with spies surfing in to North Korea, an amazing action sequence with hovercrafts, and then a memorable set where Bond is held captive and given up by MI6. However the film slowly drifted away, somewhere it just didn't work. The choice of Berry was poor, as she tried desperately to steal every scene and spewed cringeworthy lines, and the speed she dropped her pants was amazing even by 007 standards - a couple of corny ornithology chatup lines and bish bosh she's bedded.
The invisible car was ridiculous, possibly only overtaken by the VR shots with Moneypenny.
On the plus side I loved the fencing scene, the attractive supporting cast, and the Ice Palace was an impressive backdrop.
 

(From James Bond Marathon on June 23rd, 2009)

Tom's Random Reviews, a review by Tom

Title: Welcome to the N.H.K.!: Collection Part Two
Year: 2006
Director:
Rating: NR
Length: 300 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.78
Audio: English: Dolby Digital Stereo, Japanese: Dolby Digital Stereo
Subtitles: English

Stars:


Plot:
Sato really thought he could do it... Ever since he figured out that his miserable excuse for a life was actually the fault of a ruthless television network set on reprogramming its viewers, Sato's been trying his hardest to create a real life for himself. Unfortunately, one of the biggest problems with evil programs is that they keep getting rerun over and over! Now, with his romantic relationships in a state of disaster, his game demo flopping and his economic situation hitting a new all-time low, a part time job selling products inside the virtual world of an online game may be Sato's only salvation. But can virtual success lead to real world happiness, or will even simulated social intercourse prove to be too much for Sato to handle? Life gets messy as the terms "tuning in" and "turning on" take on whole new meanings in the second and final collection of Welcome to the N-H-K!!

Awards:
Extras:
Scene Access
Trailers

I also really enjoyed the second half of this series. I can really recommend this series. Although I have read the manga in the past (and also the novel), for some reason I didn't enjoy them very much. Because of this I do not remember much of them. On the one hand the storylines did feel really familiar, but on the other hand, it felt like watching something new. Maybe the material is better suited as an anime (as I thought when buying these DVD sets), or I just didn't like the style of the manga, but I really enjoyed watching this series and makes me want to give the manga another chance. So I probably will re-read it soon.

#	Episode	Rating
13	Welcome to Paradise!
14	Welcome to Reality!
15	Welcome to the Fantasy!
16	Welcome to Game Over!
17	Welcome to Happiness!
18	Welcome to No Future!
19	Welcome to the Blue Bird!
20	Welcome to Winter Days!
21	Welcome to the Reset!
22	Welcome to God!
23	Welcome to Misaki!
24	Welcome to the N.H.K.!

(From Tom's Random Reviews on January 17th, 2010)