Rating: **
Review Date: 10/23/16
Director: Shinji Aramaki
A rescue mission at an asteroid outpost goes horribly awry as creepy Carl Jenkins appropriates Carmen Ibanez's starship and goes rogue. Ibanez and the remaining troopers chase down the ship, which is infested with bugs and heading straight for Earth. The writing is appallingly bad, but fans of the original will probably enjoy it. The characters are bland and uninteresting, and the dialog is overflowing with annoyingly cliché macho bullshit that reflects the mentality of a thirteen year old boy. Sniper Trig is the only likable member of the cast, but like most of the troopers, her fate is sealed early on. The animation is good and director Shinji Aramaki is clearly in his element with all of the mecha and militaria. The voice acting is forced and flat, and dominated by rough and gravelly performances. The action is entertaining enough to keep you distracted for the most part, but the overall experience is disappointingly mediocre.