Duncan Jones' long-awaited adaptation of Rogue Trooper is finally here, as the first images just dropped. However, fans can't decide if they look promising or not, drawing comparisons with early 2000 animated movies – and not really in a positive way.
The first-look pics from studio Rebellion offer a glimpse into Nu Earth, with Aneurin Barnard's blue-skinned super soldier, a pair of "looting baddies" called Mr Brass and Mr Bland (and played by Jemaine Clement and Matt Berry), and lost soldiers travelling through toxic wastelands.
Fans couldn't be more excited to see Dave Gibbons and Gerry Finley-Day's beloved sci-fi comic book series coming to life, but the animation, which was created using Unreal Engine 5, has not convinced everyone.
"Welcome back, weird 3D animation from 2000's," wrote one user on Twitter, echoing many other comparisons between the upcoming film and animated movies like Final Fantasy: Spirits Within, and, mockingly, Polar Express and Beowulf.
"Don't want to hate too much on a small film and the work of the talented CGI artists who animated this," commented another user, "but I do believe that this obsession with hyper realistic animation in science fiction creates a bland uniformity in places where stylized visuals would be far more interesting."
"Christ, I hope this is a rogue (geddit?) image, because it looks like it was generated on an old Amiga. One step above Lawnmower Man," tweeted a fan, with another one simply announcing: "Absolute dogshit incoming."
Not all comments were negative, however, as some fans are still excited to see what the film has in store. "I'll be here for this. There better be a scene where Rogue buries himself in mud and comes out of the ground to rip out a Nort's breathing tube. Kinda his specialty," said one user.
For those unfamiliar with the story, Rogue Trooper follows a lone survivor super-soldier on a mission for vengeance while the world is drowned in a war between the fascistic Norts and the democratic Southers. The star-studded cast also includes Hayley Atwell, Jack Lowden, Daryl McCormack, Reece Shearsmith, Diane Morgan, Alice Lowe, Asa Butterfield, and Sean Bean.
Rogue Trooper has yet to confirm a release date. In the meantime, check out our list of all the upcoming movies in 2025 and beyond.
