Rogue Trooper

Why I took it off the list:

I’d had this adult sci-fi animation on my radar for quite some time, but wasn’t sure I would ever get to see it. Or even if I wanted to.

That’s because Rogue Trooper was announced as Moon director (and son of David Bowie) Duncan Jones’ next project way back in 2018. And took almost a decade to bring to the screen.

Even after being completed, the film remained without a release date. However, it was finally unveiled at France’s Annecy International Animation Film Festival in June 2026. And then started to pop up in the programming of other film festivals.

When I saw that it was screening at the 2026 Sitges Film Festival, I was grateful to be able to finally see it. However, the animation style gave me a bit of pause, as I’m not the biggest fan of most of the motion capture animated movies that have been released so far (i.e. the rather ugly likes of The Polar Express and Mars Needs Moms.)

However, there are exceptions that I’ve enjoyed. Including the underrated spooky 2006 feature Monster House.

And the film is based on a long-running comic strip from 2000 AD, which also gave us Judge Dredd. And I’m a big fan of the last iteration of that character put on screen.

So, let’s dig in!

Review of Rogue Trooper (2026)

I was a little late to the screening of Rogue Trooper in Sitges and missed the opening few minutes. Which apparently consist of a Star Wars-like scroll explaining in detail the future world of the film.

So I have to admit that I felt almost as disorientated as the squad of soldiers I saw on screen as they plummeted towards a mission on the barren, toxic surface of Nu-Earth.

However, even though I missed the set-up for the story, it didn’t take me too long to get the gist of it: opposing factions called the Norts and the Southers are fighting a war of attrition on the planet.

And, amidst a poisoning of the atmosphere, the Southers have opted to create “Genetic Infantrymen” who are immune from the toxins to fight more efficiently against their enemy.

These “GIs” are unique in another way. Their consciousness is uploaded onto chips embedded in their heads, so if they die, they can later be transferred to another body.

This becomes important when several of the soldiers in 19, aka the titular Rogue Trooper,’s squadron are killed. He acts quickly, inserting their chips into his helmet, backpack, and gun. And the personalities of his fallen comrades then take over the objects.

They then, through some kind of psychic link that means only 19 can hear them, guide him on his mission. Which soon becomes tracking down the traitor who leaked knowledge of the Southers’ surprise offensive in advance.

Along the way, he meets several colorful characters who both help and hinder him on his mission. But well, in carrying over the comic book’s satire, which is reminiscent of Verhoeven’s Starship Troopers, most them are unpleasant and/or corrupt, profiting from the seemingly senseless war machine.

Entertaining and (Mostly) Visually Stunning

As I said in the intro, I’m not usually a fan of this style of animation, as most of the previous examples (particularly The Polar Express) have been unintentionally freaky. But to its credit, Rogue Trooper is quite a handsome film.

The varied terrain of Nu-Earth is gorgeously rendered. And the characters, for the most part, look convincing. Particularly the GIs, with their otherworldly blue skin and white eyes (they give Dr. Manhattan rather than Na’vi vibes, not surprising given that Watchmen artist Dave Gibbons was behind their original design.)

The old-school humans in the film convince less, as they still have that uncanny, somewhat cartoonish vibe prevalent in earlier examples of MoCap animation. But this is a small quibble as the film is otherwise quite visually spectacular.

The action scenes which make up up the bulk of the film are very fun, full of tracking shots, close-ups, and fast-paced editing which keeps things engaging. And the orchestral score, by Battlestar Galactica composer Bear McCreary, is appropriately sweeping and grand.

The impressive cast of the film is also pretty perfect. Jones opted to almost exclusively use British talent to reflect the origins of the UK-published comic its based on, and he has assembled quite a roster.

Welsh actor Aneurin Barnard proves to be an ideal fit for the title character and an engaging lead, equal parts gruff and soulful. And Captain America‘s Hayley Atwell is perfectly cast as the most prominent character he meets on his travels, fellow GI Venus Bluegenes.

There is not much depth to many of the characters in the sprawling ensemble, but this is offset by the colorful personalities the actors bring to the roles. This is especially the case when it comes to the army officers played by Sean Bean and Diane Morgan, aka Philomena Cunk herself.

But the rest of the cast, which includes Alice Lowe, Asa Butterfield, Reece Shearsmith, Jack Lowden, Matt Berry, and Jemaine Clement, also get plenty of moments to shine. And Peter Serafinowicz is a hoot as French-accented enemy assassin Vichy.

The choice to use a mix of different UK regional accents is a welcome one. They not only serve to differentiate the different troopers (sort of necessary as otherwise it’s hard to tell them apart!), but also compliment the very British sense of humor running throughout the film.

Score: 7/10