I always find that the cult comic book movies take infinitely more creative liberties than Marvel and DC, which have created an ever-tiring subgenre of their own. The most entertaining comic book movies are the ones that are inherently subversive, unconventional, and even weird. Enter “2000 AD,” the British cult comic book that gave fans characters such as Judge Dredd, who got his own film in 2012 with a significant cult following. 2000 AD also gave readers from across the pond the Rogue Trooper, who, after over ten years of development, is finally getting his big-screen debut. Directed by Duncan Jones and having its North American premiere at TIFF 2026, Rogue Trooper follows 19, one of many Genetic Infantrymen tasked with finding and neutralizing a traitor who got the rest of his fellow soldiers killed. 

Accompanying him are his talking gun, helmet, and backpack, which contain biochips of his fallen comrades awaiting new bodies. Completely computer-animated, the film stars Aneurin Barnard as the title character, along with Darryl McCormack, Hayley Atwell, Diane Morgan and more. 

The most striking visual difference from this film and most other comic book films is that it was animated entirely in Unreal Engine 5. While animated comic book films are not hard to come by, it’s a huge innovation to animate an entire film in the same engine Fortnite was made in. This can easily make or break the film for people, and it often looks wildly uncanny and odd. I immediately thought of the films by ImageMovers Digital, who have produced some horrifying childhood classics. As far as Rogue Trooper’s use of Unreal 5, I found it to occasionally work in its favor, capturing the unstable situation 19 is in and the many different characters he meets on his quest to find the traitor to his unit. And even though it wasn’t always my cup of tea, I’ll take this over anything made with generative AI. 

Rogue Trooper’s opening credits directly use panels from the 2000 AD comic book, a nice homage to the source material, but I found it more static than anything. The best comic book films are the ones that go balls to the wall and translate the source material into a visually stylish cinematic piece. For example, Dredd (2012) has a distinct identity that sets it apart from other typical action films. While I found it endearing that they recognize the source material in the beginning, I couldn’t help but wish for something more striking and memorable. For the rest of the film, it leans toward basic shots and action sequences that fail to capture the comic book’s fantastic sci-fi roots. 

The plot itself is quite run-of-the-mill, indistinguishable from most war films, but the sci-fi twist allows for compelling moments. 19 meets Mr. Brass and Mr. Bland (Jemaine Clement and Matt Berry), a pair of scavenger salesmen, Venus Bluegenes (Atwell), an earlier GI experiment that went rogue, and more. These one-off characters can sometimes overstay their welcome, but for the most part they enhance 19’s journey and give him the tools he needs to get back to the general to warn her of the traitor. 19’s fallen brothers Gunnar, Bagman, and Helm are the most entertaining, helping him weave through situations while providing support. 

Despite its setbacks visually and narratively, Rogue Trooper is almost certainly destined for a cult following. As more and more comic book films devolve into indistinguishable slop, it’s nice to see one that goes against the grain and pays homage to its roots.

Review Courtesy of Nadia Arain

Feature Image Credit to Liberty Films