As a seasoned moviegoer with over two decades of experience under my belt, I must confess that I approached Eli Roth’s ‘Borderlands‘ with a mix of enthusiasm and caution. The trailers were intriguing, and I had high hopes for a fun, action-packed ride. However, the film turned out to be a rollercoaster of disappointment, akin to buying tickets for a thrill ride only to find it stuck on the starting platform.
Approaching Eli Roth’s Borderlands as an optimist, I chose to focus on the possibility of a fun experience, disregarding the various warning signs that were present. It’s not uncommon for films to undergo reshoots or have extended delays before release, and these factors do not always indicate poor quality. In this case, the cast looked promising, even though I am not well-versed in the video game from which it was adapted. The trailers gave off a positive vibe that piqued my interest.
Borderlands
📅 Mark your calendars! On August 9, 2024, I’m beyond excited to witness the masterful direction of Eli Roth in a thrilling movie event. The screenplay is a collaboration between Roth and Joe Crombie. The star-studded cast includes none other than Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, Edgar Ramírez, Ariana Greenblatt, Florian Munteanu, Gina Gershon, and the legendary Jamie Lee Curtis. This PG-13 rated movie promises intense sequences of violence and action, sprinkled with some language and suggestive material. With a runtime of 102 minutes, it’s the perfect length for an unforgettable cinematic experience!
Turns out, I’m not just an optimist, but perhaps overly hopeful as well. All those warning signs were flapping like crazy for a reason: Borderlands the movie was a massive disappointment. It’s baffling to be hit over the head with endless exposition and still struggle to grasp the world they’re trying to create. The cast of characters, rather than being fleshed out, feel more like cardboard cutouts – not even two-dimensional, as that would imply some depth. Its humor is juvenile, its visuals are synthetic, and there wasn’t a single moment during the 102 minutes that sparked any creativity or engagement.
In a new role, Cate Blanchett (who convincingly brings the story to life) plays Lilith, a skilled bounty hunter. Hired by an enigmatic corporate leader named Atlas, portrayed by Edgar Ramirez, she’s tasked with rescuing his daughter Tina (Ariana Greenblatt), who has been abducted on a dangerous planet called Pandora by a soldier named Roland (Kevin Hart). When Lilith locates her targets, Atlas sends forces to intervene. However, for unexplained reasons, Lilith, Atlas, and the rest of their group join forces to fight back against these forces. They then band together to search for a legendary vault rumored to house highly advanced alien technology.
Additionally, encountered throughout their journey are a rugged, masked man known as Krieg (Florian Munteanu), an unremarkable scientist named Tannis (Jamie Lee Curtis), and a goofy robot called Claptrap (Jack Black). These characters contribute little to the plot beyond a solitary action, subsequently fading into the backdrop or simply serving as recognizable names on the film poster.
Borderlands desperately wants to be Guardians Of The Galaxy but has none of the qualities that makes James Gunn’s movie so great.
Borderlands strives hard, yet falls short, in its attempt to emulate the charm of Guardians of the Galaxy within the realm of video game adaptations. The film’s band of less-than-heroic heroes, accompanied by a brash energy, seems aimed at the elusive concept of “edgy.” However, it’s astonishing to observe how wide of the mark it ultimately lands. Setting aside its absence of humor or camaraderie, the movie overlooks offering any character a convincing or unique motivation; they simply join the team and traverse one plot point to another without purpose. Furthermore, the film squanders an abundance of acting talent by providing the stars with nothing particularly engaging to perform, and even the individual roles lack distinct personality (it’s peculiar to see Kevin Hart portray a generic soldier who fails to elicit even a chuckle).
If a movie aspires to be a blockbuster but neglects making you empathize with its characters’ objectives, it should at least offer amusing company for a couple of hours – unfortunately, Borderlands falls short even in this aspect. Instead of fresh and engaging personalities, there is an overabundance of tired badassness that harks back to poorly executed action films from the 2000s, which themselves were imitations of bad action movies from the 1980s. Even basic slapstick humor like characters being drenched in urine and filth seems stale and contrived.
Most of all, what I find deeply frustrating is how much Jack Black’s performance in this role annoys me. As a longtime admirer of his work, it’s painful to acknowledge this, but Claptrap becomes excessively annoying – and that’s saying something given the character’s purposeful irritation.
One wishes that even a quarter of the energy spent on world-building in Borderlands was redirected into telling a competent story.
As someone unfamiliar with the Borderlands video game, I can’t comment on its accuracy to the original content, but it appears to cram an excessive amount of references and callbacks, which seems to harm the overall quality of the film. The movie is marred by sloppy voiceover narration, dialogue filled with exposition, and numerous subplots. It attempts to convey the impression of a vast universe to the audience, but much of it is either confusing for newcomers or lacks significance within the storyline. I’m also puzzled about Krieg’s character, specifically why he wears a mask and is called a “psycho.” Furthermore, it takes 40 minutes into the movie before the characters possess two out of the three keys required to access the legendary vault, which seems disorganized. In summary, the film is a jumble.
Currently, video game adaptations are becoming more successful and effective, with shows like “The Last Of Us” and “Fallout” being notable examples from recent years. However, the upcoming “Borderlands” movie seems to be a significant misstep. Although it’s not immediately clear what went wrong during production, it would be unwise to disregard the warning signs.
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2024-08-09 08:37