As a seasoned gamer with over two decades under my belt, I’ve seen more than my fair share of video game adaptations that were less than stellar, and Borderlands looks to be another addition to that unfortunate list. The idea of turning a beloved game like this into a live-action movie has always been a gamble, and unfortunately, it seems like Eli Roth’s take on the franchise has hit more snags than successes.
It seems that Eli Roth’s Borderlands may revive the notorious video game movie dilemma. Historically, live-action video game movies have been associated with low-budget productions such as Alone in the Dark and Doom, which featured Dwayne Johnson. Consequently, 2005 was a year marked by subpar adaptations in this genre.
1993’s Super Mario Bros. movie, which Bob Hoskins called the worst thing he ever did, seems like a forgotten blunder. However, the 2000s brought a wave of disappointments in video game adaptations, including BloodRayne, Far Cry, and Max Payne, all of which were heavily criticized by critics. It appeared that these failures were long behind us, but now Borderlands has resurfaced to reawaken our collective PTSD related to video game movie flops.
First Borderlands reviews aren’t kind to Eli Roth’s movie
#Borderlands is undeniably one of the most disappointing films I’ve seen this year, and it tarnishes one of my cherished video game series. Eli Roth seems to have drained all the unique character and aesthetic charm from it at night, leaving behind a mere shadow of the Borderlands name and its iconic characters.
— Chris 🦦 #VENOMANIACS (@LuminousDagger) August 7, 2024
Since 2011, plans for a Borderlands film have been underway, but progress stalled and the project was stuck in development limbo. However, in 2020, Eli Roth took charge of the project. Featuring an impressive ensemble cast including Cate Blanchett, Jack Black, Kevin Hart, and Jamie Lee Curtis, it seemed destined to be the successor to Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle. Regrettably, its initial reviews have been less than favorable.
The action-packed film “Borderlands” hits theaters on August 9, and with critics’ reviews coming out a day prior, there were early signs that Lionsgate wasn’t too optimistic about the movie. As more opinions pour in, it seems that “Borderlands” is already being labeled as one of the worst movies of 2024.
According to reviews on Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic, Borderlands is being heavily criticized. Cynthia Vinney from Looper states, “Borderlands resembles a less charismatic imitation of Guardians of the Galaxy. Despite its appealing appearance, it lacks the charm of that previous film. I’d advise against investing your time in this one.”
Clarisse Loughrey from The Independent notes that the movie’s disrespectful portrayal of location and characters might infuriate its devoted followers, while it may also be confusing and hard to understand for casual viewers.
David Rooney from The Hollywood Reporter added his thoughts, stating, “Longtime video game enthusiasts might find more enjoyment from Borderlands, but I’m not certain about it. At a particular moment, Claptrap reactivates following a powerful weapon attack and inquires, ‘I passed out. Did something significant occur?’ However, this film doesn’t deliver such an event.”
On X (previously Twitter), it was much the same, but if anything, it became even more intense. Jonathan Sim described it as “almost unbearable to watch,” while Edgar Ortega put it succinctly: “There isn’t a single genuine character moment; instead, it’s just annoying one-liners that seem outdated the moment they leave the actors’ mouths.”
Essentially, I’m aiming to create something distinctly unique, but leveraging the popular characters and brand name from Borderlands since it already boasts a dedicated fanbase.
— Ccrypto (@Ccrypto5) August 6, 2024
Without a doubt, Tom Caswell’s critique is particularly harsh. He labels Borderlands as an “unexceptional and tiresome encounter” and even goes as far as saying that it’s “tumorously unfunny“. The film seemed to struggle with finding the right tone, considering the reshoots involving Deadpool’s director, Tim Miller.
A person mentions an interview where Roth acknowledges that the film didn’t align with the games’ canon because he aimed to create something distinct from Borderlands, yet found himself working with its characters. Given that Roth is famously known for directing Hostel movies, it seems surprising that they believed restricting Borderlands to a PG-13 rating would be feasible.
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2024-08-08 15:43