As a lifelong gamer and movie enthusiast, I can’t help but feel disappointed by the disastrous outcome of “Borderlands.” Having grown up with this iconic franchise, it was my dream to see an adaptation that would do justice to the vibrant world and engaging characters that made Borderlands so special.
The long-awaited movie adaptation of Eli Roth’s “Borderlands” has finally been released, but unfortunately, it fails to live up to the hype. Neither ardent video game enthusiasts nor concerned studio executives will find much to celebrate, as they have closely followed its development for more than a decade. Despite advancements in video game adaptations over the years, with critically acclaimed series like “The Last of Us” and commercially successful films such as “Sonic the Hedgehog” and “Super Mario Bros.”, the warning signs were clear from the very first “Borderlands” trailer, as fans were quick to voice their negative opinions.
Following the unfavorable responses to the trailer, it was hardly unexpected that the initial reviews for “Borderlands” were overwhelmingly negative, with a large majority expressing severe disappointment. Upon viewing the movie ourselves, we reached a similar conclusion – it felt like an uneventful trek through a barren landscape. The widespread poor reviews have only added to the film’s struggles, as its troubled production history filled with last-minute changes and departures from the original source material has left even a star-studded cast featuring Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, and Jamie Lee Curtis unable to salvage it. So, what led to this box office disaster? Let’s delve into why the “Borderlands” movie failed so spectacularly.
How much money did Borderlands make?
Currently, “Borderlands” has earned $8.8 million in the U.S., placing it at a disappointing fourth position at the domestic box office. The situation is even more disheartening overseas, where it managed to collect merely $7.7 million, resulting in a global debut of $16.5 million. This underwhelming performance is troubling given that the film took over 10 years to produce, boasts some high-profile talent (although they may not be ideally cast), and reportedly had a production budget of around $145 million, with an additional $30 million spent on distribution and marketing. As a vibrant action-comedy based on a well-known IP, “Borderlands” seemed like a promising venture for Lionsgate in the context of the current trend of video game adaptations. To add to their woes, this isn’t the first flop that Lionsgate has distributed in 2024.
The Bill Skarsgård-led actioner “Boy Kills World” only made about $3.2 million worldwide against an underreported budget thought to be in the region of $18 million, moot considering this haul would be troubling even with a high end seven-figure budget. Guy Ritchie’s $60 million WWII-set spy flick “The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare” made just $27 million, a disappointing haul given some of the names involved: Henry Cavill leads a cast that includes Eiza González, Alan Ritchson, Henry Golding and Alex Pettyfer. Of course, these numbers pale in comparison to the ones posted by “Borderlands,” which is on course to be the biggest flop of the year, not just for Lionsgate, but in all of Hollywood.
Deadpool & Wolverine and Twisters dominated cineplexes
In the domestic box office, “Borderlands” initially ranked fourth, finding itself outperformed not only by “Deadpool & Wolverine,” but also unexpectedly by Lee Isaac Chung’s film “Twisters.” Despite being a newcomer on the scene in July, the sequel featuring Daisy Edgar-Jones, Glen Powell, and Anthony Ramos proved to be a sensation. What’s particularly notable is its sustained success, indicating that viewers are eager for blockbuster films beyond those centered around superheroes.
In my gaming world, let me share some exciting news about “Twisters”. As I type this, it’s raking in over $310 million globally, placing it among the top five blockbusters of the year domestically! Remember that piece we wrote predicting its success? Well, it seems our hunch was right. The film’s unique vibe and PG-13 rating kept audiences hooked even when the heavily promoted and highly anticipated “Deadpool & Wolverine” took over the screens a week later.
As a massive Marvel fan, I must admit that it was an uphill battle for Borderlands to outshine the electrifying duo of Deadpool and Wolverine, who together surpassed the impressive $1 billion milestone (Marvel’s first film since 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home to do so). Regrettably, Borderlands didn’t even come close to being the runner-up blockbuster to the unstoppable Deadpool sequel. Instead, it earned a mere fraction of what Twister made, despite both films having comparable budgets.
It Ends With Us also proved to be a strong competitor
Beyond facing defeats from “Twisters” and the duo of “Deadpool & Wolverine”, “Borderlands” didn’t manage to compete with “It Ends With Us”, a movie adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s novel, which has already garnered over $80 million globally on a reported budget of $25 million. Initially, it might seem that the performance of “Borderlands” should not have been affected by a film catering to a distinct audience and boasting a less prominent cast. Nevertheless, given our belief that “Borderlands” lacks appeal even for its intended viewers, its chances at box office success would have been significantly improved if it had enjoyed uncontested release.
It seems Lionsgate may have assumed that the buzz around “Twisters” would die down enough for them to release “It Ends With Us,” but they were wrong and underestimated the film’s potential. This miscalculation might not have taken into account Blake Lively’s surprise appearance in “Deadpool & Wolverine,” which generated significant media attention, as well as her husband Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman’s promotional efforts for the movie. Additionally, they might not have fully appreciated the vast fanbase of the book, which appeared to leave few potential theatergoers for “Borderlands” to attract.
Critics really hated Borderlands
The movie “Borderlands” struggled to gain traction due to a lack of positive critical reception, as indicated by its low ratings on platforms like Rotten Tomatoes (8%) and Metacritic (27 out of 100). Notably, it was one of the few films this year to debut with such a low score. Among Top Critics on Rotten Tomatoes, none gave the film a positive review, while Metacritic classified the reviews as “generally unfavorable.”
As a gamer, I found myself puzzled by the poor reception of “Borderlands” in reviews. It seems like David Fear from Rolling Stone was on point when he said, “It’s not a game for critics,” implying that maybe it’s not designed to be understood or appreciated by them. Similarly, it didn’t seem to resonate with most gamers, film enthusiasts, or the vast majority of living beings out there.
As a lifelong fan of both films and video games, I must admit that I was rather disappointed by the latest attempt to bring one of my favorite video game franchises to the big screen. Having grown up playing these games, I had high hopes for this movie, but it seems that the studio failed miserably in their attempt to create a film worthy of the source material.
Fans of the games were furious
Delving into audience feedback on Rotten Tomatoes reveals a flurry of uncensored opinions from fans who are disgruntled about the film adaptation. As one critic puts it, “The movie is merely an hollow replica of the genuine Borderlands universe.” This reviewer goes on to say, “Characters are poorly depicted, jokes fall flat. It’s a direct-to-video release.” Another viewer voiced their initial excitement but was disappointed, stating, “Having played all 3 games, I was eager for this film. However, the movie is simply poor quality.” One thing that stands out – even devoted Borderlands enthusiasts found no merit in this production.
The consensus among many viewers who reviewed the “Borderlands” film is that it suffered due to its confusing adaptation, potentially leading to its downfall. To thrive, this movie needed strong support from the game’s dedicated fanbase. Given that video game adaptations are often viewed as tributes to the games themselves, and a chance for long-term fans to enjoy a piece of culture they identify with, it’s not fair to label all those dissatisfied with “Borderlands” solely as disgruntled fans. Interestingly, Cinemascore, which polls viewers post-screening, gave the film a grade of D+. Among their recent releases, only “The Exorcism” received a lower rating.
Most of the characters were miscast
One strategy employed to draw in people who aren’t typically gamers towards “Borderlands” was the enlistment of well-known actors, including Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, and Jamie Lee Curtis, among others. Ariana Greenblatt, known for her roles in “Barbie” and “Ahsoka”, portrays Tiny Tina. Jack Black voices the famous robot Claptrap, a character closely associated with the “Borderlands” series. However, fans of the games were displeased that producers didn’t bring back David Eddings or Jim Foronda, who voiced the character in the original games. Some fans believe that Black’s presence in the movie doesn’t significantly enhance its appeal and seems more like a marketing strategy for Lionsgate to include his name on the poster.
Despite studio considerations not being a factor, the film’s promotional efforts didn’t manage to excite the audience about the cast prior to its release. On social media, concerns over casting choices were frequently expressed. Many viewers argued that the overall cast appeared too old for their roles (Lilith, played by Blanchett, was only 22 in the initial “Borderlands” game, while Dr. Tannis, portrayed by Curtis, is believed to be in her 30s), and found Hart’s portrayal of Roland particularly unconvincing. Moreover, several characters were absent from the movie, causing surprise among fans, particularly the absence of Mordecai and Brick.
The film doesn’t match the tone of the games
Similar to “Fallout,” “Borderlands” is an established gaming series with intricate lore and cherished characters that have been around for quite some time. However, unlike the captivating reception of the “Fallout” TV series, the “Borderlands” movie underperformed significantly. The reason behind this discrepancy lies in their approaches to non-gaming audiences.
One of the more debated choices was to classify “Borderlands” as a PG-13 movie, despite the original games containing frequent strong language and intense violence typically warranting an R rating. This decision might have been made due to the common belief that PG-13 films tend to perform better financially, since minors can purchase tickets without adult supervision.
Interestingly, it appears that the PG-13 rating may have limited the box office success for “Borderlands.” Just as the “Deadpool” series consistently demonstrates, an R rating can provide a boost for films that might otherwise blend into the masses. Even the “Deadpool & Wolverine” film, the first Marvel movie to receive an R rating, is evidence of this trend. By aiming for a broader audience, “Borderlands” may have actually worked against itself.
It’s simply not funny enough
Since its launch, it was evident that “Borderlands” aimed to mimic the success of action-comedy blockbusters such as “The Suicide Squad,” “Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves,” and the highly influential “Guardians of the Galaxy.” These movies feature a diverse group of unconventional heroes, with humor derived from their incompetence in their roles or their behavior that violates typical heroic norms.
While using a formula like this doesn’t guarantee monetary triumph, as demonstrated by “Dungeons & Dragons” in 2023 – a film critically acclaimed but financially unsuccessful – it can lead to failure if the movie doesn’t live up to its marketing hype. As entertainment consultant David A. Gross of Franchise Entertainment Research commented about “Borderlands,” “An action comedy needs to be humorous, and few believe this film will deliver.” This lack of humor was consistently criticized in reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, with both critics and audiences mentioning it as a major concern.
The script is an absolute mess
As a dedicated gamer, I’ve noticed that one recurring criticism about Borderlands is its script, often described as flat and awful by reviewers such as IndieWire who called it brutally bad. You might wonder why the script fell short, right? Well, the script was penned by Eli Roth in collaboration with someone named either Joe Crombie or Joe Abercrombie, depending on your source. Some speculated that this was a pen name for Craig Mazin, the writer-director who’s known for kickstarting the golden age of video game adaptations with The Last of Us and initially planned to work on Borderlands as well. However, Mazin firmly denied any involvement, clarifying that he did not use a pseudonym, leaving us guessing if the mysterious name in question actually belongs to him or someone else.
Upon closer inspection, it appears the final product is a chaotic blend of thoughts from various writers who contributed during the lengthy production process, often referred to as “development hell.” Initially, Aaron Berg and Oren Uziel were brought on as writers at the project’s inception; however, they had moved on by the time Roth and Mazin joined in 2020. Zak Olkewicz was later hired during reshoots, while Sam Levinson received credit for “additional literary materials.” Additionally, Chris Bremner, Juel Taylor, and Tony Rettenmaier also contributed to the script.
Eli Roth couldn’t finish the film
“One major contributing factor to the poor performance of ‘Borderlands’ was that its director, Eli Roth, left the project prior to its completion. However, it’s important to note that this isn’t entirely Roth’s fault, as the production of ‘Borderlands’ encountered difficulties at every stage, including post-production. Filming for the movie wrapped in June 2021, following which Roth started focusing on his subsequent project — the 2023 slasher film ‘Thanksgiving,’ which turned out to be his most critically acclaimed directorial work so far.”
In early January 2023, rumors circulated that Roth got fired from the film “Borderlands” during post-production and was being replaced by Tim Miller, who directed “Deadpool.” However, this wasn’t accurate. Roth was actually unable to participate in a set of reshoots scheduled 18 months later because he was busy preparing for another project, “Thanksgiving.” Despite this, it is true that Miller had to complete the movie for Roth as he was fully engaged with his other project.
It’s noteworthy to mention that Roth wasn’t alone in making progress before reshoots started; Ariana Greenblatt landed her breakout role in “Barbie,” and Cate Blanchett filmed the critically acclaimed movie “Tár” (the psychological drama that earned her an Academy Award nomination) during this period. The fact that “Tár” was eventually completed despite the cast and crew being scattered in various directions for such a long time is almost miraculous, but it didn’t do much to boost its box office performance.
Video game movies are still risky
In its current state, the movie adaptation of “Borderlands” may only leave a mark as a black eye on the gaming industry’s cinematic reputation and add to the mountain of video game movies that serve as evidence against their viability. Despite successful adaptations of games like “Fallout,” “Halo,” “The Last of Us,” “Twisted Metal,” “Cyberpunk: Edgerunners,” and even “The Witcher” into TV shows, films continue to be a challenge. To date, we have yet to witness a mature video game film adaptation that has been universally hailed as successful.
The movie adaptation of “Borderlands” has joined other recent releases such as “Five Nights at Freddy’s,” “Uncharted,” “Mortal Kombat,” and “Monster Hunter” in receiving negative reviews upon release. While family-oriented films like “The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” “Sonic the Hedgehog,” and “Detective Pikachu” have had slightly better receptions, it is clear that films like “Borderlands” are contributing to a negative image of video game adaptations in the public eye. This is disappointing news for fans of mature video games who hope to see their favorite franchises translated onto the big screen. However, perhaps some valuable lessons can be learned from this latest failure.
Read More
Sorry. No data so far.
2024-08-13 18:31