Critics Aren't Holding Back On Borderlands
Can fans of the "Borderlands" games be proud of the upcoming movie adaptation? The early buzz isn't promising; in fact, it seems like a damned critical fail.
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00:00Can fans of the Borderlands games be proud of the upcoming movie adaptation?
00:05The early buzz isn't promising.
00:07In fact, it seems like a damned critical fail.
00:10We might be in a golden age of video game adaptations, but that doesn't mean every new
00:14show or movie is going to become a fan favorite.
00:17For instance, fans have been worried about the Borderlands movie for quite some time,
00:21and the critics are not easing those concerns.
00:23I want people to go, that is the best time I've had in a movie theater in years."
00:28Well, it's not looking great, Eli.
00:30Directed by Eli Roth and with three shoots helmed by Tim Miller, Borderlands boasts a
00:34star-studded cast — Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Edgar Ramirez, Jamie Lee Curtis, Ariana
00:41Greenblatt, and Jack Black.
00:43The movie tells an original story, but there are plenty of plot elements that fans will
00:47recognize from the games.
00:49With the series' healthy combination of over-the-top action and quirky humor, a Borderlands movie
00:54might seem like an easy slam-dunk.
00:57But the people who have gotten a sneak peek all seem to agree it's a massive missed opportunity.
01:02A few of the early reviews are utterly scathing.
01:05For one, Adriano Caporuso, a reviewer for Bite Size Break, took to ex-formerly Twitter
01:11to post this initial reaction.
01:12"...filled with every cliché you can ponder, this film swaps the mayhem and imagination
01:17of the games for a lifeless, unfunny, and visually repulsive dud with annoying characters
01:23and a cast with not one ounce of chemistry."
01:26Bite Size Break founder Nick Van Dinther echoed these sentiments, posting,
01:31"...Borderlands is borderline unwatchable.
01:33I had no expectations for this, and yet I was somehow still let down."
01:37"...God, I hate this plan."
01:41Matthew Simpson, a critic for Awesome Friday and Exclaim! among other outlets, had a similar
01:45but slightly gentler take, writing,
01:48"...I really wanted to like it, but an uninspired plot, plus several phoned-in performances,
01:54plus being stuck in a weird place where it looks both expensive and cheap at the same
01:58time make it a huge misfire."
02:01Darren Zarkus of Movies Scene Canada had a more measured response, writing,
02:06"...there is potential for great worldbuilding, but it never happens due to a rushed and dull
02:11screenplay."
02:12Zarkus went on to praise the performances of Blanchett, Greenblatt, and Black specifically,
02:17but said that the movie feels noticeably restrained by its PG-13 rating.
02:21Fans were still holding out hope that Borderlands would turn out great, but reviews like these
02:26make that hope hard to hold onto.
02:28It doesn't help that even the reviews that skew more positive still point out some serious
02:33problems.
02:34Freelance critic Sean Patrick Kelly made the comparison many others did just from the trailers,
02:39writing,
02:40"...Borderlands has an exceptional level of detail for those who have played the video
02:44games, but I don't know if that's enough to stop people from accusing it of being a Guardians
02:48of the Galaxy ripoff."
02:50Even though the film is perhaps a little derivative, then, it's not a surefire disaster just yet.
02:56At least some people are giving the movie a bit of praise, like The Hollywood Handle,
03:00which wrote,
03:01"...while there's nothing that particularly makes it stand out from the crowd, the film
03:05is enjoyable from start to finish, and has decent pacing throughout."
03:09Feel free to applaud!
03:11After sitting for a special screening, one fan said they had a good time with the movie,
03:16writing,
03:17"...Hell of a film!
03:18Very happy with the new addition to the Borderlands universe!"
03:21Those few positive reviews aren't quite enough to quell the broader concerns, though.
03:25If looking for Easter eggs from the games is the most enjoyable part of the movie-going
03:29experience, then, the Borderlands movie might be in serious trouble.
03:34The Borderlands franchise changed gaming in many ways, and it still has some serious diehard
03:39fans, but this adaptation might be something that those fans try their best to forget.
03:45They can judge for themselves when Borderlands hits theaters on August 9th, 2024.