

HD
1h 41m
Score: 5 / 10 rated
Action, Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Eli Roth
United States, Hungary
August 9, 2024
Movie Review
As a lifelong Borderlands fan, this is a major letdown. But I’m not surprised. When the first trailer and cast came out, I was skeptical about how it would turn out. I still see it as a testament to the franchise’s loyalty. That’s a flaw. First, despite being a solid ensemble, the cast is awful and can’t bring any of the characters to life. The actors all look like they don’t want to be there. Cate Blanchett and Jamie Lee Curtis are too old for their roles. Kevin Hart is a comic who lacks the serious military leadership that Roland is, Krieg is more than a dumb muscleman with no story to tell. But little Tina suffers the worst; she lacks her tragic past and her combat prowess for no reason, lacks the quirkiness of her game partner, and just comes off as a nuisance. Ultimately, Atlas is an ineffective villain who can’t hold a candle to the handsome Jack or Commandant Steele. Only Jack Black does a halfway decent job voicing Claptrap, but it’s not enough to save the movie. Then there’s the aesthetics, which the film achieves on a superficial level. They did a decent job bringing the Pandoran desert to life with the set designs. You’ll see some ferocious beasts like Rakk and giant reapers. There are battles with ancient vehicles like Outrunners and tech. The character costumes and uniforms look authentic, but they’re just too much. The amount of disloyalty to the source material is undeniable. The weapons used are offensively limited and lack the unique types found in the game. Roland never uses his turret. Only Lilith gets a chance to shine with her siren powers at the end. The film isn’t even rated R, which robs the film of the gory and gory settings that make Borderlands so frustrating. Admittedly, the acting is still pretty good, but not as good as it could be. But the most disappointing and inexcusable aspect for me is the lack of humor that makes the game so charming. There are no traces of any jokes or references from the game. No dog food for Crazy Earl, no Face McShooty, no helping Scooter write a poem. Cliché lines and repetitive action themes that have been done a million times before only make the film duller. This lack of humor really takes the spirit out of the game and leaves the audience feeling disillusioned with what could have been better. Ultimately, the film is a miserable mixed bag. The plot frequently shifts between linearity and boredom to incoherence thanks to the pacing being rushed or dragged. None of the characters go through any development and their chemistry together is non-existent, just a shallow and stuck relationship with each other. The lack of real intimacy among them is just another missing aspect that makes the film feel soulless and alien from the source material. Overall, this feels like a terrible "Guardians of the Galaxy" clone that barely feels like Borderlands at all. I'll admit, it's not the worst video game adaptation I've ever seen. Or even in the top ten worst; we have Uwe Boll to thank for that. But it's still a terrible and shameful take on a franchise that should never have been made.