Borderlands film was described as “uninspired”, “unfunny” and “a disaster” in the first reactions – but some of the actors received praise
Initial reactions to Borderlands have plummeted online, and critics don’t seem interested in tempering their criticism. Following the film’s LA premiere on August 6, many have shared their thoughts on social media, claiming, well, that it is “unfunny,” “uninspired,” and “a disaster.”
In the Eli Roth-directed, all-star action comedy inspired by the popular looter-shooter video game of the same name, Jack Black, Kevin Hart and Cate Blanchett bring Claptrap, Roland and Lilith to life as the latter reluctantly returns to her home planet of Pandora, where she embarks on a dangerous mission to steal treasure from a secret vault alongside a new set of accomplices, including Tiny Tina (Barbie’s Ariana Greenblatt) and Krieg (Florian Munteanu).
“BORDERLANDS is a disaster. Stuffed with every cliche imaginable, this film trades the chaos and fantasy of the games for a lifeless, unfunny and visually repulsive flop with annoying characters and a cast without an ounce of chemistry,” tweeted Adriano Caporusso of Bitesize Break.
“Borderlands feels like what an out-of-touch executive thinks the ‘cool kids’ will find appealing. There’s not a single serious moment from the characters here, just obnoxious lines that feel dated as soon as they come out of the actors’ mouths,” echoed Edgar Ortega of Loud and Clear Reviews. “It’s not even so bad that it’s good, just a complete mess.”
“Oh hey, I can tell you I’ve now seen #BorderlandsMovie and it’s really bad. I really wanted to like it, but an uninspired plot + several lame performances + being stuck in a weird place where it looks expensive and cheap at the same time make it a huge flop,” wrote Awesome Friday! reporter Matthew Simpson.
Not all However, the critic from The Hollywood Handle said, “(Borderlands) is an entertaining PG-13 action film. It relies entirely on Cate Blanchett’s star power to get it to the finish line – and she delivers. While it doesn’t have anything that particularly makes it stand out from the crowd, the film is entertaining from start to finish and has a decent pace throughout. Jack Black is also a comedic powerhouse.”
Check out more reactions below…
#BorderlandsMovie is an amazing video game adaptation. There’s potential for great world-building, but it never happens due to a rushed and boring script; the set design is impressive, but the film feels cheap due to bad CGI. Cate Blanchett, Ariana Greenblatt and Jack Black… pic.twitter.com/6FX04UAebC7 August 2024
#BorderlandsMovie, great movie, very happy with the new addition to the Borderlands universe! pic.twitter.com/iIdWACdq3a7 August 2024
The social media embargo has now been lifted and I can say that #BorderlandsMovie has an exceptional level of detail for those who have played the video games, but I don’t know if that’s enough to stop people accusing it of being a Guardians of the Galaxy rip-off. pic.twitter.com/PiShS2NVyC7 August 2024
No matter what people say about the film before it hits theaters, Greenblatt is prepared for the inevitable backlash from fans, having starred in two of the biggest franchises ever.
“I’ve been involved with the Marvel and Star Wars people and I love them with all my heart,” she recently told GamesRadar+, “so when I jumped into this one, I thought, ‘Okay, I’m ready.'”
“But I understand that, being a fan myself, that I have a certain connection to these characters and these worlds that you spend so much time in. I definitely made the effort to ask fans of the game itself before going to the movie and ask them what they liked about it so much,” she continues. “But you know, it’s also such a much longer format than what they’re used to.
Borderlands is out on August 8 in the UK and August 9 in the US. For more, check out our roundup of the most exciting upcoming video game movies.
