The following contains spoilers for Borderlands, in theaters now

Borderland suffers from a serious error in the adaptation process. Borderland is just the latest video game to be remade on a big budget. Any adaptation is a tricky undertaking, but it has proven particularly difficult for filmmakers looking to bring the joy and thrill of video games to film and television. In recent years, video game adaptations have had a number of solid results, with faithful recreations such as The Super Mario Bros. Movie to inspire the audience, while The Last of Us And Arcane the originals are expanded in a convincing way.

A lot has gone wrong for Borderlandbut the actual process of adapting the games is a big reason for the story problems. While the original game series has typically relied more on visual style and gameplay than intricate storytelling, the games have some really engaging, character-driven storylines. However, rather than reflecting a title’s strengths or directly adapting overarching storylines, the film’s attempt to use too much established material to tell a new story hurts the film rather than building an engaging story. Borderland Consequence.

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The Borderlands movie is not an adaptation of a specific video game

Borderland From many different games

Borderland is not a direct adaptation of any specific story from the game series, and this generic approach to the source material ultimately has a negative impact on the finished film. Borderland is a cobbled-together adaptationusing elements and characters from several different installments in the series to tell a largely original story. Elements of the story are taken from the overall history of the series, although major changes are made to Lilith’s powers and origins. The result is that the film feels overloaded with concepts, but doesn’t have the time or focus to fully commit to any of them.

A more specific adaptation on the script and world building level could have been the right way to save the filmas it would have maintained a narrower focus. For example, the film could directly channel Borderlandputting more focus on Lilith and Roland’s story arc as they explore Pandora, rather than trying to put characters like Krieg and Tina front and center as well. This would have given the film a lot of freedom and more time to develop the characters, while leaving many characters to be explored further in a potential sequel.

Borderlands 2’s influence on the film is damaging to the film and the franchise

Borderlands 2 It’s a highlight of the series, but that may have done the film more harm than good

Borderlands 2 is arguably the best entry in the game series and remains a fan favorite for introducing characters like Tina and Handsome Jack. However, The attempt to integrate these elements into a story that is supposed to focus on Lilith ends with the Borderland film with characters and concepts. Characters like Atlas are changed to resemble Handsome Jack, but the special details that make that character memorable are missing. Tina was always an important supporting character, but never necessarily the main character of the story, which the film makes clear with an under-used version of the character.

Borderland takes elements from the first game and at the same time develops its own approach to classic characters and concepts of the franchise. The attempt to Borderlands 2 Elements just made it unwieldy. A more straightforward story and a simpler cast of characters could probably have been better Borderlandwhich keeps the film more focused on the characters. Part of the appeal of the first Borderland‘ admittedly thin story is the way it is portrayed as another day on Pandora, rather than the constructed stakes of the film. This reflects Borderlands 2‘s expanded scope, which feels rushed and underdeveloped in the film.

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Borderlands would have been better if they had only adapted the first game

Lowering the stakes and building the world could have been a lot better Borderland

More than anything else, the first Borderland The game was great at world building, incorporating just enough intriguing elements and unique details to make the grungy and colorful sci-fi setting stand out. The hints of a larger scope were tantalizing and helped draw audiences into a more ambitious and fulfilling world. Borderlands 2. The Borderland The film tries both and ultimately fails in bothThe construction of the world in Borderland seems rushed, while the overloaded narrative means that the characters lack the necessary intrigue to stand out from the crowd. Borderland had to be a more focused adaptation.

Reducing or even removing characters like Tina and Krieg from the narrative and focusing more on the hunt for the treasure chamber from the beginning, it could have captured the effective elements of the first gameChanges between the Borderland Film and games are not necessarily a bad thing, as they allow the film to reinvent villains. However, the film’s broad approach to replicating the games means that there are no specific elements that make it stand out. A successful Borderland The film would have justified further exploration of Pandora and could have given the fan-favorite elements the space they needed.

Borderland

3.5

Based on the video game series, Borderlands is a sci-fi action comedy that stars Cate Blanchett as Lilith, a treasure hunter who returns to her home planet of Pandora to find a tycoon’s missing daughter. Joined by a group of unlikely allies, including a soldier, a teenage explosives expert, a witty robot and an eccentric scientist, the group will work together to save the girl – and learn to deal with each other’s unyielding idiosyncrasies along the way.

director

Eli Roth

Release date

9 August 2024

Studio(s)

Arad Productions, Picture Start

Authors

Eli Roth, Joe Crombie

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