Eli Roth's highly anticipated Borderlands movie is hitting theaters soon, but early critical reaction is overwhelmingly negative. Let's delve into the initial reviews and what moviegoers can expect.
A Critical Mauling, Despite Star Power
Early screenings have yielded a torrent of negative reviews for the Borderlands film adaptation. Critics across social media platforms have voiced their disappointment, citing weak humor, unconvincing CGI, and a lackluster script as major flaws.
Edgar Ortega of Loud and Clear Reviews tweeted, "Borderlands feels like a clueless executive's idea of 'cool.' The humor falls flat, and the film lacks genuine emotional depth, resulting in a chaotic mess."
Darren Movie Reviews from Movie Scene Canada called it "a baffling adaptation," praising the potential world-building but criticizing the rushed and dull screenplay, noting that despite impressive set design, poor CGI makes the film look cheap.
However, not all reviews were entirely scathing. Some critics found glimmers of hope. Film critic Kurt Morrison noted Cate Blanchett and Kevin Hart's performances as saving the film from complete disaster, though he doubts it will find a wide audience. The Hollywood Handle offered a slightly more positive view, calling it a "fun PG-13 action movie" carried largely by Blanchett's star power.
Despite a star-studded cast, the film, re-announced in 2020 after a period of inactivity, has faced skepticism from fans of the video game franchise since its inception.
The film follows Cate Blanchett as Lilith, returning to Pandora to find Atlas' missing daughter (Edgar Ramirez). She teams up with an eclectic group: Kevin Hart as Roland, Ariana Greenblatt as Tiny Tina, Florian Munteanu as Krieg, Jamie Lee Curtis as Tannis, and Jack Black as Claptrap.As major publications release their full reviews in the coming days, audiences will soon judge for themselves when Borderlands opens in theaters on August 9th. Meanwhile, Gearbox has hinted at a new Borderlands game.
