I am a HUGE Borderlands fan, but despite how Claptrap looks and the world, there's nothing that would make you scream Borderlands. If you expect the worst movie, you will be dissapointed with a weird but overall fun aftertaste, but if you want to watch this because you are a Borderlands fan, you will want to pitchfork whoever made this, and it's even more shameful since Borderlands games have story, but nothing exceptional. It should be filled with dark humor, or just be true to the games, hell even if they would've done a "SHOOT ME IN THE FACE!" reference I would've gave a 6, but there's nothing. This won't make anyone buy the games, this movie will make people avoid them. Atleast it looks good, and with all the Cinema experience it'a tolerable. I don't want a Sequel, so don't give money to adaptations such as this movie, where the very thing they want to adapt is non-existent besides like some looks.
434 Reviews
Joins the ranks among the many failed film adaptations of popular video games
MrDHWong8 August 2024
Warning: Spoilers
"Borderlands" is a sci-fi action comedy film based on the video game series of the same name. Directed and co-written by Eli Roth ("Cabin Fever", "Hostel") and starring Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Ariana Greenblatt, and Jamie Lee Curtis, it joins the ranks among the many failed film adaptations of popular video games.
After the daughter of a powerful figure is kidnapped, the infamous bounty hunter Lilith (Cate Blanchett) is tasked with seeking out her whereabouts and ensuring her safe return. Lilith's search soon leads her to the planet Pandora, her old home world with which she still holds bitter resentment towards due to her past actions. While there, Lilith reluctantly aligns herself with a ragtag crew of misfits to aid in her mission. This crew includes the jovial robot Claptrap (voiced by Jack Black), former mercenary Roland (Kevin Hart), scientist Dr. Tannis (Jamie Lee Curtis), teenage demolitions expert Tiny Tina (Ariana Greenblatt), and Krieg (Florian Munteanu), Tina's large, brawny protector. As they fight their way through numerous aliens and other dangerous foes, the group soon learn that in order to properly survive this hostile environment, they must each set aside their differences and work together as a team.
Since the release of the first game back in 2009, the "Borderlands" series has gone on to become one of the best-selling video game franchises in history. Although I only possess a surface level knowledge of the series, I am fully aware of the popularity these games have accumulated over the past fifteen years. Taking place within a sci-fi western setting, the "Borderlands" games are held in high regard by players due to their distinctive art-style, first-person shooter mechanics, co-operative gameplay, and quirky sense of humour. In this 2024 film adaptation, titled simply "Borderlands", you will find next to nothing that makes this series so beloved by many, as it fails to provide anything remotely interesting worth watching for neither longtime fans nor newcomers.
Even within the first ten minutes, it's pretty clear that this film is not going to show us what we haven't seen before. As we are introduced to our main heroine Lilith via her inner monologue, we learn of all the cliched things we need to know about her; she's quick with a gun, she has a hard time taking orders from others, and she has a troubled past she hasn't yet come to terms with. Shortly after, we then see Lilith return to her home planet of Pandora, a generic desert wasteland filled with hazards we've all seen in better forms of media, ranging from sketchy junk dealers to large, hostile alien creatures. After navigating these run-of-the-mill obstacles, Lilith finds herself building up her own team of similar-minded oddballs, which naturally leads to the usual disagreements and arguments one would expect. If this whole set-up sounds familiar, then that's because it's nothing more than the film showcasing its complete lack of imagination, doing nothing to distinguish itself from every other action comedy team-up story released within the past few decades.
In addition to this, the film's action scenes are as routine as they come. Moments that should elicit excitement in the viewer are instead reduced to just one generic collection of shoot-outs after another. Even as I write this, I'm still struggling to remember even the most notable action set piece that roused any kind of positive reaction out of me. The only somewhat enjoyable part that comes to mind is this scene involving a car chase throughout the desert of Pandora. Here, we see the crew try to outrun a large army of enemies while also dodging being eaten alive by the native creatures. Although I must give some begrudging credit to Eli Roth for his fast pacing of this scene, it ultimately does little to provide anything more than a minor distraction from the rest of the film's flaws. Since we already do not care all that much about what happens to the characters involved in this scene, it's near impossible to feel any real investment in what is occurring at this point in the film, let alone the rest of the story.
To add insult to injury, the film is practically devoid of any kind of likeable humour or quirkiness, which is one of the trademarks of the games it is based upon. This is particularly noticeable in the character of Claptrap, whose only real purpose here is to spout wacky one-liners for the sake of comic relief. Although I wouldn't have minded having him occasionally drop the odd funny line every now and then, there wasn't a single thing Claptrap said or did in this film that raised the slightest smile out of me at any point. In fact, I would go so far as to say Claptrap ruins several moments of the film with his poorly timed attempts at making the audience laugh.
For instance, in one scene where the human characters are admiring a beautiful plant growing out of the cracks in a sewer, Claptrap suddenly jumps down and crushes the plant to death for no apparent reason. What could have been a nice opportunity to show the team bonding over something they each agree on is instead used as a cheap excuse to shoehorn in comedy where it isn't required. It is obvious that the film wants us to laugh at Claptrap's expense, but it only makes people like me resent him the same way many audiences resented Jar Jar Binks in the Star Wars prequel trilogy. When you can't even extract the most basic, endearing humour out of a character voiced by Jack Black, you know that something is amiss.
There's also isn't anything worthwhile to mention about the cast, aside from the fact that they each fulfil their purpose to the story and nothing more. Cate Blanchett tries her best to be as tough and mysterious as possible as Lilith, but she's so thinly written that you'd be hard-pressed finding anything relatable about her character. Most of the time Lilith needs the other members of her crew to help her out whenever she is in a pinch, and even then she can't bring herself to thank them. Because of this, I just did not care at all about what happened to Lilith in the long run.
Kevin Hart was also decidedly underused as Roland, who spends most of the film faking out the audience over whether or not he survived the latest scuffle. Likewise, Ariana Greenblatt as Tiny Tina does little more than throw explosives at her enemies while Florian Munteanu as Krieg protects her from any threat that could be considered too large for her to handle. To top it all off, Jamie Lee Curtis as Dr. Tannis adds nothing of note to the film other than to provide the obligatory scientific exposition. With such a large cast of talented actors at the helm, it's amazing that this film couldn't even give us at least one memorable performance out of any of them, which is saying quite a lot.
Whether you're a fan of the franchise or a mere novice, this 2024 film adaptation of "Borderlands" is sure to disappoint you no matter how much you may know about the series. It fails to find ways to set itself apart from every other PG-13 action comedy and it makes no effort to immerse the audience in its otherwise interesting universe. Since I have never properly played any of the games, I am unable to determine firsthand how accurate the film is to the original source material, but judging by some of the online backlash I have read leading up to its release, things don't look too good. As far as I am concerned, that should be all the proof you need to take your business elsewhere.
I rate it 3.5/10.
After the daughter of a powerful figure is kidnapped, the infamous bounty hunter Lilith (Cate Blanchett) is tasked with seeking out her whereabouts and ensuring her safe return. Lilith's search soon leads her to the planet Pandora, her old home world with which she still holds bitter resentment towards due to her past actions. While there, Lilith reluctantly aligns herself with a ragtag crew of misfits to aid in her mission. This crew includes the jovial robot Claptrap (voiced by Jack Black), former mercenary Roland (Kevin Hart), scientist Dr. Tannis (Jamie Lee Curtis), teenage demolitions expert Tiny Tina (Ariana Greenblatt), and Krieg (Florian Munteanu), Tina's large, brawny protector. As they fight their way through numerous aliens and other dangerous foes, the group soon learn that in order to properly survive this hostile environment, they must each set aside their differences and work together as a team.
Since the release of the first game back in 2009, the "Borderlands" series has gone on to become one of the best-selling video game franchises in history. Although I only possess a surface level knowledge of the series, I am fully aware of the popularity these games have accumulated over the past fifteen years. Taking place within a sci-fi western setting, the "Borderlands" games are held in high regard by players due to their distinctive art-style, first-person shooter mechanics, co-operative gameplay, and quirky sense of humour. In this 2024 film adaptation, titled simply "Borderlands", you will find next to nothing that makes this series so beloved by many, as it fails to provide anything remotely interesting worth watching for neither longtime fans nor newcomers.
Even within the first ten minutes, it's pretty clear that this film is not going to show us what we haven't seen before. As we are introduced to our main heroine Lilith via her inner monologue, we learn of all the cliched things we need to know about her; she's quick with a gun, she has a hard time taking orders from others, and she has a troubled past she hasn't yet come to terms with. Shortly after, we then see Lilith return to her home planet of Pandora, a generic desert wasteland filled with hazards we've all seen in better forms of media, ranging from sketchy junk dealers to large, hostile alien creatures. After navigating these run-of-the-mill obstacles, Lilith finds herself building up her own team of similar-minded oddballs, which naturally leads to the usual disagreements and arguments one would expect. If this whole set-up sounds familiar, then that's because it's nothing more than the film showcasing its complete lack of imagination, doing nothing to distinguish itself from every other action comedy team-up story released within the past few decades.
In addition to this, the film's action scenes are as routine as they come. Moments that should elicit excitement in the viewer are instead reduced to just one generic collection of shoot-outs after another. Even as I write this, I'm still struggling to remember even the most notable action set piece that roused any kind of positive reaction out of me. The only somewhat enjoyable part that comes to mind is this scene involving a car chase throughout the desert of Pandora. Here, we see the crew try to outrun a large army of enemies while also dodging being eaten alive by the native creatures. Although I must give some begrudging credit to Eli Roth for his fast pacing of this scene, it ultimately does little to provide anything more than a minor distraction from the rest of the film's flaws. Since we already do not care all that much about what happens to the characters involved in this scene, it's near impossible to feel any real investment in what is occurring at this point in the film, let alone the rest of the story.
To add insult to injury, the film is practically devoid of any kind of likeable humour or quirkiness, which is one of the trademarks of the games it is based upon. This is particularly noticeable in the character of Claptrap, whose only real purpose here is to spout wacky one-liners for the sake of comic relief. Although I wouldn't have minded having him occasionally drop the odd funny line every now and then, there wasn't a single thing Claptrap said or did in this film that raised the slightest smile out of me at any point. In fact, I would go so far as to say Claptrap ruins several moments of the film with his poorly timed attempts at making the audience laugh.
For instance, in one scene where the human characters are admiring a beautiful plant growing out of the cracks in a sewer, Claptrap suddenly jumps down and crushes the plant to death for no apparent reason. What could have been a nice opportunity to show the team bonding over something they each agree on is instead used as a cheap excuse to shoehorn in comedy where it isn't required. It is obvious that the film wants us to laugh at Claptrap's expense, but it only makes people like me resent him the same way many audiences resented Jar Jar Binks in the Star Wars prequel trilogy. When you can't even extract the most basic, endearing humour out of a character voiced by Jack Black, you know that something is amiss.
There's also isn't anything worthwhile to mention about the cast, aside from the fact that they each fulfil their purpose to the story and nothing more. Cate Blanchett tries her best to be as tough and mysterious as possible as Lilith, but she's so thinly written that you'd be hard-pressed finding anything relatable about her character. Most of the time Lilith needs the other members of her crew to help her out whenever she is in a pinch, and even then she can't bring herself to thank them. Because of this, I just did not care at all about what happened to Lilith in the long run.
Kevin Hart was also decidedly underused as Roland, who spends most of the film faking out the audience over whether or not he survived the latest scuffle. Likewise, Ariana Greenblatt as Tiny Tina does little more than throw explosives at her enemies while Florian Munteanu as Krieg protects her from any threat that could be considered too large for her to handle. To top it all off, Jamie Lee Curtis as Dr. Tannis adds nothing of note to the film other than to provide the obligatory scientific exposition. With such a large cast of talented actors at the helm, it's amazing that this film couldn't even give us at least one memorable performance out of any of them, which is saying quite a lot.
Whether you're a fan of the franchise or a mere novice, this 2024 film adaptation of "Borderlands" is sure to disappoint you no matter how much you may know about the series. It fails to find ways to set itself apart from every other PG-13 action comedy and it makes no effort to immerse the audience in its otherwise interesting universe. Since I have never properly played any of the games, I am unable to determine firsthand how accurate the film is to the original source material, but judging by some of the online backlash I have read leading up to its release, things don't look too good. As far as I am concerned, that should be all the proof you need to take your business elsewhere.
I rate it 3.5/10.
Another failed video game adaptation
Spooky607 August 2024
This adaptation strips everything that was fun about the Borderlands games.
The plot is as generic as they come. Even the 'shocking twist' was laughable.
The jokes mostly don't land. Clap Trap is amusing but nothing to write home about.
Most action scenes are completely unwarranted and seem to serve the short runtime or the absence of plot.
Most of all it seems as though the only that was kept from the original games are the character names and locations.
Not try to gatekeep here, it's just a bad movie. It doesn't hold up even on it's own. So people who came to see the movie not knowing what its about are bound to be disappointed.
The plot is as generic as they come. Even the 'shocking twist' was laughable.
The jokes mostly don't land. Clap Trap is amusing but nothing to write home about.
Most action scenes are completely unwarranted and seem to serve the short runtime or the absence of plot.
Most of all it seems as though the only that was kept from the original games are the character names and locations.
Not try to gatekeep here, it's just a bad movie. It doesn't hold up even on it's own. So people who came to see the movie not knowing what its about are bound to be disappointed.
If you bought a ticket, don't sell it. Ask for a refund.
itayaha8 August 2024
If Zoolander 2 and Dragonball Evolution had a baby, and this baby had a baby with Son Of The Mask, the Borderlands movie would still be worst than this abomination.
It's a shame that cash grab is all that is motivating Lionsgate to create movies as this film is a giant insult to a beloved FPS franchise with a large and dedicated fanbase.
1) 100% of the casting is wrong.
2) Characters and already based lore were completely changed without any logic.
3) Comedic and gorey M-rated content was replaced with cheap PG-13 poop jokes. The whole point of Borderlands is guns. That kill. PG-13?!
When Sonic movie's trailer was released and the world was shocked and reacted negatively to the design of the main character, Paramount listened, delayed the release and redesigned Sonic from scratch. This cannot be said about Lionsgate with the giant middle finger they keep raising to all Borderlands fans.
It's a shame that cash grab is all that is motivating Lionsgate to create movies as this film is a giant insult to a beloved FPS franchise with a large and dedicated fanbase.
1) 100% of the casting is wrong.
2) Characters and already based lore were completely changed without any logic.
3) Comedic and gorey M-rated content was replaced with cheap PG-13 poop jokes. The whole point of Borderlands is guns. That kill. PG-13?!
When Sonic movie's trailer was released and the world was shocked and reacted negatively to the design of the main character, Paramount listened, delayed the release and redesigned Sonic from scratch. This cannot be said about Lionsgate with the giant middle finger they keep raising to all Borderlands fans.
Where's the R cut?
carrie-kaidan11 August 2024
Whoever let this get re-written and re-shot into PG13 hell should kicking themselves. It needed to be as deranged as the video games. What happened?? This could have been awesome but we got Jumanji without the Rock. (The Rock would've made this worse to be honest.) What I can give it a 4 for is the world-building, action sequences, effects, costumes and props. Not even Cate and Jamie-Lee could breathe life into some of the innane dialogue. Not even Jack Black's cheap CL4P-TP laughs were enough to add another star. I wanted to like this movie but I will stick to playing the games. Unless we somehow magically get that R-rated cut, write this one off.
Massive flop
aidan5558 August 2024
Had the opportunity to watch it early and boy did I regret accepting it. As a long-time fan of the *Borderlands* game series, I had high hopes for this movie adaptation. Unfortunately, it misses the mark in nearly every way. The plot is riddled with clichés, completely lacking the quirky, dark humor that made the games so unique. The characters feel like hollow imitations of their in-game counterparts, with little of the depth or charm that fans would expect.
What's worse, the movie strays far from the source material in a way that feels disrespectful to the original story and its fans. The iconic chaotic energy and vibrant world-building of Pandora are replaced by generic action scenes and uninspired dialogue. Instead of feeling like an immersive dive into the *Borderlands* universe, this film comes off as a shallow, lazy cash grab that misses the essence of what made the games special.
For true *Borderlands* fans, this adaptation is a major letdown. Save your time and revisit the games instead. If you want to a watch a good video adaptation watch Fallout or The last of us!
What's worse, the movie strays far from the source material in a way that feels disrespectful to the original story and its fans. The iconic chaotic energy and vibrant world-building of Pandora are replaced by generic action scenes and uninspired dialogue. Instead of feeling like an immersive dive into the *Borderlands* universe, this film comes off as a shallow, lazy cash grab that misses the essence of what made the games special.
For true *Borderlands* fans, this adaptation is a major letdown. Save your time and revisit the games instead. If you want to a watch a good video adaptation watch Fallout or The last of us!
PG-13 killed it
Tactrix30 August 2024
So right up front I'm HUGE borderlands game fan. Always have been. Now with that in mind I came in with certain expectations. And I'm going to give you an honest review.
First the casting, I thought it would be dreadful, but to my surprise even though it wasn't the best casting, the actors did an amazing job playing their respective characters. Having said that the ones I would change out are Tina, Moxie, and Roland. They all did their thing, and it was good for them no doubt, but sadly they were not the right casting for those particular roles.
And here's how you can tell. Tina in this movie is a kind of lost girl with explosives, but you get this sense that she kind of needs protecting, and in the game it was completely the opposite. Even the bandits wouldn't mess with her because she was so wildly deranged. That insanity is her defining trait, not having it killed the character. Moxie was more sexy than badass in the game, in the movie the sexiness took a huge backseat and the problem with that is that it IS her personality. You can't just change that in a character. Which brings us to Roland, I love Kevin Hart. And he did a great job portraying Roland, but here's the thing Roland was a completely different physique and completely different personality in the games. He was way more serious, and that's not Kevin's forte, of course it's not, he's a comedian. So like I said, those are just bad casting choices.
Now onto the actual movie, the story was... well not the version of the story we had in the games, which is weird because you know the established fanbase wants that story right? It doesn't have to be the same exact one but it has to be close and this one wasn't it. Now even all of this I can forgive, but what I can't forgive is the PG-13 garbage. Borderlands games are a hardcore rated R+ genre, you absolutely can't change it to PG-13, gut the script to have stupid lines that don't go at all with the scenes and expect anyone to like it. It doesn't work.
6/10 Great acting, mediocre casting/plot, terrible writing. PG-13 rating sunk it.
First the casting, I thought it would be dreadful, but to my surprise even though it wasn't the best casting, the actors did an amazing job playing their respective characters. Having said that the ones I would change out are Tina, Moxie, and Roland. They all did their thing, and it was good for them no doubt, but sadly they were not the right casting for those particular roles.
And here's how you can tell. Tina in this movie is a kind of lost girl with explosives, but you get this sense that she kind of needs protecting, and in the game it was completely the opposite. Even the bandits wouldn't mess with her because she was so wildly deranged. That insanity is her defining trait, not having it killed the character. Moxie was more sexy than badass in the game, in the movie the sexiness took a huge backseat and the problem with that is that it IS her personality. You can't just change that in a character. Which brings us to Roland, I love Kevin Hart. And he did a great job portraying Roland, but here's the thing Roland was a completely different physique and completely different personality in the games. He was way more serious, and that's not Kevin's forte, of course it's not, he's a comedian. So like I said, those are just bad casting choices.
Now onto the actual movie, the story was... well not the version of the story we had in the games, which is weird because you know the established fanbase wants that story right? It doesn't have to be the same exact one but it has to be close and this one wasn't it. Now even all of this I can forgive, but what I can't forgive is the PG-13 garbage. Borderlands games are a hardcore rated R+ genre, you absolutely can't change it to PG-13, gut the script to have stupid lines that don't go at all with the scenes and expect anyone to like it. It doesn't work.
6/10 Great acting, mediocre casting/plot, terrible writing. PG-13 rating sunk it.
30 minutes of film is my maximum
Democrit9 August 2024
A movie that pretends to be a game. Imagine that you are playing Borderlands for Lilith, but you cannot control her - it's the same thing. The aged, strong and independent Cate Blanchett waves her fists, tumbles, shoots endless rounds of ammunition, in general, everything is according to the laws of an interactive game, but the film is not a game. The script was adapted for a teenage audience and simplified everything so much that it is difficult to finish watching it... not everyone is able to watch it, or rather, not only everyone can watch it, few people succeed. I couldn't watch the rest of this movie, I wasn't interested, I wasn't having fun, everything was formulaic, self-repetition and borrowing.
Borderlands
CinemaSerf10 August 2024
Oh come on - it's not that bad! True, there isn't an original thought in it's hundred minute duration and it does look like a very poor relation to a video-game, but it's "Mad Max" meets "Buck Rogers" vibe just about entertained me. It's all about "Lilith" (Cate Blanchett) who is a renowned bounty hunter charged by gazillionaire "Atlas" (Edgar Ramirez) with finding his kidnapped daughter "Tina" (Ariana Greenblatt). Thing is, she's already been rescued by "Roland" (Kevin Hart) and is in no great rush to return to the loving arms of daddy. Whilst trying to track her down, "Lilith" encounters the true star of the film - the robot "Claptrap", a sarcastic pile of scrap who decides to help out whether she likes it or not, so off they go a-child-hunting. Yep - it proceeds exactly as you'd expect, except for the frankly bamboozling contribution of Jamie Lee Curtis (and her red glasses) who does look like she's enjoying herself on set but, like Blanchett, is just a complete fish out of water as the banal dialogue and set-piece combat scenes pass the entire project into the hands of the CGI developers. This is nothing at all special or memorable, just a predictable action enterprise that takes "Robot Wars" to the desert, but if you aim low and take it in the spirit it's clearly intended then it's a perfectly watchable summer adventure.
Cash grab with terrible casting
nachocheeselibertad8 August 2024
The most glaring issue with "Borderlands" is its casting. The video game series is known for its eclectic mix of characters, each with their own unique personality and quirks. The film, however, seems to have chosen its cast with little regard for whether they actually fit the roles. While big names may draw in crowds, they do not automatically translate to effective performances.
Beyond the casting, "Borderlands" suffers from a lack of artistic vision. The film's direction feels uninspired, as if the filmmakers were more concerned with ticking boxes than crafting a memorable experience. The action sequences, which should have been a highlight given the game's emphasis on chaotic and explosive combat, are surprisingly lackluster. The choreography is unimaginative, the special effects are subpar, and the pacing is uneven. There is a sense that the film is going through the motions, with little regard for creating something truly exciting or innovative.
Lastly... KEVIN HART CANNOT DO ACTION.
Kevin Hart's acting chops begin and end with cowering in the corner while real hero's save the day.
Beyond the casting, "Borderlands" suffers from a lack of artistic vision. The film's direction feels uninspired, as if the filmmakers were more concerned with ticking boxes than crafting a memorable experience. The action sequences, which should have been a highlight given the game's emphasis on chaotic and explosive combat, are surprisingly lackluster. The choreography is unimaginative, the special effects are subpar, and the pacing is uneven. There is a sense that the film is going through the motions, with little regard for creating something truly exciting or innovative.
Lastly... KEVIN HART CANNOT DO ACTION.
Kevin Hart's acting chops begin and end with cowering in the corner while real hero's save the day.
Give it a chance
kirinlws15 August 2024
I understand a lot of die hard video game fans reviews of the movie because it was nothing like it and it did a bad job of expressing the video game. If you look at it strictly from a movie point of view it was pretty good it had an interesting story that kept going there was no blank spots some good fight scenes and the actors were pretty good again not the greatest movie in the world but definitely washable and rewatchable I would suggest seeing it I don't know about in theaters but definitely check it out. Cate blanchett definitely made the movie with her acting The characters are lovable If only it had a better story.
Not that bad as people rate it.
sneaked30 August 2024
I dont know how people can rate it a flat 1, but since it got alot of hate the rating isnt really what it should deserve.
Main thing i dont get how they want to adopt a mature 18+ game where most of its core is the vulgare language and dark humor to a pg13 film it really is missing alot of points on that aspect.
Considering this, you get the reason why they made this movie "for the next generation of gamers that are around the age of 13". To bring them into the franchise.
So it is an alright movie for a evening at home while drinking with friends and have a couple of laughs and not take anything to serious.
If you take it to serious you might not like it, however your Kids might really enjoy it.
Main thing i dont get how they want to adopt a mature 18+ game where most of its core is the vulgare language and dark humor to a pg13 film it really is missing alot of points on that aspect.
Considering this, you get the reason why they made this movie "for the next generation of gamers that are around the age of 13". To bring them into the franchise.
So it is an alright movie for a evening at home while drinking with friends and have a couple of laughs and not take anything to serious.
If you take it to serious you might not like it, however your Kids might really enjoy it.
Whose idea was this?
nacsolucifer8 August 2024
Welcome to The Borderlands. The borders of mediocrity, that's it.
A long time ago I was in an Irish bar and someone offered me a job. "Fast cars. Red necks. Explosions." That were the details. And here we are, 12 years later, finind out they really meant "Poor CGI. Actor too old for the roles. Blowing up."
Borderlands have been a beloved franchise cherished by millions, myself included. And not only cuz it they were amazing games (except for 3, maybe), and it has become a sad memory and the idea of something that could have been great.
I never liked Kevin Heart. Now I despise him.
I won't give details about the movie, you have an idea on how it's going to be. And you are absolutely right.
I'm giving 2 stars only because Kate is a godess.
A long time ago I was in an Irish bar and someone offered me a job. "Fast cars. Red necks. Explosions." That were the details. And here we are, 12 years later, finind out they really meant "Poor CGI. Actor too old for the roles. Blowing up."
Borderlands have been a beloved franchise cherished by millions, myself included. And not only cuz it they were amazing games (except for 3, maybe), and it has become a sad memory and the idea of something that could have been great.
I never liked Kevin Heart. Now I despise him.
I won't give details about the movie, you have an idea on how it's going to be. And you are absolutely right.
I'm giving 2 stars only because Kate is a godess.
Save your money!
stephanie130219888 August 2024
There was so much wrong with this movie. The acting was off (wrong casting choice). It was not funny! The script was so boring and unrelatable. Hard pass on this movie.
Cate Blanchett's acting was a little too extra. These characters had no depth so it was hard to relate or even root for them. I thought it would be a bit like Guardians of the Galaxy, unlikely allies working together to save the universe... but nope, it was just more like people who ran into each other and had no choice but to go with it.
Also what was the bloody point of the vault? The ending didn't go over any of this, they just had a weird party.
I really wanted to walk out but stayed for the movie ticket price.
Cate Blanchett's acting was a little too extra. These characters had no depth so it was hard to relate or even root for them. I thought it would be a bit like Guardians of the Galaxy, unlikely allies working together to save the universe... but nope, it was just more like people who ran into each other and had no choice but to go with it.
Also what was the bloody point of the vault? The ending didn't go over any of this, they just had a weird party.
I really wanted to walk out but stayed for the movie ticket price.
Basically We Have Borderlands At Home Moment
chenp-547088 August 2024
Eli Roth once again proves that he has talents of trying to desperately make gritty, bloody, crazy, edgy, and non-serious movies but ultimately ends up being a slob, annoying, and dreadful experience as it feels like his movies are for pure shock value and edginess, in the worst way possible. Once again, it's a movie that quite misses the point of what made the games really good as this movie, despite some solid production designs and costumes, its messy writing, poor character engagement, and mixed performances doesn't really do a good service.
Roth really tries hard to make this movie feel epic and insane but it all just comes off tedious and annoying at the end. Its approach on the humor, atmosphere and character dynamics lack the charms of the games and is filled with messes and messes. The casting, despite performances being trying, really feels miscasted.
I think it's time for studios to learn how to make a good video game movie by watching Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves.
Roth really tries hard to make this movie feel epic and insane but it all just comes off tedious and annoying at the end. Its approach on the humor, atmosphere and character dynamics lack the charms of the games and is filled with messes and messes. The casting, despite performances being trying, really feels miscasted.
I think it's time for studios to learn how to make a good video game movie by watching Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves.
Hot Smoking Garbage
iansschumitsh9 August 2024
This movie had alot of potential going in. The games have a patchy story line but it had enough to build a wonderful crazy action packed bloodbath of a movie with enough creative room for SOME changes to tighten it up. However that was not the case they tossed all the source material out the window and gave you HOT SMOKING GARBAGE. The acting was good but everything about that story is trash. The only thing that should be in that vault are the writers and whoever gave this dumpster fire the green light to put out.
Claptrap was on point for the most part for sure a accurate character, Fire Hawk was so poorly written that they might as well just made it someone else completely her attitude was close but everything els about her was a bust aside from how she looked, Tina was not nearly crazy enough even in her youth she was absolutely bananas so they barley scratched the surface with that.
The rest of the characters were kind of on point but over all this movie should have never seen the light of day.
Claptrap was on point for the most part for sure a accurate character, Fire Hawk was so poorly written that they might as well just made it someone else completely her attitude was close but everything els about her was a bust aside from how she looked, Tina was not nearly crazy enough even in her youth she was absolutely bananas so they barley scratched the surface with that.
The rest of the characters were kind of on point but over all this movie should have never seen the light of day.
Its not that bad, but should have been an R rated movie
bjjao30 August 2024
Its a decent enough adventure comedy, more "inspired" by Borderlands than an adaption.
It seems to sort of aimed at a Deadpool type of action comedy, but failed as it is quite kid friendly action. I think this movie would have benefited from going the total R rating route.
You sort of know what kind of movie it is going to be when Kevin Hart comes on screen, with jokes and attempts at comedy that are not exactly there..and that you've seen a thousand times before.
So the movie would probably also have benefited from someone other than Kevin Hart in the role.
Would i "again" view this at the movies? No.. but it is a good and enjoyable action comedy, to watch at home.
It seems to sort of aimed at a Deadpool type of action comedy, but failed as it is quite kid friendly action. I think this movie would have benefited from going the total R rating route.
You sort of know what kind of movie it is going to be when Kevin Hart comes on screen, with jokes and attempts at comedy that are not exactly there..and that you've seen a thousand times before.
So the movie would probably also have benefited from someone other than Kevin Hart in the role.
Would i "again" view this at the movies? No.. but it is a good and enjoyable action comedy, to watch at home.
Underwhelming to say the least.
m1z7 August 2024
The only part that was interesting in this movie is claptrap's lines, which were cheesy most of the time.
Absolutely mediocre live action adaptation. Movies like these should be exciting and unique, with a one of a kind twist that's newly introduced to the series. You as a director have so many characters and depth to work with in this universe, Yet the director decides to use the most generic and repetitive plots. It goes without saying that the acting in this movie was good (although lacked a bit of depth to the characters personalities imo) and the resemblance of the actors to their original counterparts were not all as accurate as it could've been. Overall, Such a shame to see this coming from a franchise this big.
Absolutely mediocre live action adaptation. Movies like these should be exciting and unique, with a one of a kind twist that's newly introduced to the series. You as a director have so many characters and depth to work with in this universe, Yet the director decides to use the most generic and repetitive plots. It goes without saying that the acting in this movie was good (although lacked a bit of depth to the characters personalities imo) and the resemblance of the actors to their original counterparts were not all as accurate as it could've been. Overall, Such a shame to see this coming from a franchise this big.
Better than people make it
iamultraannoying30 August 2024
I really enjoyed playing the games and when I watched the trailer I was really sceptical about it. Probably like most people. But I didn't judge until I watched it.
This movie has plenty of unused potential. There are some pretty bad things about it - but in the end and in general it is pretty good. It's for sure NOT BAD like everyone is trying to force you to think. It's clearly made for funs because there's a lot of stuff that wasn't explained but if you played the games, you catch these references easily and they're nice addition to the overall experience.
I can recommend it. If you want action movie that is easy to process then that's it. Adjust your expectations and just enjoy what's delivered instead of actively searching for "bad stuff". Enjoy the good stuff because there's a lot of that there too.
This movie has plenty of unused potential. There are some pretty bad things about it - but in the end and in general it is pretty good. It's for sure NOT BAD like everyone is trying to force you to think. It's clearly made for funs because there's a lot of stuff that wasn't explained but if you played the games, you catch these references easily and they're nice addition to the overall experience.
I can recommend it. If you want action movie that is easy to process then that's it. Adjust your expectations and just enjoy what's delivered instead of actively searching for "bad stuff". Enjoy the good stuff because there's a lot of that there too.
Not at all like Borderlands
loliwuzhere8 August 2024
Warning: Spoilers
This movie had nothing substantial that is resembling borderlands. Lilith didn't have her power, she is apparently an old hand at bounty hunting but left paandora when she was a child. So the timeline is all out of wack. Tina is an eridian clone but not really, turns out Lilith is the child of eridia. She uses her Firehawk powers and gets absolutely trounced by some laser turrets on Atlas's ship. Then cut to the vault which we barely get a glimpse of the vault monster which I assume to be The Destroyer. Like 10 seconds of screentime, The Big Boss of the verse, 10 seconds! I know this movie came out of left field and probably didn't have much funding but come on.
4?What the vault?
lekver31 August 2024
Probably some gamers stepped in and lowered the rating that much. The plague as i call them with their mentality.
But ,about the movie. If it is a movie to watch without big expectations it is alright. I didn't love the movie or i will remember it but i am not going to throw it at the trash the minute after i watched it. It could be better or it could be worse.
For me it is definetely not a 4 as i see the overall rating here. That's why i gave it an 8. Plus through all the movies that exist right now movies like this one are a small oasis to sit,relax and watch and not to think it too much. .
But ,about the movie. If it is a movie to watch without big expectations it is alright. I didn't love the movie or i will remember it but i am not going to throw it at the trash the minute after i watched it. It could be better or it could be worse.
For me it is definetely not a 4 as i see the overall rating here. That's why i gave it an 8. Plus through all the movies that exist right now movies like this one are a small oasis to sit,relax and watch and not to think it too much. .
Average action movie
linuspmarketing31 August 2024
I am a borderlands fan, but i suppose many of the people watching this movie have not played it since Borderlands 2. There are 2 more games, Borderlands 3 and Tiny Tina's Wonderland, which are great games, and also explains why the movie isn't what people expected.
They really want borderlands 2 and probably thought this movie would be exactly like the video game, problem is games and movies are different forms of entertainment, so your expectations can't be the same.
Overall the movie is okay, it's an alright action movie that will entertain. It's not some magical thing that will blow your mind and make you crave more Borderlands. It's just an okay action movie.
P.s. To those who think Clap trap is annoying in the movie, he is even worse in the video games, it's a horrible character.
They really want borderlands 2 and probably thought this movie would be exactly like the video game, problem is games and movies are different forms of entertainment, so your expectations can't be the same.
Overall the movie is okay, it's an alright action movie that will entertain. It's not some magical thing that will blow your mind and make you crave more Borderlands. It's just an okay action movie.
P.s. To those who think Clap trap is annoying in the movie, he is even worse in the video games, it's a horrible character.
Not surprising
khnymyxr8 August 2024
Of course it's gonna have a low score. When I first saw the trailer, I know it's going to be terrible. It's not even disappointing, it's straight up garbage.
I'm a huge fan of the Borderlands series with Borderlands 2 being my favorite one. I still adore the series, even Borderlands 3. I played countless hours of all of them, with Borderlands 2 I spent the most time on.
I was interested when a Borderlands movie was announced. I was thinking it was going to be one of the best video game adaptations alongside Mario, Fallout, Edgerunners and Sonic (I know I'm crazy).
But I was wrong. Movie is just... bad. If anyone asked me what's my top 10 worst video game movies of all time, this is one of them.
I'm a huge fan of the Borderlands series with Borderlands 2 being my favorite one. I still adore the series, even Borderlands 3. I played countless hours of all of them, with Borderlands 2 I spent the most time on.
I was interested when a Borderlands movie was announced. I was thinking it was going to be one of the best video game adaptations alongside Mario, Fallout, Edgerunners and Sonic (I know I'm crazy).
But I was wrong. Movie is just... bad. If anyone asked me what's my top 10 worst video game movies of all time, this is one of them.
Absolutely awful
stevenmonkeydishwasher9 August 2024
Wow so many missteps for what has got to be the worst movie of the year so far easily, the characters are all so bad and ruined, the story is just so bad, feels so artificial and completely suffers from a PG-13 rating, every actor is basically just reading a script, not even Kevin hearts is even remotely funny, and not even remotely like Roland, no organic or remotely enjoyable banter or anything to make them seem like a team, this movie needed a hard R rating, because maybe there could've been real humour from crazy deaths, blood and viscera, and actual banter and fun in relation to that but instead it's just so bad, one extra star because Claptrap was okay, voice sounded a bit off but at least tried to be funny but couldn't carry the entire movie.
A review from an avid Borderlands player
mikemulligan909 August 2024
Warning: Spoilers
That was...not good.
There were redeeming qualities thought!
I thought that all the main characters were portrayed very well, especially Kevin Hart as Roland. Lilith, Tannis and Tina were also solidly portrayed. I always felt Krieg was a bad choice, so I won't put my biases here.
The Atlas guy was a horrendous villain and Moxxi was just quick and dumb. Marcus was portrayed very well!
It's extremely upsetting that there was no Mordecai or Brick too, but I guess adding too many characters makes a mess like this even messier.
The plot was terrible: Lilith is a bounty hunter who is employed by Atlas to rescue Tina, who is the head of Atlas' daughter. Tina is the final piece of the key to open the vault but in the end it turns out it's Lilith. She awakens her Siren powers once she opens the vault. Also Lilith is FROM Pandora too?
The movie has tons of quick Easter eggs that if you're not paying attention you will miss. All of areas they went to were from BL1 and BL2, but they were pretty inaccurate (such as Tundra Express).
Overall-hard pass on this and wait until it's streaming.
OR don't ever watch this movie and just stick to playing BL1, BL2 and BLTPS (never BL3, that game was also terrible).
Oh, and Claptrap was annoying...in a Claptrap way.
There were redeeming qualities thought!
I thought that all the main characters were portrayed very well, especially Kevin Hart as Roland. Lilith, Tannis and Tina were also solidly portrayed. I always felt Krieg was a bad choice, so I won't put my biases here.
The Atlas guy was a horrendous villain and Moxxi was just quick and dumb. Marcus was portrayed very well!
It's extremely upsetting that there was no Mordecai or Brick too, but I guess adding too many characters makes a mess like this even messier.
The plot was terrible: Lilith is a bounty hunter who is employed by Atlas to rescue Tina, who is the head of Atlas' daughter. Tina is the final piece of the key to open the vault but in the end it turns out it's Lilith. She awakens her Siren powers once she opens the vault. Also Lilith is FROM Pandora too?
The movie has tons of quick Easter eggs that if you're not paying attention you will miss. All of areas they went to were from BL1 and BL2, but they were pretty inaccurate (such as Tundra Express).
Overall-hard pass on this and wait until it's streaming.
OR don't ever watch this movie and just stick to playing BL1, BL2 and BLTPS (never BL3, that game was also terrible).
Oh, and Claptrap was annoying...in a Claptrap way.
See also
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