Early critical reaction to Eli Roth's Borderlands movie adaptation is overwhelmingly negative, despite a star-studded cast. While the actors' performances garner some praise, the film itself faces harsh criticism.
Mixed Reception: A Critical Maelstrom
The film's US premiere has sparked a wave of scathing reviews across social media. Common complaints center around weak humor, unconvincing CGI, and a poorly developed script. Edgar Ortega of Loud and Clear Reviews called it "a complete mess," citing dated jokes and a lack of genuine emotional depth. Darren Movie Reviews from Movie Scene Canada deemed it a "baffling video game adaptation," highlighting wasted potential in world-building due to a rushed and uninspired screenplay.
However, not all reviews are entirely damning. Some critics found glimmers of positivity amidst the negativity. Kurt Morrison noted that Cate Blanchett and Kevin Hart's performances elevate the film above a complete disaster, although he doubts it will find a wide audience. The Hollywood Handle offered a more lenient assessment, describing it as a "fun PG-13 action movie" carried largely by Blanchett's performance.
Despite skepticism from fans of the game, the film boasts a high-profile cast. The 2020 relaunch of the movie project followed a period of development delays.
The film follows Lilith (Cate Blanchett) as she returns to Pandora to search for Atlas's missing daughter. She teams up with an eclectic group: Roland (Kevin Hart), Tiny Tina (Ariana Greenblatt), Krieg (Florian Munteanu), Tannis (Jamie Lee Curtis), and Claptrap (Jack Black).
As major publications release their full reviews in the coming days, audiences will soon judge for themselves when Borderlands hits theaters on August 9th. Meanwhile, Gearbox has hinted at a new entry in the Borderlands game franchise.