It’s a scenario we’re all too familiar with in cinematic history: the perennial struggle of bringing video game narratives to the big screen. This genre, once notorious for its flops, has recently witnessed glimmers of promise with HBO’s “The Last of Us” and Prime Video’s “Fallout.” Yet, just when we started hoping for a brighter future, we were dragged back into the depths of despair with the release of “Borderlands.” This film is a textbook case of a miscalculated, ill-executed adaptation that would fit seamlessly into a hall of fame of cinematic misfires.
Directed by Eli Roth, known for his work in horror such as “Hostel” and “Cabin Fever,” “Borderlands” takes a harsh detour into a landscape that neither showcases his filmmaking strengths nor the essence of the game it adapts. Based on Gearbox Software’s successful game franchise of the same name, “Borderlands” is nothing more than a lackluster cacophony of subpar filmmaking. The experience is so underwhelming that even ardent fans of the video game might find themselves considering an early exit from the theater.
The plot is a drearily familiar collection of tired sci-fi tropes. It features magical artifacts, a prophecy, and a ragtag team that must band together to save the world. If the story sounds cliché, it’s because it retreads familiar ground without a shred of novelty. Roth, along with his co-writer Joe Crombie, seems fixated on constructing a narrative from an assemblage of overused elements from other, far superior, sci-fi adventures. This results in a film devoid of originality, relying instead on clichés and uninspired sequences that contribute nothing to the genre.
Not even the presence of Academy Award-winning actress Cate Blanchett can salvage this disaster. Blanchett’s role as Lilith, a bounty hunter, is utterly devoid of the character’s trademark wit and charisma. Her performance is burdened by a palpable sense of indifference, almost suggesting that her involvement was purely contractual. The regret in her eyes mirrors the audience’s growing dismay. Apparently, as Blanchett quipped, she chose this role over spending her post-“Tár” downtime obsessively chopping down trees with a chainsaw.
Matching Blanchett’s flat performance is Kevin Hart as Roland. Known for his comedic prowess, Hart’s humor is thoroughly muted in “Borderlands.” The character is lifeless, and Hart’s normally dynamic energy is smothered by a banal script. The film is an action-comedy in name only, as it fails at delivering either compelling action or humor.
. Instead, it offers scenes punctuated by awkward silences and jokes that do nothing to elevate the dreary tone of the film. Hart’s potential for wit and humor is wasted, lost beneath the uninspired dialogue that permeates the screenplay.
The supporting cast fares no better. Jamie Lee Curtis, who plays a character reduced to an expository mess, squanders her talents on a script that offers her nothing engaging to work with. Jack Black voices Claptrap, intended as comic relief, yet his performance is grating rather than endearing. Claptrap’s character is a discordant blend of irritating traits borrowed from well-known sci-fi droids, making him insufferably annoying.
Ariana Greenblatt’s portrayal of Tiny Tina, a beloved character in the games, suffers a similar fate. The fast-talking chaos that defines Tiny Tina is flattened into a monotonous caricature. Edgar Ramírez’s Atlas, the film’s villain, is embarrassingly one-dimensional, devoid of any menace or complexity. Florian Munteanu’s Krieg is another forgettable addition, reduced to a background character with no significant contribution, characterized only by indistinct grunts.
Visually, “Borderlands” is an outright assault on the audience’s senses. The CGI-rendered world of Pandora appears unfinished, akin to the remnants of discarded digital projects. Special effects are so poorly executed that characters often seem to interact with nothingness, providing a stark contrast when practical effects, though scarce, are utilized. The film’s visual style borrows heavily from “Mad Max,” yet lacks the coherency and polish needed to pull off the homage successfully.
The film’s overall aesthetic is a patchwork of recycled inspiration—its wasteland scenery is inferior to “Mad Max,” its plot akin to a poor man’s “Fallout,” and the forced camaraderie of its mismatched heroes hardly captures the magic of “Guardians of the Galaxy.” Instead of vibrant wit, we get lifeless dialogue, and any attempt at humor is as hollow as Claptrap’s recycled antics.
“Borderlands” serves as a stark reminder of the pitfalls of unnecessary adaptations of video game franchises. The film underscores the notion that not every game narrative needs to be transformed into a cinematic experience. For those still yearning for a quality video game movie, this film is a bitter disappointment, likely to be remembered as one of the most painful viewing experiences of the year. It’s a brutal lesson in wasted potential and raises critical questions about the necessity and execution of such adaptations.
“Borderlands” is now showing in theaters worldwide.
