When it was initially announced, the Borderlands movie quickly became one of the most anticipated video game adaptations of recent years. At least until its core cast was revealed. From there, it has been nothing but bad press coverage and fan hate but some held out hope that the movie would be a surprise hit. Turns out, the fans were right and the film is a disaster as the movie has made its debut with a dismal 0% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
As it stands, at the time of this writing, the Borderlands movie managed to claw its way to an abysmal 3% rating presently, solidifying its placement among the top worst film scores on the site.
Borderlands joins the ranks of notorious cinematic failures like House of the Dead (2003), which also holds a 3%, Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li (2009) at 3%, and Alone in the Dark (2005), which sits at a staggering 1% at the top of this shit list. This unfortunate debut cements the Borderlands movie as one of the most disappointing video game adaptations to date, leaving fans and critics alike wondering what could have been.
Despite boasting a star-studded cast, the film has failed to impress critics who claim that moviegoers, gamers, and long-time fans of the Borderlands franchise will absolutely hate this movie. The general consensus is clear: the movie is a major disappointment, missing the mark in nearly every aspect that fans were eager to see brought to life on the big screen.
The film, directed by Eli Roth, had generated significant buzz due to its ensemble cast, which includes Cate Blanchett as Lilith, Kevin Hart as Roland, Jack Black as Claptrap, Jamie Lee Curtis as Dr. Tannis, and Ariana Greenblatt as Tiny Tina. However, while these actors are individually praised for their talent, many were quick to point out the terrible miscasting that plagued the movie, Kevin Hart and Cate Blanchett specifically. Critics have noted that the cast, though impressive on paper, was ultimately unable to capture the essence of the characters from the beloved video game series and the chemistry and energy that fans had hoped for were absent, leaving the film feeling hollow and disconnected from its source material.
We have to wonder if anyone on the production side, including Roth himself, ever picked up and played a single Borderlands game or if they simply read the synopsis on Wikipedia and figured that was enough research before hitting the writers room. If these early reviews are any indication, then it clearly feels like the latter.
From the moment the cast was announced, way ahead of the film’s first reviews started pouring in, it seemed clear that this movie was not going to be the surprise hit some had hoped for. And now we have all the confirmation we need, as Borderlands has turned out to be a complete miss in almost every regard, from casting choices to the writing, to the overall execution of the film. Fans who had been eagerly awaiting an adaptation that would do justice to the vibrant, chaotic world of Borderlands will have no doubt be left sorely disappointed.
