"Borderlands Movie Struggles Beyond Bad Reviews"

The Borderlands movie, helmed by director Eli Roth, has been facing a turbulent premiere week. Amidst a barrage of negative reviews, the film has also encountered controversy over uncredited work by a member of its production team.

Borderlands Movie Faces Rocky Premiere Week

Film Staff Says He Wasn't Credited

The Borderlands movie adaptation has been met with overwhelmingly negative feedback, currently holding a dismal 6% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 49 critic reviews. Top critics have been particularly harsh, with Donald Clarke from the Irish Times suggesting that fans might want to "hammer an imagined X button" to escape the film's "wacko BS," while Amy Nicholson from the New York Times acknowledged the commendable design elements but criticized the humor as largely ineffective.

As the social media embargo was lifted earlier this week, early viewers echoed the critics' sentiments, describing the film as "lifeless," "terrible," and "uninspired." However, a segment of Borderlands enthusiasts and general movie-goers have shown a more favorable response, appreciating the film's action-packed and boisterous style. The audience score on Rotten Tomatoes stands at a more respectable 49%. "Not gonna lie, I was a hater when I saw the cast. I went into it with low expectations, but I truly loved it," one viewer commented. Another fan praised the explosive action and crude humor, though they noted that "some of the lore changes could leave people puzzled. Personally, I didn't mind too much as it made for a more compelling storyline for the film."

Adding to the film's woes, a controversy has emerged regarding uncredited work. Robbie Reid, a freelance rigger who worked on the character "Claptrap," took to Twitter (X) to express his disappointment at not being credited for his contributions. "Up until this point, I've been exceptionally lucky to have received a credit for every film I've worked on," Reid stated. He expressed frustration that the Borderlands movie, his final project at a studio, broke this streak, especially for such a significant character. Reid suggested that the oversight might be due to him and the artist who modeled Claptrap leaving their studio in 2021, but acknowledged that such issues are unfortunately common in the industry.

"My disappointment lies with the general industry and how it treats/credits artists. It's a long on-going problem, and I'm sad to see it's still widespread based on replies. But I'm heartened by the support shown, and I hope it can lead to change for our industry," Reid concluded.