Movie's Awful Review Shreds 'Borderland'

The upcoming Borderlands movie, directed by Eli Roth, is generating significant buzz, but early critical reception paints a predominantly negative picture. Let's delve into the initial reviews and what moviegoers can anticipate.

A Critical Mauling, Despite Stellar Cast

Eli Roth's Borderlands adaptation has received overwhelmingly harsh criticism following early screenings. Many critics, voicing their opinions on social media, cite weak humor, unconvincing CGI, and a lackluster script as major flaws.

Edgar Ortega of Loud and Clear Reviews tweeted, "Borderlands feels like a clueless executive's idea of 'cool.' No genuine character moments, just stale, obnoxious one-liners. It's not even 'so bad it's good,' just a complete mess."

Darren Movie Reviews from Movie Scene Canada called it "a baffling video game adaptation," acknowledging potential for strong world-building, but ultimately faulting "a rushed and dull screenplay – impressive set design undermined by cheap-looking CGI."

However, not all reviews were entirely scathing. Film critic Kurt Morrison noted, "Blanchett and Hart are clearly having fun and prevent a complete disaster," though he added, "it'll be a surprise if this finds an audience." The Hollywood Handle offered a slightly more positive assessment: "Borderlands is a fun PG-13 action movie, relying heavily on Cate Blanchett's star power to carry it – and she delivers."

Despite a star-studded cast, the film, re-announced in 2020 after a period of inactivity, has faced skepticism from fans of the game franchise.

The film follows Cate Blanchett as Lilith, returning to Pandora to find Atlas' missing daughter (Edgar Ramirez). She teams up with an eclectic group: Kevin Hart as Roland, Ariana Greenblatt as Tiny Tina, Florian Munteanu as Krieg, Jamie Lee Curtis as Tannis, and Jack Black as Claptrap.

As major publications release their full reviews in the coming days, audiences will have the opportunity to form their own opinions when Borderlands hits theaters on August 9th. Meanwhile, Gearbox has hinted at a new Borderlands game.