BOTCHED, BORING, BLAND, AND BANAL
Adaptations of popular video games continues to be a hot commodity with studios and viewers alike, spreading to the masses in translating what made gamers hyped up and bringing it to both the big and small screen. While there have been many projects that have made the jump from “console to film” or “console to screen”, the idea of adapting video game narrative has been synonymous with disaster and mixed results, with very few have made found cinematic glory in box office success amongst its fanbase and causal viewers. Attempts have been made throughout the years, but it’s been quite the “hit or miss” with several popular brands and IP franchises. Some have delivered quite a positive reception amongst the fans, including 2002’s Resident Evil, 2005’s Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, 2016’s Warcraft, 2018’s Tomb Raider, 2019’s Sonic the Hedgehog, 2019’s Pokémon: Detective Pikachu, and 2023’s The Super Mario Bros. Movie have found praise for their cinematic efforts on the silver screen, while projects like 2023’s The Last of Us and 2024’s Fallout share a similar success on the streaming multimedia platform. However, at the other end of the spectrum, a great host of video game film adaptations have suffered from being ruinous façade to the once popular games that captivated players in their initial releases. This includes 1993’s Super Mario Bros., 1997’s Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, 2005’s Doom, 2008’s Far Cry, 2016’s Assassin’s Creed, and 2020’s Monster Hunter just to name a few. Now, Lionsgate and director Eli Roth present the latest film adaption of a popular video game title with the release of Borderlands, based on the game developed by Gearbox Software. Does this latest video game adaptation to prove to make a cinematic splash or does it fall flat on its face from the word “go”?
THE STORY
Eons ago, a powerful and mysterious alien race known as the Eridians, help create the known the galactic universe, with their knowledge and wisdom becoming the key cornerstones of advancement of civilization and technology. They then disappeared from existence, leaving behind their compendium wealth of arcane secrets and power hidden away within a special vault located on the planet Pandora. Whispers of an ancient prophecy offers clues on how to open the vault, which requires the use of three keys and the only “The Daughter of Eridia” can open it, claiming the untold treasure locked within. Atlas (Edgar Ramierz), a powerful corporate magnate, is hoping to retrieve his daughter, Tina (Ariana Greenblatt), who he believes holds the secret of being the famous “daughter” from the well-known prophecy of the Eridians. However, Tina is known location is unknown, with the young girl being absconded from Atlas’s custody by Roland (Kevin Hart), an ex-mercenary, and Krieg (Florian Munteanu), a hulking and brutish Psycho, and disappearing into Pandora’s twisted wastelands. Sent to retrieve the girl is Lilith (Cate Blanchett), a talented bounty hunter, with Atlas promising her weight in gold for Tina’s return. Unable to resist such a wealth reward, Lilith reluctantly travels to Pandora to begin her search, dealing with a planet that’s been scoured by treasure hunters, pollutions, and scavenger marauders. In time, Lilith finds Tina’s location, dealing with Roland and Krieg upon their first contact, but is shaking off when an uneasy truces amongst them all is drawing upon, with the group hoping to find the secret vault and Tina convinced that she is “The Daughter of Eridia”. Forced to work together to survive various threats on Pandora, the group, who is then joined by Claptrap (Jack Black), a sassy robot companion, seeking out the wisdom of xenoarchaelogist Tannis (Jamie Lee Curtis), who can help the visitors in their hunt for the missing keys.
THE GOOD / THE BAD
Borrowing this paragraph from my review of Monster Hunters…. as I’ve stated previously, I do like video games. I’m not a hardcore gamer, but I do like playing a few games here and there on occasion (i.e., a causal video gamer). So, naturally, the marriage between video games and movies is something that I do like and eager await some releases. However, as I said above, most ambitions for these types of film adaptations have been somewhat mixed to bad; finding most to be difficultly in bridging a proper medium between video game and movie. Of course, there has been some that have been entertaining such as some of my personal favorite ones like Sonic the Hedgehog and Tomb Raider, but then there are some that are just plain bad like Mortal Kombat Annihilation (although one scene in the movie I like) and almost completely unrecognizable to its source material like 1993’s Super Mario Bros.; something that put a “nail in the coffin” from Nintendo in translating their games into feature films. However, the undeniable success of 2023’s The Super Mario Bros. Movie shows that Nintendo isn’t out of the race yet for adapting their properties into feature length films. Another problem of video game adaptations are in its appeal to the masses vs. its fanbase; collectively creating problems to a more singular grouping of viewers out there that might not cater to the general moviegoer populace. Prime example of this problem can be found in Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children or Warcraft. Both are good movies (in my opinion), but feel more dedicated to its fanbase rather than general viewers. Still, for better or worse, adapting popular video games into movies is something that Hollywood isn’t going to stop anytime soon, aiming to claim one day to break the so-called “video game movie curse”.
This brings me back around to talking about my Borderlands (2024) review, a 2024 sci-fi action-comedy endeavor that’s based off of the popular video game series (of the same name) that was developed by Gearbox Software and is also the latest video game adaptation film from Hollywood. I’ll be quite honest…. I never played the Borderland games. I do know of them for quite some time and did a little bit further research after seeing the movie, but I never sat down and play any of them of their various entries. I definitely can see the appeal of them, with plenty of over-the-top angst, wacky situations, and colorful characters to make the experience engaging and entertaining, which is always a good thing. So, brings this back around to talking about the film, I can see the draw and fascination with Borderlands games, which is probably why Hollywood has taken an interest in bringing this first-person loot shooter property to the cinematic platform. There is no denying the secret that this movie has been in “development hell” as it was first announced years ago, but saw several delays due to the feature trying to land a director, being passed over and over (numerous times) by screenplay writers, dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, and going back for reshoots with a new director at the helm, including new script material from several individuals. So, the road to getting the Borderlands movie off the ground (and completed) was definitely an ordeal as news for the movie kept dropping every so often here and there, with new tidbits being dropped a few months later. Again, like the games themselves, I knew that the movie was developed, but didn’t pay much attention to it. That was until the film’s movie trailers began to appear both online and in theaters during the “coming attractions” preview reel. I do have to say that I saw the trailers in theaters a lot, for almost every movie that I saw during the summertime season, including PG movies, showcased the trailer footage for Borderlands. From the previews alone, the movie looked like it was going to be a “wild ride”, with plenty of crazy antics of fighting action violence and wacky situation. Plus, the cast for the movie was quite stacked, including Blanchett, Hart, Greenblatt, Ramierz, Black, and Curtis. Indeed, the film was going to be a solid blockbuster release in the summer movie lineup. For me, it looked interesting, and it was something that I was planning on seeing when it was set to be released on August 9th, 2024. I did see on its opening weekend release, but I decided to wait a little bit to get my review done for it, which was mostly due to my work schedule. Now, I’m finally ready to share my thoughts on Borderlands. And what did I think of it? Well, I do have to say…. that all the negative criticisms and reviews for the movie…. are in fact…quite true. While the movie’s nonstop movement of action set pieces are fun to an extent, Borderlands (as a whole) is a hot and haphazard mess of a film adaptation that is hampered by a weak story, generic premise, and a collective underwhelming performances from its cast. I wouldn’t say that it isn’t Madame Web level bad as the potential for a good popcorn flick is there, but it’s quite buried underneath a ton bland and generic presentation and a great heap of missed opportunities.
Borderlands is directed by Eli Roth, whose previous directorial works include such films as Hostel, Thanksgiving, and The House with a Clock in its Walls. While Roth’s talents are usually drawn to more violent and horror feature films, do direct such a film like this one is definitely one of a “head scratcher” for me. Still, the director charges forward and, while the film does falter within its shaping, undertaking, and overall execution, Roth does get a few things right along the way…of which I will highlight here. While the source material is a bit foreign to me, I did see a few gameplays of the Borderlands games (prior to seeing the movie) and can definitely see what Roth is trying to go for. How so? Well, Roth approaches the film with a sense of fun and enjoyment, something that’s akin to video games themselves as well as blockbuster popcorn pictures. True enough, Borderlands, despite a few dramatic moments of sentimentality, doesn’t take itself too seriously, with a wild and crazy jaunt across the dangerous plans of Pandora feels something similar to the games (perhaps the only one thing), with Roth displaying the goofy tones and ridiculous situations that finds the main characters coming across that does make for some amusing interactions. The movie is quite jammed with plenty of comedy by having aggressive stance of vulgar insults, zippy one-liners, and constant banter amongst the group, which does make for a wacky quibbles and humorous bits. Plus, the action set pieces always keep the plot moving forward along, which is another good thing as well, but does struggle in its undertaking. So, while Roth has a particular knack for gory and gruesome horrors in his career, Borderlands is a bit of different approach for the director to take, presenting a more lighthearted sci-fi action / comedy feature that doesn’t take itself too seriously and has (intended) fun within its own premise.
For its presentation, Borderlands fits the slot for the traditional summer blockbuster endeavor from a major Hollywood studio, brimming with visual flair and set pieces that are both vibrant and detailed throughout. With majority of the feature’s setting taking place on the world of Pandora, much of the set layouts fill the classic staple of a wasteland hodgepodge of ruined placed and derelict objects that are cobbled together to make a sort of sci-fi cyberpunk motifs and nuances. It works at times, while others it doesn’t. The generic backdrop of Pandora’s wasteland aspects sure do look interesting, yet fall into cinematic similarities found in other dystopian-esque barren / hostile worlds, including Mad Max, Star Wars, Star Trek, Guardians of the Galaxy, and (yes) even Rebel Moon, with Roth and his team having very little distinction in making their iteration of rambunctious and unlawful junkyard mess of corporate greed, psychotic warriors, ruthless murders, and hostile monsters that lurk therein. I know that might sound as a negative point, but it’s the truth. Still, the colorful brightness of everything certainly keeps the feature’s setting “popping” and visually appealing throughout. Thus, the film’s “behind the scenes” team, including Andrew Menzies (production design), Zsuzsanna Sipos (set decorations), and Daniel Orlandi (costume designs) for their efforts in making the feature’s visual aesthetics stand out in a few key areas. Still, there is still much to be desired (more on that below. In addition, the cinematography work by Rogier Stoffers is decent at times and does get the job done with some sleek usage of camera working here and there. However, it’s just adequate and doesn’t stand out as much, which pains me to say that as I usually love cinematography work in movies. Lastly, the movie’s score, which was composed by Steven Jablonsky, does get the job done in complimenting the feature’s soundtrack, which does have its flourish of sci-fi heroism and bombastic action as well as softer quieter moments of dialogue driven sequences. Still, much like the cinematography, the score is merely adequate and not really as memorably strong of Jablonsky’s previous endeavors.
Unfortunately, Borderlands is far from the great summer blockbuster feature or even a decent video game film adaptation that it was being promoted to be (on both accounts), with the movie severely faltering in many crucial ways that weigh the project down. Of course, the biggest one that many will immediately draw a conclusion about the film is how generic everything is about Borderlands. How so? Well, for starters, the story presented is rather weak and extremely streamlined, cramming a lot into a standard two-hour runtime presentation. Everything about the film’s story screams of “been there, done that”, which can be derived from a multitude of sci-fi stories out there of which the movie draws elements from. While taking such familiar tones and aspects from other projects and weaving them into another medium is not unheard in this day and age, it only works (the correct way) if newer or original attributes are mixed into the concoction, blending the two together that would work in harmony with each other. This is not the case in Borderlands’s narrative, which downright utilizes conventional tropes and cliches from the sci-fi genre with little to none cues and nuances to make its own. Of course, it uses some of the lore from the video game source material, but even that comes off as a rip off other properties. A ragtag group of misfits that love to bicker and banter with each other (Guardians of the Galaxy), an ancient prophecy on a hostile world (Dune), various marauders and mercenaries out to get them (Mad Max), a main character having parental issues from her past (Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens), primordial galactic beings that gave the known universe advancement in technology from eons ago (Mass Effect), and a sci-fi lawlessness and customary ruffians and thugs within a local establishment on an alien world (Star Wars). There are several others where such parallelisms can be viewed and seeing, but those are some of the more prominent ones that I took note of. The story is rather limp because such ideas are presented in a half-baked manner, with very little decision to interject some new ones or even creatively to put their own spin on them. Thus, the movie’s plot and overall arc narrative comes across a shallow one that’s riddled with sci-fi cliches and formulaic flourishes that it comes off as weak and unspinning…to say the least.
Who’s blame? Well, Roth himself, who was credited to writing the script for the feature, and Joe Abercrombie, with the pair overseeing the narrative structure and dialogue for this video game film adaptation. Additional, writers of literary material were also added throughout the project and it kind of does show that when the full feature is examined as a whole. Fragmented narrative bits are left dangling or rather unanswered by the time the movie’s reaches its ending, while certain characters / storytelling elements are presented vague and ambiguous. Even worse is the written dialogue for the characters, which is generic as they come and don’t exactly have the right “zip” to them, which results in some bland verbiage of speeches and expositional moments that come off clunkily handled and uninteresting. Speaking on expositional moments the movie has some pretty big ones during the beginning of the movie, which Blanchett’s Lillith helps explain a lot. While this may be good in somewhat, it’s done in a manner that feels hollow and rather rushed as if material was cut from the feature during this portion and just had to explain it all way in narration. Thus, this particular act breaks the most cardinal rule of translating a story into a new medium….show, don’t tell.
What probably boils down for all these matters comes from Roth himself, who (as stated) pulls double duty on Borderlands in both the director’s chair and in the script handling. As such, his hand is in lot of positions where he struggle to take the reins of the film firmly and helming the project the correct way. Moreover, Roth completed the Borderlands movie, but (I assume) that the studio wasn’t happy with the end result, which resulted in the project going back for reshoots to fix certain areas of the feature. Surprisingly, Roth was unavailable at this time, which was due to his commitment on the 2023 movie Thanksgiving, with director Tim Miller, the man behind Deadpool and Terminator: Dark Fate, stepping in to manage and oversee the film’s reshoot process as well additional literary supplement material being written for this. As such, the reshoots sequences (the ones that I know about) come off as a bit wonky in the movie, especially when the ADR (automated dialogue replacement), which is supposed to help re-record audio lines for movies, comes off as goofy and poorly handled, including when characters voices can be heard and not there mouths. Such sloppiness is apparent and makes the practices mismanaged. So, it really begs the question as to what was Roth’s original vision for the movie, what was changed because of it, and what Miller’s vision for the film was? Who knows and sadly I don’t think we are going to get a “Zack Snyder-esque” cut of Borderlands. Suffice to say that the end result of the movie comes across as butchered and choppy mess, trimmed down to the basic rudimentary workings of a feature film that seems rather inconsistent in its overall trajectory and abundance dull drabness.
Additionally, while the movie sort of moves fast and loose with its narrative that’s filled with comedy and action scenes, the film itself suffers pacing issues and make the whole picture feel much longer that what it actually is. With a runtime of only 101 minutes (one hour and forty-one minutes), such a project could feel light and breezy, especially since its minimal duration won’t feel bloated or superfluous in its storytelling viewing experience. However, such inconsistent management of the feature opens it up for some heavy scrutiny, with the project sluggishly moving forward and creating a boring scene of characters stop, bicker with each other, get into an action fight, and continue forward only for the process to repeat all over again in a very humdrum way. As mentioned, expositional dumps are aplenty and cause the feature’s narrative to come to a screeching halt, which aids in the problematic areas of Borderlands’s pacing. Basically, the movie rushes through few areas, but ultimately comes off as a slow and boring movie that really doesn’t have much excitement beyond the usual fanfare of sci-fi tropes and cliches.
As mentioned, the setting for the movie leaves a lot to be desired and, while the production works and costume attires do look good, the overall art direction and culmination of such renderings feels shallow and unappealing. Yes, from what I heard, that you did get to see a few familiar places from locales that are shown in the movie, but nothing really to be “wowed” over. The setting for Pandora (or rather the film’s interpretation of Pandora) comes off as discounted alien wasteland world from Star Wars or Star Trek.
Also, the comedy (or rather how it was written) comes across as uneven and juvenile, with many of the jokes and gags falling flat on their faces and don’t exactly hit their intended target the correct way. Then (of course) there is the film’s action, which, much like the story, is quite bland and unoriginal, utilizing a lot of gun shootouts and close-quarter combat chase sequences that should be appealing and engaging to watch, yet Roth and his team drum up a drool experience that can’t really muster up the gumption to make for excitement in terms of style, flair, or even choreography. It’s just all very mundane and more of the disappointment.
Lastly, the movie’s visual effect shots are questionable at times, which does hamper the feature’s viewing experience for most. There are all not bad as some part of the film definitely have some nifty usage of computer-generated effect shots that help build such a sci-fi world of creatures and futuristic action moments, but there are lot of other times where such depictions of science fiction imagery are marred by shoddy visuals and obvious green screen backgrounds. It’s even more baffling that the movie had a budget of anywhere up to $120 million and to produce such blandness of visual effects (something that was going to be a key component in its undertaking) look so bad in many areas.
The cast in Borderlands was probably one of the main highlights that I had in seeing this movie, boasting several recognizable acting talents attached to this project, which did great a lot of “buzz” amongst its viewers. Unfortunately, while the star power is there, most (if not all) are woefully underutilized the correct way, which is mainly due to the script handling for the film as well as the direction made from Roth himself. The actors and actresses do what they can with the limited characterization, but even their screen presence can’t save them (or their respective characters) from being bland and generic as they come. Leading the charge in the movie (and almost acting as the main protagonist in the feature) is actress Cate Blanchett as Lilith, a no-nonsense bounty hunter who is tasked on traveling to Pandora to track down the whereabouts of Tina. Blanchett, who is known for his roles Carol, Blue Jasmine, and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, has always been quite the talented actress throughout her career, yet always (well, most of the time) gets sort of typed cast as the “cold fish” character archetype of which she does incredibly well. Thus, having her play such a character like Lilith, a very “cold fish”-like character whose no-nonsense approach to everything, is quite humorous, especially since a lot of the other individuals in the movie are more wacky, colorful, and animated in comparison. Thus, I think she is a good casting choice. That being said, her performance as the gun-toting “shoot now, ask questions later” bounty hunter merc leaves a lot to be desired in a very disinterested manner. Basically, Blanchett seems bored out of her mind and can’t really muster the gumption to elevate Lilith beyond her dry persona. Plus, is it just me or is it every time Blanchett is standing…. she is posing for the camera in a model pose (i.e one arm on her hip, hip angle outward, and leg stance further apart from normal). I know that pose quite often in the movie and, while Blanchett does look great in her Lilith costume (hair / make-up and all), it becomes a bit repetitive and awkward. As for the character, Lilith is generic as they come and goes out her story / character arc in a traditional way, without any type of flair or visual interest. It’s the classic sci-fi hero gunslinger journey and is quite straightforward, including a tragic backstory that haunts her. Yet, it is done in a way that’s so bland and formulaic that it becomes uninteresting from the get-go.
Behind Blanchett, actor Kevin Hart (Ride Along and Central Intelligence) plays the character role of Roland, a mercenary soldier who snatches up Tina at the beginning of the movie and becomes part of the group that Lillith and company band together on Pandora. Like Blanchett, Hart has been known for his work amongst and his acting talent peerage for his work in his comedy roles and stand-up comedy routines. He has certainly made name for himself and is usually a “bankable” star in his feature film that he appears in. Sadly, that’s not the case for him in Borderlands, with the actor playing the more “straight laced” persona for Roland rather than a comedic one. Some people might like Hart in this particular performance as he’s most “even keel” amongst the group, but he seems a bit more restraint than the rest and could’ve easily been better if he played up more of his comedic timing and charisma. As for the character himself, Roland is rather straightforward and a bit more tamed than the rest, which does make him the least interesting character of them all. So, with a more subdued Hart in the role and a generic characterization, Roland ends up being my least favorite of the main gang.
The next grouping of the main characters are the ones that are annoying and come off as a bit too strong within their cliches tropes. Such a depiction derives from the roles of Tina (or rather Tiny Tina), the genetically altered daughter of Atlas and the presumed “Daughter of Eridia” that everyone is looking for, and Claptrap, a robotic companion who tags along for the adventure and always has something to say, who are played by actress Arianna Greenblatt (65 and Barbie) and actor Jack Black (School of Rock and Kung Fu Panda). Perhaps all of the characters, Greenblatt seems to be having the most “fun” in the movie, with her portrayal of Tina acts more like a teenager version of comic book character Harley Quinn (is impatient, sarcastic, and loves destroying things with explosives). She is clearly having fun in the role, but she ends up being the most annoying with her tone and child-ish exaggeration throughout. Her dialogue for Tina doesn’t help, which does become very ear grating after a while and starts to lose its effect on how rambunctiously destructive she is. Plus, Tina, for better or worse, ends up being a sort of plot device “MacGuffin” for the movie, something that drives the narrative forward that everyone wants to knab. For Claptrap, the character is annoying as well, which is mostly due to his irrelevance to the feature’s plot and is merely there for comedic relief. Additionally, his comedy gags and jabs are of the juvenile variety and start to lose their punches after a while. The whole “scanning” scene at the beginning of the movie was the only time that I laughed at his lines, while everything else sort of fell flat. Even worse was that Black, who is known for his numerous comedy roles and performances, feel completely wasted on such flat jokes and gags. Remember this is the same actor who voiced Bowser, a fearsome and formidable villain from the Super Mario video game series, and turned him into a humorous and (perhaps) the most memorable character in The Super Mario Bros. Movie. Claptrap just seems like a cheap imitation / bargain bin of the actor’s talent and of the character himself.
Then there are characters who are just simply there in the movie and don’t really bring much to the proceedings beyond a few snippets. This is clearly represented in the final two main characters in Dr. Patrica Tannis, Lilith’s estranged foster mother / xenoarchaelogist, and Krieg, a hulking and formidable Psycho ally, who are played by actress Jamie Lee Curtis (Halloween and True Lies) and actor Florian Munteanu (Creed II and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings) respectfully. Both are relatively good acting talents that I do like in their past endeavors, but are woefully dull and bland in this movie. Curtis is okay as Tannis, especially when playing up some of the neurotic tendencies here and there, but is merely there for an expositional dumps in the film’s latter half ands ends up there just for the ride, rendering the actress’s performance rather limp and weak from the get-go. As for, Munteanu, he’s just there (physically) in the movie….and that’s pretty much it. There’s really no arc or development for him and its sort of hard to understand what he’s saying underneath his mask a few times. I definitely get what they were trying to do with the character, especially since he has a somewhat friendship bond with Tina, but there’s not just underneath the hulking figure to make heads or tails about as Krieg ends up being the least memorable and weakest character of the group. Again, it’s not Curtis or Munteanu’s fault (for the most part), but rather how the film’s script was handled in representing these characters on-screen in just an uninteresting and flat manner.
With all the main characters examined, what’s left is Borderlands main antagonist character of Atlas, a powerful and driven corporate mogul, and who is played by actor Edgar Ramirez (Domino and Jungle Cruise). While Remirez’s performance is perfectly fine in the capacity he offers in the movie (i.e., an egotistical and power-hungry man), the character of Atlas himself is rather vanilla and feels like a totally “basic” bad guy from a multitude of villainy 101 class. There’s no layers of motivations or backstory or even a likeability for him relishing his villainy (i.e., a bad guy that you love to hate), but rather than a generic and throw away one that feels like just as one-dimensional as the rest of the characters in the film.
The rest of the cast, including actress Janina Gavankar (The Way Back and The Morning Show) as Commander Knoxx, actor Oliver Richters (Mad Max: Fury Road and Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga) as Krom, actor Benjamin Byron Davis (The Belko Experiment and Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3) as Marcus, actor Bobby Lee (Mad TV and Paul) as Larry, actor Steven Boyer (Chicago Fire and Trial & Error) as Scooter, actress Ryann Redmond (A Good Person and Heels) as Ellie, actress Gina Gershom (Thanksgiving and Showgirls) as Moxxi, and actress Haley Bennett (Cyrano and Magnificent Seven) as Lilith’s unnamed mom, are delegated to minor supporting characters in the film. While most of these characters only have one or two scenes in the film, most of the acting talent in this grouping gives a decent performance in their respective roles. Nothing really to rave about, but nothing to heavily scrutinize over.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Looking to cash in on a big bounty reward and facing obstacles and allies along the way, Lilith journeys into the wasteland frontiers of Pandora in search of a young girl, who is believed to be the key to unlocking the secret vault of the Eridians, in the movie Borderlands. Director Eli Roth’s latest film project takes the widely popular Gearbox Software game franchise and translate it into a big screen blockbuster presentation, filled with large scale “bigness” of action, visual effects, and a star-studded cast. Unfortunately, while such attempts of trying to find proven ground to stand on with its action set pieces and comedy angst, the movie languishes greatly in its shallow attempts of filmmaking representation, especially from creative directorial differences, a bland script, goofy / clunky dialogue, generic sci-fi nuances, some shoddy visual effects, stock-like characters, and a wasted and mismanaged cast. Personally, I did not like this movie. It does a have a few moments where some type of enjoyment can be found, but it’s weighed down by many wasted potentials throughout. An assemblage of such an attempt is quite clear, but I couldn’t see it. Moreover, the film (as mentioned) is generic as they come and tries to be too many things, but cohesive isn’t one of them. It’s definitely watchable, but not entertaining. It is just such a waste of an opportunity from its source material property, expectations, and casting choices that hardly deliver on a payoff satisfaction, which is never a good thing for a cinematic endeavor. Thus, my Borderlands (2024) review score recommendation for this movie is a hard “skip it” as I’m sure fans of the Borderlands games will be turned off from seeing this poorly received adaptation, while causal moviegoers will most likely find other options to get their movie escapism kicks from. The film’s conclusions leave a possible door open for a return to this wacky and deranged world of vault hunters and bounty hunters, but, given the bad / negative “word of mouth” from viewers and critics, an idea of a Borderlands 2 seems almost completely off the table at this point. In the end, Borderlands will go down cinematic history as unbelievable failure of a video game film adaption, scrutinizing its end results in a manner that’s equally botched, boring, bland and banal all at the same time.