HOLLYWOOD—I think I have only seen one video game adapted into a movie that did well or entertained me. That film was 2023’s “Super Mario Bros.” and that was an animated flick to say the least. It had laughs, charm, fun characters and an interesting narrative. Hollywood has tried to adapt another film, this time the highly popular, “Borderlands” game, but man is this a bad one.
The game first hit shelves in 2009 and has become popular on a bevy of gaming systems including Playstation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch and a host of others. It is a mix of shooter meets adventure meets role playing. You get a little bit of everything in the game. With that said, horror director Eli Roth is helming this comedy/action-adventure. The problem is the script is very weak, but it has a talented roster of acting talent.
I mean you have two Oscar-winners in Cate Blanchett and Jamie Lee Curtis. Blanchett can do no wrong in my opinion as Lilith, a bounty hunter who is tasked with the mission of rescuing teenager Tiny Tina (Ariana Greenblatt) for her father Atlas (Edgar Ramirez). This mission places Lilith in the crosshairs of Roland, another bounty hunter, who actually has a bounty on his head and Kreig (Florian Munteanu), who speaks very little, but has a physical presence that is quite scary.
Does the chemistry in the group work? Yes, but it takes at least until the third act for things to start clicking on all cylinders for me. Yes, I was purely bored in the first act because there isn’t much to grab your attention at all. You have characters coming in and out, but nothing of substances that makes you feel invested. I feel like once Lilith comes face-to-face with Dr. Patricia Tannis (Curtis), a face from the past, things really start to kick into gear. We learn a bit more about Tiny Tina’s importance, we get slices of Tannis and Lilith’s past and the big bad starts to become more potent to the narrative.
However, the laughter is nearly absent. The only funny bits are directly a result of a robot named, Claptrap (voice of Jack Black). There are two specific scenes that are absolutely hilarious that I don’t want to spoil for the viewer, but those are about the only laughs. As for the action, doesn’t really kick into massive gear until the big climax and by the time that happens the movie is ending. However, the action that is delivered to the audience is satisfying to say the least.
Will you have more fun as a spectator if you know a bit of backstory about the videogame? Absolutely, otherwise you’re coming into the movie slightly blind. That is not to say you cannot follow what is unfolding, but you will have to pay careful attention so you don’t lose subtle plot points. Other actors in the flick include Gina Gershon, Haley Bennett, Bobby Lee and Cheyenne Jackson. There are very talented people in this movie, and a lot of those talents are not widely utilized as I expect. Is the movie horrid? No, but “Borderlands” may not be everyone’s cup of tea. With the rooster of talent in this movie, I just expected so much more.
