The movie about the loot shooter Borderlands had some problems before its release. MyMMO editor Nikolas Hernes was finally able to see it and, without any expectations, was still disappointed.
What do I think of the series? I love Borderlands. I have probably invested several thousand hours into parts 1 through 3 and the spin-offs. I was not particularly excited about the announcement of a movie; with Eli Roth as the director, it could have at least been a bloody trash film.
However, due to the bad press in recent weeks, all my expectations were washed away, and still, the movie managed to disappoint me. Unfortunately, all the Easter eggs do not help with that.
You can see the trailer for the film here:
A completely boring look
The first part of Borderlands is heavily inspired by Mad Max. There is a lot of desert and gray, dirty buildings. The successors were much more colorful. The movie is a poor mix of both. Mostly, you travel through deserts, which never look dirty and seedy enough for one to recognize Pandora as a criminal planet.
The characters look way too clean. On a dusty sand planet, it should be dirtier. I also do not like the costume design. Nothing about the clothing looks organic; it rather looks like a cosplay event.
The world and the characters never visually merge, and the effects, along with the greenscreen, add to that. The games thrive on a look that blends comic and apocalypse. The movie feels more like a fan film.
There’s no story, characters do not work
What about the story? The main story has never been the strong suit of the Borderlands games. It was the absurd characters, side quests, and worlds that you explored. In the movie, there is no real story either. The group around Lilith, Roland, Tiny Tina, Krieg, Tannis, and Claptrap is searching for the vault.
I do not even understand the constellation of the characters. I don’t mind the idea of Lilith as the protagonist, but why is Krieg there instead of Brick, who was playable with Lilith and Roland in part 1? In the games, Brick and Tina have many moments together. Krieg feels like a marketing tool to include the well-known psychos.
The antagonist is also lame. With Handsome Jack, the second part has arguably the most entertaining character in the entire series. You simply love the charmingly unsympathetic villain. The Atlas boss from the film has no character and is just the nasty CEO.
With Cate Blanchett and Jamie Lee Curtis, they even have good actors, who cannot accomplish much here. Blanchett works best as Lilith, but since there is no chemistry between the characters, no sympathy for the group arises. Jamie Lee Curtis is also disappointing, even though she has already shown in Everything Everywhere All At Once that she can play an absurd role.
The film tries to tell an emotional story with Tina and Lilith, alongside really unbearable jokes, but that did not work for me at all. The Tiny Tina DLC in Borderlands 2 managed it much better: Why a DLC to a 12-year-old loot shooter is the best I’ve ever played.
Easter eggs for fans of the series
What is there for fans? One positive aspect is the fan service. In the background, you can constantly discover Easter eggs. For example, Dahl weapons or the legendary Infinity pistol. I also recognized posters of Face McShooty or Mick Zafford from side quests in Borderlands 2.
Unfortunately, this is never brought to the forefront. Sometimes, names like Caustic Caverns are dropped. When you get there, it does not look at all like in the games, but rather like a dark corridor.
They could have also done more with the well-known weapons. After all, it is the franchise with endless guns. Often, you also see designs that do not fit the world or the games at all.
The movie often does not feel like a film for Borderlands fans, but like a sci-fi movie that hides elements from Borderlands in the background.
What about the action? The action also leaves much to be desired. With Eli Roth, who recently directed a fun slasher with Thanksgiving, I at least expected some bloody scenes like those in the series. But the film is rated FSK12 or PG-13.
Originally, the film was supposed to be much bloodier and more brutal, but for a broader target audience, a lighter version was decided upon. This does not really suit the fans of the series, who are confronted with humorous yet harsh situations in the games. (via Kotaku)
Despite the absence of expectations, I had a glimmer of hope. After all, Fallout, Arcane, and The Last of Us have shown that video games can be adapted well. Unfortunately, Borderlands is not a movie I can recommend to anyone. Neither fans of the games nor trash connoisseurs will find satisfaction here. If you want a dystopian cheesy video game adaptation, you should check out Twisted Metal: A new series on Amazon is the next good video game adaptation – a mix of Fallout and Mad Max
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