First reactions to Eli Roth’s adaptation of Gearbox Software’s Borderlands have surfaced online following its star-studded LA premiere, attended by the majority of its cast and director. While the movie’s production crew had a good time at the premiere, we can’t say the same about the viewers who watched it. Early reactions to the film are highly negative, calling the feature adaptation a “baffling video game adaptation.” The majority of critics lamented the film’s poor storyline, rushed pace, underdeveloped characters, and limited running time. However, the cast was praised for their performances.
As per Lionsgate’s synopsis, Borderlands follows Lilith (Cate Blanchett), a notorious outlaw with a mysterious past. She reluctantly returns to Pandora, her home planet, to find the missing daughter of Atlas, the universe’s most powerful and infamous SOB. Her task forces her to team up with Roland (Kevin Hart), Tiny Tina (Ariana Greenblatt), Krieg (Florian Munteanu), Tannis (Jamie Lee Curtis), and Claptrap (Jack Black). This ragtag group of heroes fights numerous dangerous bandits and alien monsters to save the girl.
Gearbox Software launched the first edition of Borderlands in 2009. The series’ latest entry, titled ‘New Tales from the Borderlands’, came out in 2022. The franchise has sold over 85 million copies across the globe.
Written and helmed by Eli Roth, Borderlands is produced by Erik Feig and Avi Arad, with distribution being handled by Lionsgate. Check out some of the first reactions to the film below
#BorderlandsMovie is a baffling video game adaptation. There is potential for great world building, but it never happens due to a rushed and dull screenplay; the set design is impressive but the film looks cheap due to poor CGI. Cate Blanchett, Ariana Greenblatt and Jack Black… pic.twitter.com/6FX04UAebC
— Darren Movie Reviews (@dmoviereviews) August 7, 2024
Also, why would you give Eli Roth of all people a movie with mean spirited characters and a messed up universe, and not give him an R rating? Granted, I highly doubt it would’ve made Borderlands better, but at least it wouldn’t feel like the movie was handcuffed from the start.
— Edgar Ortega (@edgortegtemp) August 7, 2024
BORDERLANDS is a disaster. Filled with every cliché you can ponder, this film swaps the mayhem and imagination of the games for a lifeless, unfunny, and visually repulsive dud with annoying characters and a cast with not one ounce of chemistry.
— Adriano Caporusso (@AdriCaporusso) August 7, 2024
Follow @bitesizebreak for more. pic.twitter.com/3iT70Kexgm
#FIRSTREACTION
— Movie Scene Canada (@MovieSceneCan) August 7, 2024
Kurt Morrison #Top5FilmDive
As predictable as films come these days, #BorderlandsMovie is borderline unwatchable. With such great talent in front and behind the camera, it's astonishing to me that this ended up being the finished product. Blanchett and Hart are… pic.twitter.com/U3U1UWVWo2
#Borderlands is a fun PG-13 action movie. It completely relies on Cate Blanchett’s star power to carry itself to the finish line — and she delivers.
— The Hollywood Handle (@HollywoodHandle) August 7, 2024
While there’s nothing that particularly makes it stand out from the crowd, the film is enjoyable from start to finish and has… pic.twitter.com/xj4ogue32Z