A dozen years ago, I went to Fry’s Electronics and bought all the components to build myself a gaming pc. Why? Because two exciting games had recently been released and they deserved to be played with the best possible setup I could afford then. One of them was Fallout: New Vegas; earlier this year I finally got a TV show for it. The other one was Borderlands 2, a title so exciting that I went to a midnight release (back when those still happened) to pick up my copy and blast raiders into next week. So years ago, when they announced a Borderlands movie, my ears perked up and I eagerly awaited its release. Although it’s not the pinnacle of game-to-screen adaptations, unlike many others, I found something to enjoy in this film. Now in theaters, the trip to Pandora (the alien planet where the cryptic Vault is hidden away) was an alright one with many drags.
[Warning: This review contains spoilers for Borderlands!]
Borderlands movie captures very few parts of the game’s essence
Borderlands has a specific flare of comedy throughout its franchise, easily a key component of the series’ DNA. In this film, it plays it far too safe to elicit any chuckles even if the setups are right there for the taking. One surprising thing was some of the swearing in the film, yet it refused to go for the kill with rude or lewd humor. The games all carry a Mature (M) rating, which makes the films’ PG-13 rating quite a disappointment.
Another hallmark is the shifting of weaponry, one of Borderlands’ appeals is the insane and nearly limitless variations of shotguns, rocket launchers, rifles, and pistols. At the very least, we were graced with bounty hunter Lilith’s (Cate Blanchett) Vladof Infinity Pistol, and former Crimson Lance soldier Roland (Kevin Hart) used the turret on the back of his truck and rocket launcher on the front. Tiny Tina (Ariana Greenblatt), the “daughter” of the villain, does have her explosive stuffed animals (her ‘badonkadonk’). “Psycho” Krieg (Florian Munteanu) wields his Buzz Axe, so there is some accuracy for each of them. So aside from the signature weapons for the leads, there’s not that much assortment in what could be considered imperative.
If there’s any mascot for Borderlands, it is without a doubt Claptrap, voiced by Jack Black, the single-wheeled robot who is the face of the franchise. Black does put his all into being as annoying as possible, which is in line with Claptrap, a nuisance for just about everyone. Dr. Patricia Tannis (Jamie Lee Curtis) is an unusual one, with ‘quirks’ that are intended to balance with her brilliance. Well-informed bartender Moxxi (Gina Gershon) is among the few that was reasonably equal to her character in the games.
Where the story falls flat for the Borderlands film
Borderlands is entirely based on the concept of the Vault on Pandora and those who seek them out, called Vault Hunters. The Vaults seemingly possess some form of treasure that spurs the interests of many mega-corporations, so large that Amazon would be a mom-and-pop shop in comparison. Atlas Corporation is led by Deukalian Atlas (Edgar Ramirez) who has invested massive amounts of money and resources to locate the Vault first. Needing three keys left behind by the creators of the Vaults, an ancient and highly advanced extinct civilization called the Eridians, Atlas employs Lilith to bring Tina back to him.
According to a prophecy, it was said that a daughter would be needed to open the Vault, and for that purpose, Atlas requires Tina. The premise here already is kind of wonky, and later on, it’s not helped by the fact that Tina is a clone made from Eridian blood. Pandora’s Vault is also reduced significantly, rather than the planet-sized one it’s supposed to be. Last but not least, at the end of the film there’s no explanation for the Vaults unless you’ve played the games and already understand its purpose is to prison a world-destroying monster with no name here (although in Borderlands 1 it’s called “The Destroyer”).
Costumes, visuals, locations, and props do the heavy lifting
Pandora is a dump, due to the infestation of corporations, vault hunters, bounty hunters, raiders, Crimson Lance mercenaries, and the rest of its unsavory inhabitants. Another arid wasteland of drilling decay, the surface of the planet is piled with garbage. There’s an abundant amount of waste laid around throughout Pandora, leading to actual mountains of trash with wrecked cars and graffiti-covered ghost towns. Psychos travel in packs, dirty as can be, while the Crimson Lance patrols Sanctuary City in military outfits.
It’s a bit sad when the best part of a movie is just the pretty stuff you can look at and not much else. The props and costumes do stand out quite well, and Sanctuary City is more cramped than I had imagined it would be. Weapons on-screen were well reconstructed from the source material but lacked any paint, making everything practically colorless. One of the few saving graces is that the creatures that do appear, have great CGI that blends well within the canyons.
What went wrong with Borderlands for director Eli Roth?
It’s not a secret that this movie suffered from many production issues. When news came out that writer Craig Mazin was distancing himself and wanting to remove his name from any involvement, it was a sign of how dire the situation became. Then there’s the fact that the movie went through extensive reshoots with Tim Miller instead of the director, Eli Roth, two years past the initial wrap of principal photography. Early on, the script was being lauded as “one of the best” in Hollywood before any cameras started rolling.
So what could have happened? The levels of interference and disregard for the source material are apparent as you watch this film. It’s as if someone made a checklist for the bare minimum and even then, managed to underdeliver. The changes in lore are disappointing, and making Tina a clone are awful ideas with worse execution. Then you have Hart as Roland, one of the most baffling casting decisions in recent history, making a strong leader into a complete joke.
Munteanu and Greenblatt do about as good as they can with the material provided to them, and the more veteran actors Curtis and Blanchett phoned it in. Black as Claptrap was another poor selection, lacking the charm that made the character tolerable. Ramirez was just a mixture of every other bad guy ever who would be toothless if not for his infinite resources that provided him firepower. If anything, there’s a lot to put on Roth, who should have never been involved with this project at all. The PG-13 rating certainly didn’t help, as they tried to appeal to younger audiences, even though that is completely against the spirit of the games.
The Borderlands movie was a huge disappointment, missing tons of its key humor and ridiculous gore. The production of this film was apparently a mess, and it tends to show that more than not. Changing the personalities and background stories of some of the characters was a mistake that could not be rectified in any other fashion. The dynamic between Lilith and Tina is the only thing that stood out to me positively, a relationship born out of purpose and understanding.
Borderlands is now in theaters! Have you played the games previously? Let us know on social media @mycosmiccircus or join our official Discord server to jump into the conversation.
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