Key Takeaways
- Borderlands film debuts with a 0% on Rotten Tomatoes
- Critics find it “disappointing” and “dull”
- Compared to other video game movies, Borderlands is worse, but not by much
The Borderlands video game franchise has been an undeniable hit, with 2012’s critical darling Borderlands 2 specifically becoming the best-selling game of all time for publisher 2K games upon release. With such broad appeal, it’s no wonder that a film adaptation of the series was developed. However, despite an all-star cast that includes Jamie Lee Curtis, Cate Blanchette, Kevin Hart and Jack Black, the first several trailers did not impress, and fans of the series were worried about the tone and direction of the film. With only one day to go before the film is released, a small selection of critics have been able to see the film early, and unfortunately, it seems like the Borderlands video game movie adaptation may be on track to set the worst kind of record.
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Borderlands debuts with a 0% on Rotten Tomatoes
Critics are calling it “disappointing” and “dull”
Though the film has not been screened for the vast majority of critics, it looks like those who were given the ability to see it came away very unimpressed with the movie now sitting at a truly dismal 0% score on Rotten Tomatoes. AwardsWatch critic Alistair Ryder writes, “Borderlands is the worst kind of bad movie; the type devoid of any offbeat quirks that could propel it to a second life as a cult classic, feeling insufferable and overlong at a brisk 102 minutes because of its sheer lack of originality.” In addition, Taylor Gates of Collider notes that the film feels rushed, with “wobbly” writing and visual effects and Cynthia Vinney of Looper says the movie “feels tedious instead of inspired, dull instead of gripping.”
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How does this compare to other video game movies?
It’s worse, but not by much
Lionsgate
The video game adaptation genre has always been uneven, but there have been a few hits in recent years, most notably Illumination’s The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which scored a still-rotten 59% on Rotten Tomatoes but went on to gross over a billion dollars at the box office. However, there have been some serious clunkers along the way too, including 2016’s forgettable Assassin’s Creed adaptation, 2010’s Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, which inexplicably starred Jake Gylenhaal, and even 2005’s early Rock vehicle Doom. And while none of these films have a fresh Rotten Tomatoes score, it may be telling to note that none of them are sitting at 0% either.
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