Initially,Borderlandshad everything going for it.
For years, gamers had been waiting for theBorderlandsmovie adaptation, making it a highly anticipated release.
Aesthetically, the movie looked intriguing both to previous fans and newcomers.
Plus,theBorderlandscastwas brimming with stars ranging from Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, and Jamie Lee Curtis.
Yet, the movie has done nothing but fail since its premiere.
Borderlands’failure can easily be summed up by two things: its box office performance and its critical reactions.
Custom Image by Yeider Chacon
After coming out on August 9th, both of these metrics are looking less than stellar.
So far,Borderlandshas made approximately $1.3 millionat the box office in its opening days.
This is a dismal failure considering the movie’s significant $110-120 million budget.
Image via Lionsgate
While there is definitely still time forBorderlandsto make more money, this is not a very auspicious start.
Furthermore,Borderlands’box officemay not improve by very much considering that reviews forBorderlandshave been shockingly bad.
On Rotten Tomatoes, the action movie has earned 10% from critics and 51% from audiences.
Image via Lionsgate
From the critics' perspective,Borderlandsfailed in many different areas.
However, one of the main complaints was the story.
According to reviewers,Borderlandsnot only feels generic, but it also lacks any character developmentor big plot moments.
There is no reason for an audience member to stay invested beyond loving the original video game.
Additionally, critics felt thatBorderlandshad no definitive tone, making it feel messy and confusing.
The audience reaction was not much better.
Image via Lionsgate
While viewers also picked up onBorderlands’stagnant plot, they were especially peeved with the movie’s casting.
Some even felt that, on-screen, the actors seemed as if they didn’t want to be there.
On the other hand,some reviewers enjoyedBorderlandsfor its unique visualsand action sequences.
However, for the most part, it has gone down as a poor representation of the beloved game.
Once again, the main perpetrator is the story.
This is especially obvious when looking at the movie’s characters.
Where someoriginalBorderlandscharacters were cut, other characters who weren’t in the first game were brought in i.e.
Borderlandsdid not include major characters from the firstBorderlandsgame including Mordecai and Handsome Jack.
Beyond that,Borderlandssimply wasn’t able to capture the magicof the video games.
One of the best parts of theBorderlandsvideo games is the franchise’s dark comedy.
Unfortunately, many reviewers found the film’s humor to be cliche and overdone.
It also didn’t help that the movie’s cast were so different from their characters.
Lilith is 22 in theBorderlandsgames, yet Cate Blanchett is 55.
These changes may seem small, but affect the movie considerably.
However, forBorderlands,the lowered rating only made the film worse.
This is becausea big part of theBorderlandsvideo games is the gore.
That is what makesBorderlandsso enjoyable and distinct from other games.
The movie was released in 2024, but it was originally announced almost a decade ago, in 2015.
In that time,Borderlandswent through various different hands, especially in terms of screenwriters.
All in all,Borderlandshad about seven different screenwriters over the course of its development.
After going through so many iterations, the story had the life sucked out of it.
Another problem is the overabundance of story thatBorderlandshas.
There would have been time to get to those parts.
More recently, Prime Video’sFalloutadaptation has received similar acclaim.
In the face of this success,Borderlands’problems become more obvious.
Instead of prioritizing accuracy, the movie was more concerned with having big stars in a big story.
This oversight is the biggest reason whyBorderlandshas done so poorly.
In the end, this is a tough situation forBorderlandsfans.
Perhaps if the project had fallen into different hands, it would have been better.
Maybe there is a chance that this could happen someday in the form of a reboot television series.
However, for now,Borderlandshas given everything it has and must suffer the consequences.
