If you haven’t come across the new Borderlands movie yet, consider yourself fortunate.
This sci-fi action film draws its inspiration from a widely-acclaimed video game series of the same name. The plot centers on an eclectic group of outcasts who set off on a quest to locate the missing daughter of the most influential man in the universe.
Featuring a star-studded cast including Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, and Jamie Lee Curtis, Borderlands’ trailer initially received mixed reactions. The film appeared to be on track to earn the infamous title of ‘summer disaster film you just have to hate-watch.’
“So they turned Borderlands into Guardians of the Galaxy with a very odd cast. Great,” one user commented on Twitter following the release of the film’s first trailer in February.
“We will not be watching sadly,” another user chimed in.
However, some people came to the film’s defense. One Twitter user wrote, “Hear me out y’all, this actually looks good. The casting choices for some of these characters are top notch.”
Despite some fans’ attempts to remain optimistic, the early negative reactions to Borderlands were unfortunately accurate. The film debuted with an astonishing 0% score on Rotten Tomatoes from critics.
It’s challenging to fathom a scenario where a movie featuring both Blanchett and Black would fail so spectacularly, but that’s the reality we find ourselves in.
As of now, Borderlands has managed to climb to a modest 3% on Rotten Tomatoes after receiving a single positive review.
Nevertheless, the general consensus on the site remains overwhelmingly negative.
“The fans deserve a lot better than whatever director Eli Roth is trying to do with Borderlands. This is the video game movie curse at its worst,” DiscussingFilm stated in their review.
IGN remarked, “Borderlands is an abysmal waste of a beloved franchise that takes a kooky band of murderous misfits and drains the life out of their adventure together.”
Yikes guys, yikes.
It appears that adapting video games into live-action films or TV shows remains as risky as ever. While critics may not have enjoyed Borderlands, it’s possible that fans might appreciate it nonetheless.
There’s only one way to find out.
Borderlands releases in theaters on August 9.