Somehow, the video game movie curse returned, as Borderlands debuts to a 0% score on Rotten Tomatoes
Aug. 8, 2024The movie isn’t a hit with critics
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
Borderlandsmay have singlehandedly brought back the video game adaptation curse. While TV shows likeThe Last of UsandFalloutand movies likeSonic the HedgehogandThe Super Mario Bros. Moviehave been well-received by audiences and critics alike, it seems like the same can’t be said for Borderlands.
Based on the video game series of the same name and directed by Thanksgiving helmer Eli Roth, the film follows outlaw Lilith (Cate Blanchett), who leads a ragtag team of misfits on a mission to rescue a missing girl. The cast also includes Jack Black, Jamie Lee Curtis, Kevin Hart, and Ariana Greenblatt. Ahead of its theatrical release, though, the movie currently only has a score of 0% on Rotten Tomatoes, based on reviews from 23 critics.
“TheGearboxtitle gamers loved has spawned a frenetic and disorderly shambles they’re likelier to loathe. Claptrap? You said it,” is the verdict on Total Film’s own two-starBorderlands review.
“Is Borderlands the worst film of the year? It’s definitely in contention – so laughably bad, in fact, that it feels like being catapulted back to a time when video game adaptations were a byword for mediocrity,” saysThe Evening Standard’s Vicky Jessop.
“It’s dragged us back to a time when studios used to make these with all the grace and acuity of a drunk person attempting to place a 3am chicken nugget order,” echoesThe Independent’s Clarisse Loughrey.
“In her chameleonic career, Cate Blanchett has donned many guises – but never before has she had the chance to be a gun-toting, ass-kicking action star. Sadly, Borderlands is an unworthy vehicle for her swaggering performance,” writesScreen Daily’s Tim Grierson.
“Since the characters remain one-dimensional – not much more than cartoonish gamer avatars – we’re never terribly invested in their survival, or their quest to get to the vault first,” saysThe Hollywood Reporter’s David Rooney.
Sign up for the Total Film Newsletter
Bringing all the latest movie news, features, and reviews to your inbox
Borderlands hits theaters on August 9. For more, check out our guide to the rest of this year’s biggestmovie release datesat a glance.
I’m an Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, covering everything film and TV-related across the Total Film and SFX sections. I help bring you all the latest news and also the occasional feature too. I’ve previously written for publications like HuffPost and i-D after getting my NCTJ Diploma in Multimedia Journalism.
Marvel fan theories about Chris Evans’s MCU return have already started, from Beyonder to Captain Hydra
Disney scared Ryan Reynolds off from one of his Deadpool 3 ideas: “We don’t touch Bambi”
As the wait for Switch 2 news continues, a possible leak has some Nintendo fans convinced a blurry image features our first look at the new console
