Borderlands is a science fiction action-comedy film based on a video game that does not quite reach mediocre status. Yeah, I should have researched this one a bit more before wasting my time.
The film is directed by Eli Roth who also co-wrote the screenplay with Joe Crombie. It’s based on a video game released by Gearbox Software. The cast is not without talent, but it would be fair to question their judgment for their participation. Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Ariana Greenblatt, Edgar Ramirez, Florian Munteanu, and Jamie Lee Curtis are included in the cast.
On some planet in the far future or something like that, Lillith, a cynical and effective bounty hunter, is contracted to retrieve some rich guy’s daughter who was apparently kidnapped by one of his own mercenaries. She reluctantly returns to her home planet known as Pandora because that is where the trail leads. She meets the rogue soldier known as Roland, who is played by Kevin Hart. Apparently, the precocious and bomb-lobbing girl, Tiny Tina, is actually not all that keen to return to her father’s clutches. Lillith decides to ally herself to Roland and Tina in their efforts to open something known as Pandora’s Vault. It becomes more evident that Lillith’s past is the key to this ragtag group of treasure seekers and renegades staying alive and unlocking the Vault.
There are a couple of merits to this film. I enjoyed Greenblatt’s antics as Tiny Tina. I wouldn’t mind seeing her in something else that has a better script. The special effects and action scenes were kind of fun. The casting itself wasn’t too bad. Even Kevin Hart managed to carry some credibility in his fight scenes. Hart gets ribbed a bit for being rather short, but he is a pretty fit guy and can pull off a fairly convincing fight scene.
The problem is that most of the wisecracks did not land all that solidly. The story is rather stale. This is another circumstance where a video game just fails to translate all that smoothly to the cinema.
I did notice that the Rotten Tomatoes score is extreme low, and the film does deserve most of the hate. I did not find the film to be all that terrible. Greenblatt and Jack Black, who is the voice of the obnoxious robot almost make it watchable at times.
I actually didn’t find the film to be the most terrible one I have endured, but the mediocrity and wasted potential was quite evident and rather exasperating.
Better luck next time, Eli.
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