My quick rating - 5.1/10. As a fan of the Borderlands games, especially now that I'm playing Borderlands 2 VR on my Quest 3, I came into this film hopeful but cautious. I mean, it’s Hollywood taking on a beloved franchise—what could go wrong, right? Well, thankfully, this flick didn’t completely roast the franchise, but it didn’t hit the high bar I was hoping for either. Visually, they nailed it. Pandora’s desolate landscapes, littered with ruins, bandit camps, and deadly creatures, were a perfect homage to the world I’ve all spent countless hours exploring in-game. You can tell they wanted to stay true to the look and feel, and Eli Roth’s direction shines through in those chaotic, gritty environments. Seeing it brought to life on the big screen gave me that nostalgic thrill of hopping into a new Borderlands expansion. The cast was promising, Cate Blanchett Kevin Hart Jamie Lee Curtis Jack Black Gina Gershon, there’s no shortage of talent. However, this is where things got messy. The team-building aspect felt rushed, almost as if they were scrambling to get everyone together just to move the story along. Yes, the action scenes were packed, but the pacing took a hit. Instead of taking the time to build camaraderie or tension, it felt like we were jumping from one set-piece to the next. The character dynamics, one of the key charms of the game series, didn’t fully land here, which was disappointing given the all-star cast. That being said, the action was pure Borderlands chaos. From battling monsters to facing off against dangerous bandits, the film had plenty of mayhem, which kept things fun. The story, revolving around protecting a young girl with the key to unimaginable power, was standard fare for the genre but at least stuck close to the Borderlands spirit of wild, over-the-top adventure. With such a stacked cast and Eli Roth at the helm, I expected a little more, especially in the humor and emotional stakes department. While I still enjoyed it, especially as a fan of the games, it didn’t hit the heights it could have. If you love the franchise, there’s fun to be had here, just temper your expectations accordingly before going in.
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