Once upon a time, August was a dumping ground for studio blockbusters that seemed destined to flop or form counter-programs to serve audiences left unsatisfied by the biggest films of the summer. That changed with Protector of the Galaxy in 2014, but ten years later we seem to be returning to this classic trend with the release of Borderlanda long-delayed video game adaptation that, on paper, was supposed to be a huge success, but ultimately turns out to be one of the worst examples of the video game movie curse in recent memory.
Borderland review
Borderland follows bounty hunter Lilith (Cate Blanchett) who is hired by a wealthy client to rescue his daughter (Ariana Greenblatt), only to discover that the girl may be more important than she seems. It’s essentially a mix of every common sci-fi cliche you can think of, which isn’t a great starting point for a potential franchise.
BorderlandThe fundamental flaw of is that the characters don’t work together. Whether this is a problem with the chemistry between the cast or the way their dynamic is described in the script is unclear, but as a team they are never believable. While dysfunction in itself can sometimes be entertaining, even in this regard the characters’ personalities aren’t developed enough to make the film work.
The only character in the film that is actually fun is Jack Black’s voice as the robot Claptrap. In the games, Claptrap was an NPC character known for cracking jokes, so it’s understandable that he’s the main source of comedic elements in the film. Although Black does make his usual jokes, this is the only part of the film that offers anything remotely hilarious.
In the lead role, you can almost feel Cate Blanchett regretting taking part in this project. Her lack of enthusiasm is palpable, which is disappointing, as she has the charm and delivery to pull off a badass action heroine like Lilith. She just needs to be given better material. Hopefully she at least earned a paycheck with multiple zeros so she can continue to pursue projects that interest her.
Barbie Rising star Ariana Greenblatt doesn’t fare much better as fan favorite Tiny Tina. Her attempts at jokes are consistently unfunny and annoying. It also doesn’t help that Greenblatt’s character is the worst written in the script, functioning as a human MacGuffin with a backstory that doesn’t make much sense and a story arc that’s rendered practically meaningless by Lilith’s.
Jamie Lee Curtis fails to make much of an impression in her supporting role, delivering a painfully unremarkable performance. Edgar Ramírez is laughably bad as the over-the-top capitalist villain. And as “Psycho” character Krieg, another familiar face from the franchise, Florian Munteanu seems to be doing his best to imitate Drax – just without the charm.
The worst waste of all the cast, however, is Kevin Hart, who feels completely miscast as Roland. From the tone of the film, it is clear that they cannot capture the magic of something like the new “Jumanji” films (which also starred the duo Hart and Black). But casting Hart as a stuffy character who rarely makes jokes was a serious mistake on the part of the filmmakers.
Even though the film’s comedy almost completely fails, one could almost forgive it, Borderland if the action were exciting. Unfortunately, aside from a second-act chase that makes fascinating use of the setting, the action sequences are as bland and generic as the story, lacking any sense of spatial geography or kinetics, both of which could have helped elevate the film and keep it exciting and entertaining.
However, the film’s images succeed well in conveying the world of Borderland. The CGI and production design are both very impressive, although you’d expect nothing less given a budget of over $100 million. It’s all just a facade though, it looks like a big budget blockbuster but feels like an amateurish fan film.
Is Borderland worth seeing?
Despite a first-class cast, solid visuals and an IP that offers a lot of potential, Borderland is an example of what not to do with blockbuster movies. While there are some moments where it comes close to what it should be, those moments only make the rest of the film more disappointing.
Borderland will be in theaters on August 9th.
3/10
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