Borderlands Reviews on Rotten Tomatoes Are Worse Than Expected

The first reactions to the “Borderlands” movie are frankly appalling, with its Rotten Tomatoes rating looking incredibly bleak.

Eli Roth’s adaptation of the popular video game series initially debuted with a shocking 0% on the review aggregator. As of this writing, that rating has slightly increased, but it remains a poor start for a film featuring two Oscar-winners (Cate Blanchett and Jamie Lee Curtis), as well as Kevin Hart, Ariana Greenblatt, Edgar Ramírez, Gina Gershon, and Jack Black in a voice role.

Critics have unanimously labeled “Borderlands” a failure. David Fear from Rolling Stone summed it up harshly: “It’s not a movie for critics, nor is it suitable for most gamers, film lovers, or 99 percent of carbon-based life forms.” William Bibbiani of TheWrap criticized the film’s lack of engaging content, calling it “mass-produced pabulum.” Looper’s Cynthia Vinney noted, “The movie feels like a sequence of video game scenes, but without the interaction, it becomes tedious instead of inspired, dull instead of gripping.”

Matt Donato at IGN Movies didn’t hold back, stating, “‘Borderlands’ is a catastrophic disappointment that betrays everything fans adore about Gearbox Software’s franchise.” Nick Schager from The Daily Beast was even more scathing, calling it “drearily routine and slapdash.”

Barry Hertz from Globe and Mail noted, “Tonally messy, narratively janky, and covered with narration that reeks of creative indecision, the film is an embarrassment.” Danny Leigh from the Financial Times hesitantly commended Cate Blanchett’s charisma but criticized the failed attempt at making a multiplex hit from the intellectual property. Vicky Jessop from the London Evening Standard bluntly questioned, “Is ‘Borderlands’ the worst film of the year? It’s definitely in contention.”

IndieWire’s Alison Foreman argued that video game adaptations might just be a bad idea, labeling “Borderlands” as “the definitive worst film of [Eli] Roth’s career.” Dan Jolin of Empire Magazine noted its desperate attempt to mimic “Guardians of the Galaxy” but failing. Jake Kleinman at Inverse highlighted the film’s attempts at creating a vibrant setting but lamented its failed humor, comparing it unfavorably to “Guardians of the Galaxy.”

Variety’s Peter Debruge made a comparison to “Deadpool” and “Wolverine,” stating that “Borderlands” felt like a flop compared to those films. Critics familiar with the video game, like Taylor Gates from Collider, pointed out the movie’s failure to capture the layered characters and complex themes of the source material.

“Borderlands” has achieved a rare feat—uniting critics worldwide in their unanimous disdain. Tim Robey from the Daily Telegraph noted, “There are moments of crude enjoyment if you go in with very low expectations.” Clarisse Loughrey at the Independent UK remarked, “It’s like going back to a time when studios made video game adaptations with no grace.”

David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter criticized the movie for its one-dimensional characters, saying, “We’re never terribly invested in their survival or their quest.” Tim Grierson of Screen International felt sympathy for Cate Blanchett, stating, “Sadly, ‘Borderlands’ is an unworthy vehicle for her swaggering performance.” As the movie heads into opening weekend, it remains to be seen if it will add commercial failure to its list of dubious achievements.

“Borderlands” will be available in wide release starting August 9.