Horror maestro Eli Roth directs a fun, but disappointingly uneven video game adaptation. Here’s our Borderlands review.
Eli Roth has never cared what critics think about his films. Despite making films such as Hostel, The Green Inferno and Knock Knock, Borderlands might be his toughest challenge to win over not just critics, but audiences.
Borderlands is based on a successful series of games in which you play as a Vault Hunter who is looking for – you guessed it! – a Vault that usually holds all kinds of treasures. The games are delightfully violent and a lot of fun, so it seems like this is exactly in Roth’s wheelhouse.
Except, Borderlands, which is designed to be the first in a series of films, is aimed at a younger audience. In many ways, this is Roth trying his hand at Guardians Of The Galaxy. The tone is similar and, like Guardians, Borderlands follows a ragtag team of anti-heroes, who are uncovering the secrets of the planet called Pandora, which just happens to also be the home planet of the battle-hardened Lilith (Cate Blanchett).
Besides Lilith, the group also comprises Roland (Kevin Hart), Tiny Tina (Ariana Greenblatt) and her protector Krieg (Florian Munteanu), Dr Patricia Tannis (Jamie Lee Curtis) and the overly enthusiastic robot companion Claptrap (voiced by Jack Black). Like Marvel’s Guardians, the group are all flexible when it comes to bending the law, but highly equipped at fighting bad guys.
Let’s address the elephant in the room. Borderlands the film has little to do with Borderlands the game franchise. It takes the characters as well as some of the style and lore from the games, but fans are unlikely to find the film satisfactory. It’s not entirely clear why Lionsgate and Roth have decided to turn such a violent, gory franchise into family-friendly entertainment, but they have and that’s what we have here.
If you can’t get past that, then that’s completely valid and understandable. The games have a specific look and the film isn’t really even trying to achieve what the games do, which will prove disappointing for many. However, if you are able to look past that, Borderlands is at least serviceable.
First of all, the film is only 102 minutes long, which is a win in my book. Not because I was dying for the film to end, but because Roth isn’t an indulgent filmmaker. He likes to splash out on the gore, but he’s also economical and able to tell a story without stretching it to its limits. Borderlands moves at a steady pace and I was never bored.
Secondly, Borderlands is a lot of fun. It’s disposable fun, for sure, but it never talks down to you and it knows exactly what kind of a film it is. Some scenes are tinged with Roth’s horror experience and Rogier Stoffers’ cinematography milks the various locations for dynamism. The CGI and green screen work is questionable at times, but for the most part, Borderlands is colourful and vibrant with its visuals, with some really impressive shots towards the end.
The film is helped enormously by the talented cast. Blanchett leads the group with charisma and it’s fun to see the Oscar-winning actress let so loose and have so much fun. However, Ariana Greenblatt is the true standout in the film. Her performance is both wild and considered and the young actress hides a lot of emotion under the character’s explosive surface. Mileage will certainly vary on Jack Black’s voice work as Claptrap. You’ll either love it or hate it – there won’t be an in-between.
Borderlands probably won’t be remembered as a great videogame adaptation, but there’s a lot of fun to be had with it. There’s real effort here to craft a story with resonating themes rather than just parade the best of the games on the big screen. Roth is far more comfortable directing hardcore horror, but Borderlands is a neat little detour for the director.
Borderlands is in cinemas 8th August.
