Today, during IGN Live, we got our first real look at the Borderlands movie, and folks, I’m not sure this is going to be very good.
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Based on the popular looter shooters developed by Gearbox and published by 2K Games, Borderlands was first announced all the way back in 2020. The movie is being directed by Eli Roth and has been in production hell for years now. But finally, our long national nightmare is almost over as Borderlands arrives in theaters on August 9. Sadly, I’m not sure its going to be worth the wait based on a scene released earlier today during IGN Live’s Day 1 showcase.
In the new scene, we see Roland (Kevin Hart), Lilith (Cate Blanchett), Tiny Tina (Ariana Greenblatt), Kireg (Florian Munteanu), and Claptrap (voice by Jack Black) in a dark underground facility filled with boxes and not many lights. It’s hard to see what’s happening.
This is supposed to be an action-packed sequence from a major motion picture, but it feels more like a pre-recorded skit from a so-so episode of Saturday Night Live. Enemies get shot and just fall down with no blood or gore, characters move around slowly even though this is meant to be a fast-paced sequence, and all of this is done to generic music that you’ll forget about the moment the scene ends.
But cheap sets, bland action, and iffy pacing can be overcome by great performances and sadly, even though the cast is stacked with people who have done good work, nothing in here lands. I love Borderlands. A lot! I enjoy the jokes and the world. This…this isn’t that. I don’t know what this is. What I can tell you is after seeing this scene I’m convinced Hart, Blanchett, and Jamie Lee Curtis—who plays Dr. Tannis in the film—are not the right actors for these characters. Curtis feels especially out of place as Tannis. And Hart… I just don’t understand why one of the most serious characters in Borderlands, Roland, is being played by a comedian.
And keep in mind this is the scene the producers and people involved thought was good enough to debut online. This is what they are selling the movie on. This is their big “Take a look at this and get excited!” clip. If that’s the case, well, I fear for the rest of the movie.
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