‘Borderlands’ Review: Critics Label Cate Blanchett and Kevin Hart’s Sci-Fi Adventure as ‘Lackluster’

Borderlands is a high-octane, sci-fi adventure brought to the big screen by director Eli Roth. Loosely adapted from the popular video game franchise, the film follows the exploits of Lilith, a notorious outlaw portrayed by Cate Blanchett. Driven by a mysterious quest to find the missing daughter of a cosmically powerful figure, Lilith assembles a motley crew of misfits. The movie also stars Kevin Hart, Jack Black, Édgar Ramírez and Ariana Greenblatt. Despite the star-studded cast, reviews of Borderlands are disappointing. Check out the review roundup below. ‘Borderlands’ Movie Review: Cate Blanchett and Kevin Hart’s Inter-Galactic Adventure Is a Star-Studded Misfire! (LatestLY Exclusive).

IGN: "Visually, Borderlands is one of the ugliest studio releases you'll see this year. Even in IMAX, Pandora's dusty digital backdrops resemble pixelated vomit. There's an early scene where bunny-eared Tina tosses explosive stuffed animals at Lilith from above, and the green-screening of Greenblatt atop her junkyard perch doesn't even attempt to believably plug Tina into place."

News18: "Speaking of visuals, the game is packed with some unique VFX, but the movie lacks the unique style of the video game. Roth has instead opted for a bland and uninspired depiction of the planet Pandora. The action sequences, too, fail to deliver the excitement that fans of the game might expect." ‘Borderlands’ Premiere: Jamie Lee Curtis Steps In To Save Cate Blanchett’s Red Carpet Wardrobe Glitch! (Watch Video).

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Screen Daily: "Not many in the starry ensemble shine. Vivid character actors like Gina Gershon and Jamie Lee Curtis, who, respectively, play an alluring club owner and a respected scientist, are trapped in stale genre types. Even the potentially intriguing change-of-pace performances — such as Hart in a far more sombre turn than we expect from the explosive comedian — flatline."

THR: "Lilith, despite her attempts to shake him off, gets stuck with Claptrap, an annoying mono-wheeled junkyard robot voiced by Jack Black, who says the ominous words: “I’m programmed for humour.” The yappy droid’s data quickly leads her to Tina, a demolitionist with a seemingly endless supply of grubby plush-toy bunnies rigged to explode. The bounty hunter just wants to grab the girl and get out of there, but her assignment turns out to be not so simple."

So, after reading the above reviews of Borderlands, are you going to watch the film in theatres near you?

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 09, 2024 11:00 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).