[Film] Borderlands

[hepcat]

I’ll watch the Rifftrax version when it releases.

[Carpet_pissr]

“It’s not that bad.”

<writes multiple paragraphs describing something that bad>.

I mean, fair point. It's just that it's not absolutely terrible.
It's, at best, serviceable and, at worst, completely forgettable.

This is a movie that absolutely does not need to be seen on the big screen.
It's worth a watch if you are a fan of the games but wait until it's on a streaming service.

As a fan of the games, it sounds like something I should avoid. I never saw the Dark Tower for the same reasons (loved the source material too much to see it enshittified).

[Max Peck]

According to the Universal Rotten Tomatoes Scale, this film seems to be trending toward being a borderline The Boondock Saints now that audience scores are in the mix.

[gilraen]

It was watchable. I didn't hate Kevin Hart in the role, out of all the problems with this movie, his casting was pretty low on the list. They changed most character back stories - some worked and some didn't. Really didn't like the angle they took with Tiny Tina, she didn't have much in common with her game character, aside from her love for explosives and rabbit ears.

[TheMix]

And the completely inappropriate use of "badonkadonk". The change to Tina's backstory changed her character. So while I didn't have an issue with her, exactly, she also wasn't the Tina that we know and love.

I did have issues with Kevin Hart. He was enough of a problem to distract.

I also felt the same about Jack Black. Well, his voice. While the dialogue felt like Claptrap (mostly), the voice was distracting.

I had less issue with Cate than I expected. I think because she is an outstanding actor.

Gina felt "off" as Moxxi. Not terrible, but not good, either.

As for Jamie, I think the problem was more that the character was poorly written. Tanis should have been a lot more "distracted" and out-of-touch with reality. I suspect that Jamie could have portrayed her better if the character had been written that way.

[Archinerd]

Part of me wants to see this because I have a very hard time believing it's worse than Rebel Moon. How can that even be possible?

[hepcat]

Part of me wants to watch the director’s cuts of Rebel Moon 1 and 2 to see if it goes from excruciatingly awful to just painfully awful.

[Max Peck]

If you hated the PG-13 cut of Rebel Moon, the director's cut won't change your mind unless you're really into boobs and/or dismemberment.

[hepcat]

So he made R rated versions of both? That’s the extent of his “director’s cut”?

If so….wow. No wonder Netflix is dropping his stuff left and right now.

[Max Peck]

I was being glib. There is also additional narrative content that fills in some gaps in the plot and better explains a few aspects of the setting, but it isn't going to move the needle if you just didn't like the films in the first place. But yeah, the reason that the director's cut is rated R is because of the extreme and graphic violence, sex and language. Nobody is going to characterize the director's cut as "Zach Snyder's Star Wars" as was often the case with the PG-13 version.

We also see a lot more of Jimmy. For the most part it doesn't really add much to the story (a lot of it is just a droid waxing philosophical, as droids are wont to do, in interstitial scenes between actual story beats), but if you pay Anthony Hopkins to record lines of dialogue, I suppose you find a way not to leave so much of it on the cutting room floor.

[hepcat]

I was being glib. There is also additional narrative content that fills in some gaps in the plot

Wait…now you’re telling they had a plot!?!?

[Max Peck]

Even Uwe Boll flicks have plots. Probably.

[mori]

I’ll watch the Rifftrax version when it releases.

That is the way I am planning on viewing it.

[Blackhawk]

Word is that Randy Pitchford (the guy behind Gearbox) has been going a bit off of the deep end, blocking anyone on social media that has criticized the film - including people he knows personally, that are major parts of the Borderlands community, enough so that they get invited to events, even the movie premiere. He doesn't seem to be able to accept that it just isn't a good film.

[EvilHomer3k]

The bad reviews are disappointing but not surprising. I think AI could have come up with a better movie the way it sounds.

[YellowKing]

Somebody on Twitter mentioned the only good thing about the movie is that Borderlands 3 is now currently 90% off and I agree. I have no interest in the film, but I picked up the Legacy Collection and part 3 for $15 total on PS5 yesterday.

[Max Peck]

Yeah, the Pandora's Box bundle on Steam, with every Borderlands game including all DLC, is 94% off right now.

[Octavious]

This made like 8-9 million over the weekend. They are going to lose 100's of millions of dollars on this nonsense. What in the holy hell were they thinking when they made this?

[hepcat]

This made like 8-9 million over the weekend. They are going to lose 100's of millions of dollars on this nonsense. What in the holy hell were they thinking when they made this?

That they would make more than 8-9 million over the weekend?

[Blackhawk]

What I'm hearing suggests that it's another case of the director deciding that his 'vision' is pure art, and ignoring everyone else. See also: Justice League, Game of Thrones: The Black Episode.

What I don't get is why Roth was chosen to run this thing to begin with. He's directed 10 films. Only 3 were above 60% on RT, only one of those above 65%, and most were sub-40%, including an ultra-rare 0% rating.

They hired Uwe Boll to make their video game movie.

[Isgrimnur]

If they had hired Usain Bolt, the runtime would have been shorter.

[Brian]

Supposedly Roth is saying that what he filmed was a very hard R rated movie that the studio then gutted in attempt to appeal to a younger/wider audience.

[Max Peck]

Randy Pitchford clearly thought it was a great idea when it was pitched to him.

[Max Peck]

Supposedly Roth is saying that what he filmed was a very hard R rated movie that the studio then gutted in attempt to appeal to a younger/wider audience.

Time to spin up a Release the Snyder Roth Cut! campaign?

[msteelers]

That video calls this the worst video game movie of all time. I haven’t even seen Borderlands and I can guarantee you that’s not true when we live in a world where the 90’s Mario Bros movie exists.

[pr0ner]

That video calls this the worst video game movie of all time. I haven’t even seen Borderlands and I can guarantee you that’s not true when we live in a world where the 90’s Mario Bros movie exists.

Or Mortal Kombat Annihilation.

[Brian]

Or any number of Uwe Boll movies.

I think they do wax a bit hyperbolic in that video as I would definitely not rank this as the worst.

I'm not sure a hard R gore-fest would have saved this movie either but maybe over the top gore mixed with jokes that actually worked might have helped it perform better but, as I've previously noted, the humor just fell flat in this movie.

[TheMix]

I skimmed the article on Epic. It sounded to me like the writer(s) were very familiar with, and fans of, the games. However, it didn't sound like the director ever played the games. And he was the one that ultimately chose the cast. And directed the performances. I suspect that if someone had just forced him to sit down and play fro 40-60 hours, it would have been a very different movie.

[Blackhawk]

If he had just run through BL2. Just BL2 would have been enough.

[Holman]

It's really remarkable that the games are apparently so much funnier than the movie.

[Scraper]

If he had just run through BL2. Just BL2 would have been enough.

I agree, BL2 is the pinnacle of this series. Handsome Jack and Butt Stallion are hard to top.

[Max Peck]

It's really remarkable that the games are apparently so much funnier than the movie.

Somewhere in a better world, Anthony Burch wrote the script. I have no idea who the director would be, though.

[hepcat]

It's really remarkable that the games are apparently so much funnier than the movie.

Somewhere in a better world, Anthony Burch wrote the script. I have no idea who the director would be, though.

Villeneuve!

[EvilHomer3k]

That video calls this the worst video game movie of all time. I haven’t even seen Borderlands and I can guarantee you that’s not true when we live in a world where the 90’s Mario Bros movie exists.

Or Mortal Kombat Annihilation.

I think it's a tossup between MK:A and Street Fighter.

[Blackhawk]

Available digitally on August 30th.

Is that a record? Is it close enough to count as 'straight to video?'

[Max Peck]

Heh, a couple of folks I know from Twitch did a bit on Borderlands for their "Is This For Kids" video podcast. (Trigger warning: It's a Catholic parenting podcast...)

[Lassr]

Available digitally on August 30th.

Is that a record? Is it close enough to count as 'straight to video?'

I was so excited to see this in theaters...now I'm not even sure I want to rent it at home.

[Max Peck]

I expect that I won't hate it, but I'm also too cheap for a digital rental. One of the streaming platforms will probably pick it up in a few months.

[hepcat]

I feel like it's going to be akin to watching a Transformer's movie for me. I start off thinking "it can't be THAT bad" then I realize 10 minutes in that is actually THAT bad and I hate myself for even attempting to watch it.

[EvilHomer3k]

I feel like it's going to be aking to watching a Transformer's movie for me. I start off thinking "it can't be THAT bad" then I realize 10 minutes in that is actually THAT bad and I hate myself for even attempting to watch it.

If this is mindless fun like the first Transformers then I'll actually enjoy it. Doesn't sound like it's up to even that low bar. I did enjoy Transformers for what it was, though.