Borderlands Film Reels in Weak Reviews, Exacerbating Woes

The Borderlands movie is facing more than just scathing reviews in its opening week. A recent controversy highlights a lack of credit for a key member of the production team.

A Rocky Premiere:

The film, directed by Eli Roth, currently boasts a dismal 6% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 49 critic reviews. Critics have been overwhelmingly negative, with descriptions ranging from "wacko BS" (Donald Clarke, Irish Times) to a failure to deliver on its humor despite some positive design elements (Amy Nicholson, New York Times). Early social media reactions echoed this sentiment, labeling the film "lifeless," "terrible," and "uninspired." While a segment of Borderlands fans appreciate the action and crude humor, concerns remain about alterations to established lore. The audience score on Rotten Tomatoes is slightly higher, at 49%.

Uncredited Work:

Adding to the film's woes, Robbie Reid, a freelance rigger who worked on the Claptrap character, publicly revealed on X (formerly Twitter) that neither he nor the character modeler received screen credit. Reid expressed disappointment, particularly given his consistent credit history on previous projects. He speculated that the omission may stem from him and the artist leaving their studio in 2021, acknowledging that this issue is unfortunately prevalent within the industry. He expressed hope that the situation might spur positive change regarding artist crediting practices.

The Borderlands movie's troubled launch underscores not only critical dissatisfaction but also broader concerns about fair treatment and credit within the film industry.