Borderlands: A Wild Ride Through Pandora, but Could Have Used a Little More Time
Fans of the Borderlands video game franchise are going to go bananas for the movie, "Borderlands". The film totally dives into the Pandora planet – a wild, futuristic, crazy-world where bounty hunters, robots, psychos, and alien-like characters are just another day at the office. Get ready for some sci-fi, action, and, yeah, lots of hilarious comedy!
You’ve got Cate Blanchett kicking off the story as Lilith, the bounty hunter with serious skills. She's tasked by this big-time billionaire (played by Edgar Ramírez) to rescue his daughter Tina (played by Ariana Greenblatt). Oh yeah, and her kidnapper? None other than Kevin Hart! But on their mission, Lilith meets some pretty memorable characters: Claptrap (played by the awesome Jack Black), the robot with some pretty great lines; Krieg (Florian Munteanu), who acts as Tina’s bodyguard, and Jamie Lee Curtis plays Tannis, the eccentric scientist. If those names aren't enough to make you curious, I don't know what is.
The "Borderlands" Cast Steals the Show
What sets this "Borderlands" adaptation apart? The actors. Everyone absolutely nails it, going full-throttle with the action and comedy! From Cate Blanchett's totally commanding performance, and Curtis giving us the vibe that Tannis is just crazy good (think "Guardians of the Galaxy" energy), to Jack Black, well, you know, Jack Black as Claptrap – a super entertaining, robot-slash-comedian who gets every good line delivered with some epic charm. Oh, and Greenblatt and Munteanu? Those two definitely bring out the unexpected mother/daughter feel that turns out to be way funnier than expected. They make "Borderlands" feel more like a real universe than just a regular movie.
Even with all the cool characters, the costumes, the art direction... well, everything about the visual feel is super well-done, almost like those characters popped off the game console. Seriously, the movie captures Pandora's strange beauty and vibe - all those sci-fi, cyberpunk influences – totally on point. However, I'm not sure the filmmakers quite managed to give us as much "deep dive" into those storylines as we would have liked!
More Mayhem, Less Story?
"Borderlands" is super fast-paced, which can be good because you get right into the action. The story is a lot like those video games. If you are a big fan, you probably loved the references, the style of the film, and how they captured Pandora! The thing is, they kind of rushed through a bunch of scenes, leaving you wanting more. That's not necessarily a deal-breaker, because the cast was so good. It just would have been awesome to dig deeper into all the great storylines, the "psychos," the way Tina explodes things! Yeah, there was a bunch of crazy potential that could've been super engaging.
One storyline that felt like a huge opportunity missed: The dynamic between Tannis and Lilith. I thought they would've been a great combo – like Yondu and Peter (from "Guardians of the Galaxy"), they'd be hilarious! There's a real heartfelt vibe between Krieg and Tina, which totally has the potential to be an epic journey, and the story also made me wish we’d seen more of Gina Gershon’s Moxxi (who could have had a spin-off movie! Think a Borderlands "Wonder Woman").
What Could Have Been? More "Borderlands" Madness?
Honestly, this movie doesn't really try to "out-logic" the world or characters like most films would, it’s a bit more “go with the flow and let's just enjoy this". This approach is a perfect fit with "Borderlands." They managed to use Pandora’s vibe as an advantage, adding a ton of detail! "Borderlands" went for that quick, no-nonsense approach which kind of fits in this time when Movies tend to be longer and more over-the-top than necessary. I know some people might say the film's runtime (it clocks in at around 100 minutes) is just right, but personally, I felt there was still plenty of room for even more chaos. There’s a whole universe here! Give it a little more time to explode!
I'm not saying "Borderlands" isn’t a fun flick because it was truly entertaining, and I’m definitely down for a “Borderlands 2.” Those storylines and those characters? That’s what gets everyone hooked!
Cate Blanchett: The "Borderlands" MVP
A lot of fans said they thought Cate Blanchett really carried the movie – which Jamie Lee Curtis admitted to being the main reason she joined the project. Seriously, Cate was just so compelling. From the moment she starts narrating to the very end, you were just completely locked in. She makes those intense, dramatic characters really relatable while giving a playful, comedic feel too!
It wasn't like those roles where a really big-name actor just ends up being too good for the film. Cate totally embraces those wild "Borderlands" characters like she was made for the role, not just a random stop on her career path!
Where "Borderlands" Fell Short (Maybe)
There were some great moments – especially how they created the visuals! I totally agree the movie might have just rushed things a bit, though. The result is that some jokes don't land because there's no chance for characters to develop. But don't take that as "it wasn't fun"! Even if "Borderlands" didn't give us every scene we might have wanted, it still delivered some pretty spectacular visuals with an awesome "Borderlands" feel that made it an enjoyable film experience, which I totally thought would’ve happened, especially when it started making its way through development a few years back! It’s awesome they brought Pandora to life.
"Borderlands" is in theaters now and has a PG-13 rating (be sure to grab the popcorn, this one’s going to be action-packed!). You might also be asking if this is just a one-and-done, or a film that could become a big franchise. With all of that sci-fi, action, and a wild and crazy world, I’m saying the potential for more "Borderlands" is totally there!
