‘Borderlands’ Review: Game Movie is Just Alright

Jakarta. “Borderlands”, the upcoming movie adaptation of the first-person shooter game of the same name, comes with a star-studded cast, but the final outcome is just alright. 

Directed by Eli Roth, “Borderlands” has a quite sluggish, boring start — as seen in a recent press screening. 

The story kicks off with outlaw Lilith (Cate Blanchett) embarking on a mission to find the missing daughter of the business titan (and the eventual big bad) Atlas (Edgar Ramirez). The girl supposedly holds the power to open a cave-like vault that holds lost treasure. 

The fun only starts when the six-person alliance takes shape, which includes ex-elite mercenary Roland (Kevin Hart), clumsy robot Claptrap (voiced by Jack Black), demolitionist, and the missing daughter Tiny Tina (Ariana Greenblatt) as well as her musclebound Krieg (Florian Munteanu). Scientist Tannis (Jamie Lee Curtis) also joins these unlikely heroes later in the movie as they fight evil bandits and alien monsters to protect the girl. 

“Borderlands” does not get too technical with the terms, meaning that those who have not played the game can still follow the storyline. Although the movie has great visual effects, the action sequences are just okay, but not enough to get your adrenaline pumped. And if you are an avid gamer, some scenes might feel familiar regardless of the titles you play. There will be times when you might think “if this were an actual game, this would definitely be the first boss fight. Or that part would be a cutscene.” 

“Borderlands” mainly relies on Claptrap for the humor department. The robot’s antics, coupled with Jack Black’s impressive voice acting, make Claptrap a good comic relief character. Blanchett suits the confident bounty hunter Lilith. Greenblatt does not get overshadowed despite acting with the veterans. Lilith and Tiny Tina’s mother-and-daughter-like chemistry is top-notch and surprisingly heartwarming — something that the audience might not expect out of such a movie.

But something feels like it is missing in “Borderlands”. The acting by the big names — and some heartwarming scenes — are not enough to make “Borderlands” memorable. The one-hour-and-a-half-long movie turns out to be your average sci-fi action comedy. And does “Borderlands” pique my curiosity into wanting to try out the game? Not really. 

“Borderlands” is scheduled for Indonesian release this Friday.

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