The Borderlands movie, currently in its premiere week, is facing a barrage of negative reviews from prominent critics, adding to its already troubled debut. A recent revelation about uncredited staff further compounds the film's issues.
Borderlands Movie Premiere Week: A Rough Start
Uncredited Staff Member Speaks Out
Eli Roth's Borderlands movie adaptation is experiencing a difficult launch, plagued by overwhelmingly negative critical reception. Rotten Tomatoes currently shows a dismal 6% rating based on 49 critic reviews. Prominent critics have been scathing; Donald Clarke of the Irish Times suggested viewers might want to "imagine hitting an X button" to escape the film's perceived flaws, while Amy Nicholson of the New York Times praised certain design aspects but criticized the humor's failure to connect.
Early social media reactions, once the embargo lifted, echoed the negative sentiment, with descriptions like "lifeless," "terrible," and "uninspired" surfacing frequently. However, a segment of Borderlands fans and general moviegoers seem to have found enjoyment in the film's action and over-the-top style. The audience score on Rotten Tomatoes is currently a somewhat higher 49%. One user commented, "I went in with low expectations, but I truly loved it," highlighting the disparity between critical and audience reception. Another fan appreciated the action and humor but acknowledged that "some lore changes might confuse people."
The controversy extends beyond poor reviews. Robbie Reid, a freelance rigger who worked on the character Claptrap, recently voiced his disappointment on Twitter (X) about not receiving screen credit, a situation he shares with the character's modeler.
Reid stated his prior consistent credit history, highlighting the sting of this omission, especially given the character's prominence. He speculated that the oversight might stem from him and the artist leaving their studio in 2021, acknowledging the unfortunately common nature of such oversights within the industry.
Reid concluded by expressing his disappointment with the industry's treatment and crediting of artists, hoping that the situation might prompt positive change.
