Borderlands Movie Struggles Beyond Bad Reviews

As the premiere week of the Borderlands movie unfolds, the film continues to grapple with overwhelmingly negative reviews from top critics on Rotten Tomatoes, a leading film review aggregator. Adding to its woes, a staff member has recently come forward, claiming he was not credited for his contributions to the film.

Borderlands Movie Faces Rocky Premiere Week

Film Staff Says He Wasn't Credited

Directed by Eli Roth, the Borderlands movie adaptation has encountered a challenging premiere week, marked by a barrage of negative reviews. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a dismal 6% rating from 49 critic reviews. Notable critics have been particularly harsh; Donald Clarke of the Irish Times suggested that fans might wish to "hammer an imagined X button" to escape the film's "wacko BS," while Amy Nicholson from the New York Times acknowledged some commendable design elements but criticized the humor for falling flat.

Following the lifting of the social media embargo earlier this week, early viewers and critics echoed these sentiments, describing the film as "lifeless," "terrible," and "uninspired." Despite the critical backlash, a segment of Borderlands fans and general audiences have found some enjoyment in the movie's loud, action-packed style. The film boasts a more favorable audience score of 49% on Rotten Tomatoes. One viewer admitted, "Not gonna lie, I was a hater when I saw the cast. I went into it with low expectations, but I truly loved it." Another fan appreciated the explosive action and crude humor, though they noted, "some of the lore changes could leave people puzzled. Personally, I didn't mind too much as it made for a more compelling storyline for the film."

However, the Borderlands movie's challenges extend beyond poor reviews. A controversy has emerged involving a member of the production staff, Robbie Reid, a freelance rigger who worked on the character "Claptrap." Reid took to Twitter (X) to express his frustration over not receiving a credit for his work, alongside the artist who modeled the character.

"Up until this point, I've been exceptionally lucky to have received a credit for every film I've worked on," Reid stated, expressing his disappointment. "It just stings that the one to finally break the streak was the last film I worked on at a studio. And for such a significant character too." He suggested that the omission might be related to his and the artist's departure from their studio in 2021, acknowledging that such oversights are unfortunately common in the industry.

"My disappointment lies with the general industry and how it treats/credits artists. It's a long on-going problem, and I'm sad to see it's still widespread based on replies. But I'm heartened by the support shown, and I hope it can lead to change for our industry," Reid concluded.