As the premiere week of the Borderlands movie rolls on, it continues to face a barrage of negative reviews from top critics on Rotten Tomatoes, a leading film review platform. Adding to its woes, a member of the film's production team has publicly stated that he was not credited for his contributions to the project.
Borderlands Movie Faces Rocky Premiere Week
Film Staff Says He Wasn't Credited
Directed by Eli Roth, the Borderlands movie adaptation has encountered a tumultuous premiere week, underscored by overwhelmingly negative reviews. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film currently languishes with a dismal 6% approval rating, aggregated from 49 critic reviews. Prominent critics have been particularly harsh; Donald Clarke from the Irish Times suggested that fans might yearn for an "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 film's humor for largely missing the mark.
Upon the lifting of the social media embargo earlier this week, initial reactions from early viewers and critics echoed the critical sentiment, describing the movie as "lifeless," "terrible," and "uninspired." Despite this, a segment of Borderlands fans and general audiences have shown more appreciation for the film's energetic, action-heavy approach. The audience score on Rotten Tomatoes stands at a more favorable 49%. "Not gonna lie, I was a hater when I saw the cast. I went into it with low expectations, but I truly loved it," one viewer shared. Another fan praised the film's explosive action and crude humor but noted that "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."
Yet, the Borderlands movie's challenges extend beyond critical reception. A controversy emerged when Robbie Reid, a freelance rigger who worked on the character "Claptrap," took to Twitter (X) to express that neither he nor the artist who modeled the character were credited in the film.
"Up until this point, I've been exceptionally lucky to have received a credit for every film I've worked on." Reid shared his disappointment, stating, "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 oversight might be linked to their departure from the studio in 2021 and lamented that such occurrences are not uncommon 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.
