Borderlands (Christian Movie Review)

Despite being based on a first-person shooter video game, this long-in-development adaptation misfires on every level imaginable. Devoid of likeable characters, fun action, or a sensible plot, Borderlands is one of the worst films of the year. 

About the Film 

Movie adaptations of popular video games have been a notoriously tough nut for Hollywood to crack, although not for a lack of trying. For every breakout success story like The Super Mario Bros. Movie, there are a dozen duds. Directed by Eli Roth and based on a beloved series of games, Borderlands is essentially “Zach Snyder’s Guardians of the Galaxy,” a film that attempts to meld a Guardians-esque band of quirky rogue-like heroes with Snyder’s gritty aesthetic. Unfortunately, there’s no #SnyderCut on the horizon to save this film. Despite being based on a first-person shooter video game, this long-in-development adaptation misfires on every level imaginable. Devoid of likeable characters, fun action, or a sensible plot, Borderlands is one of the worst films of the year.  

First, a disclaimer. Although I am vaguely familiar with their existence, I have never personally played a Borderlands video game. I suspect the movie adaptation is filled with easter eggs and nods to the games that die-hard fans may recognize and enjoy. I hope so, because for everyone else in the audience, there’s little to appreciate.   

On paper, the movie boasts an all-star cast, featuring Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Ariana Greenblatt. If nothing else, such a talented cast should be able to salvage the film. The problem is that many of the stars feel miscast. Blanchett doesn’t pop as a hard-nosed bounty hunter, and casting Kevin Hart as perhaps the most humorless character in the movie is a curious decision.   

In one sense, I appreciate the out-of-the-box, against-type roles, and it is an interesting choice to give Blanchett—a slightly older actress—the opportunity to lead an action film. But what makes James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy films effective is that the lovable rejects are endearing and fun to watch. Conversely, beyond a few scattered attempts at emotion or character development, Borderlands seems to operate on the assumption that audiences already care for the characters, but it does little to show why they should. While the Guardians felt like a family, the Borderlands crew feels like a random collection of characters who came together for the sake of the plot. The one exception happens to be the only non-human in the group: a robot named Claptrap (unrecognizably voiced by Jack Black), who adds some much-needed charm and humor.  

The characters aren’t much fun to watch, but the plot may be even more joyless. The entourage embarks on a convoluted quest to open a hidden vault containing ancient alien technology and secrets. To achieve their objective, they must track down various McGuffins in the form of some keys and a long-lost descendant of that alien race. Unsurprisingly, the story unfolds largely like a video game, although it’s more akin to the tedious and grinding fetch-quests experience of gaming. There was never a point in the adventure when I thought, “This is fun; I wonder what will happen next.” The plot merely moves from one objective to the next. Despite a relatively brisk 1:40-hour runtime, the film drags on. At one point the characters discover that they may not need a third portion of the alien key after all, and I felt relieved that the story was quickening to its end game.   

Borderlands is unlikely to inspire anyone to seek out the original video games. Even so, there are occasional hints at why those games are popular. The playful—almost cartoonish—aesthetic amid an otherwise grim and hostile world is an intriguing concept. Sadly, the movie doesn’t do anything well. Some charismatic and likeable characters would add vibrancy to the dull adventure. Thrilling sci-fi action could offer fun entertainment despite the mundane characters. Even some clever and immersive worldbuilding could mask some of the deficiencies in both the shallow character development and lackluster plot. But Borderlands fires blanks at every opportunity. Perhaps some die-hard fans will enjoy seeing the game on the big screen. But for everyone else, it’s already game over for a franchise that, after just one film, has already worn out its welcome.   

No Salvation Without Sacrifice     

Borderlands is not a deep movie, but it contains echoes of biblical truth for Christians to affirm. There is a repeated refrain throughout the film that “There is no salvation without sacrifice.” Although it is never clear how, the technology and knowledge contained within the alien vault is said to lead to the salvation of the planet of Pandora. The only problem is that the so-called “daughter of Eridian” (a last descendant of the alien race) is required to open the vault, and according to the prophecy, she will be consumed and perhaps killed in the process.   

Most of the characters appear more than willing to pay that sacrifice with someone else’s life. It is the willing sacrifice of one on behalf of others—particularly those who appear less than worthy of it—that proves to be truly heroic. There are some obvious parallels to Christ’s crucifixion, or at least to the death and rebirth stages in Joseph Campbell’s classic “Hero’s Journey.” It is even more poignant considering the “Daughter of Eridian” turns out to be a sort of deity figure.    

It is declared in Scripture, “So Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him” (Hebrews 9:28). Stories such as Borderlands and countless others that contain the “Christ Figure” motif are examples of how we implicitly understand that our salvation requires the sacrifice of someone greater than ourselves.