Movies: Borderlands (2024) Blanchette, Black, Hart, etc.

[Bakayoko Ono]

Seems like quite a few 100M+ films have, predictably, bombed hard this year. How are these productions able to get such high budgets?

 

[flyersnorth]

This movie did pretty much nothing well.

-The characters have back-stories in the games. Those are completely ignored for the movie.
-The games have plots. Those are completely ignored for the movie.
-The characters have personalities in the games. Those are completely ignored for the movie.
-The Borderlands franchise has an introductory exposition voice. It's not Lilith. The easiest win in this entire movie would have been to have Marcus do the intro voice-over, but they couldn't even get that right. Started off on the wrong foot, and it only got worse from there.

A lot can be excused if you make a good movie. This wasn't a good movie.

I think it was Dan Houser, when asked why they don't make a GTA movie, said something to the effect of "why would we do that? it's such an inferior medium to the game."

 

[x Tame Impala]

Seems like quite a few 100M+ films have, predictably, bombed hard this year. How are these productions able to get such high budgets?

Because these studios are creative cowards and all you apparently can't get a movie green-lit if it isn't an already successful IP. Vince Vaughn was on "Hot Ones" talking about whey they don't make comedies like they used to 10+ years ago. If it isn't backed by a previously established IP they view it as risky.

They're so myopic they think all you need to do is have someone be willing to make a movie about something popular, throw so money at a big cast, then boom...successful box office results.

 

[MMC]

I mean has there ever been a film adaptation of a video game that didn’t suck complete ass like literally ever?

 

[PeteWorrell]

I mean has there ever been a film adaptation of a video game that didn’t suck complete ass like literally ever?

The latest Mario movie did not suck complete ass. The Sonic movies are also fine and they actually listened to feedback when the first trailer for the first movie was poorly received.

 

[Blitzkrug]

I mean has there ever been a film adaptation of a video game that didn’t suck complete ass like literally ever?

The Mario movie was fine. It wasn't a revelation/groundbreaking piece of cinema but it did exactly what it needed to. I watched it and actually enjoyed it.

Sonic as well. If there was any movie that should have sucked ass it was the first in that series. But surprisingly they're actually entertaining. It's probably legit the first good thing Jim Carrey has done in decades.

Because these studios are creative cowards and all you apparently can't get a movie green-lit if it isn't an already successful IP. Vince Vaughn was on "Hot Ones" talking about whey they don't make comedies like they used to 10+ years ago. If it isn't backed by a previously established IP they view it as risky.

They're so myopic they think all you need to do is have someone be willing to make a movie about something popular, throw so money at a big cast, then boom...successful box office results.

This isn't just exclusive to the film industry. Gaming these days is basically a mirror of hollywood. Big budget games take little risks because the shareholders driving the bus need the line to keep going up (doubly so with some of these AAA games pushing 300 million dollars budget wise) while all the creativity funnels down to the smaller/independent devs.

 

[PeteWorrell]

This isn't just exclusive to the film industry. Gaming these days is basically a mirror of hollywood. Big budget games take little risks because the shareholders driving the bus need the line to keep going up (doubly so with some of these AAA games pushing 300 million dollars budget wise) while all the creativity funnels down to the smaller/independent devs.

At least smaller game developers have digital storefronts like Steam. Smaller movies no longer have the VHS/DVD/Blu ray rental market to help them. There are too meaning streaming services and good luck getting noticed in a sea of content where each platform will focus on promoting their exclusives.

 

[CDJ]

Might check it out tomorrow, I’m trying to one up Strangers Chapter One for shittiest movie I’ve seen this year (which was another example of the established IP crap highlighted above)

 

[Holden Caulfield]

The Mario movie was fine. It wasn't a revelation/groundbreaking piece of cinema but it did exactly what it needed to. I watched it and actually enjoyed it.

Sonic as well. If there was any movie that should have sucked ass it was the first in that series. But surprisingly they're actually entertaining. It's probably legit the first good thing Jim Carrey has done in decades.

This isn't just exclusive to the film industry. Gaming these days is basically a mirror of hollywood. Big budget games take little risks because the shareholders driving the bus need the line to keep going up (doubly so with some of these AAA games pushing 300 million dollars budget wise) while all the creativity funnels down to the smaller/independent devs.

Haven't seen Mario, but this movie is better than Sonic 1 or 2, IMO. The action and humor is better in this than Sonic.

Claptrap was legit hilarious, had the entire theatre I was in laughing quite hard. Greenblatt's role was probably the hardest in the movie to pull off, but she did a good job being fairly an annoying tween/teen while still being a sympathic character in the end. Blanchette was a bit wooden. Hart was nicely toned down, i cant really stand him in most movies he's in, but he wasnt his normal annoying self in this.

The story is incredibly generic. There's plenty of handwavy stuff. But it has solid humour and decent action throughout. If you actually read the reviews, the ones I read were like "it's a poor man's guardians of the galaxy" and yeah that about nails it. So while reviews like that are "negative" and they therefore contribute to the 10% rotten tomatoes score, it wasn't ripping the movie apart. Which ultimately is the weakness of the rotten tomatoes formula that boils reviews down to good or bad, with no nuance. Yes I'm sure there are plenty of overtly bad reviews as well, but mostly I don't think it deserved how badly most people are treating it.

Sonic is almost exactly the level I'd put this one at. It's nothing special, but just a solid decent popcorn flick. This is not "Alone in the Dark" style bad video game movie at all.

 

[The Crypto Guy]

8.8M debut weekend…OUCH.

 

[norrisnick]

Haven't seen Mario, but this movie is better than Sonic 1 or 2, IMO. The action and humor is better in this than Sonic.

Claptrap was legit hilarious, had the entire theatre I was in laughing quite hard. Greenblatt's role was probably the hardest in the movie to pull off, but she did a good job being fairly an annoying tween/teen while still being a sympathic character in the end. Blanchette was a bit wooden. Hart was nicely toned down, i cant really stand him in most movies he's in, but he wasnt his normal annoying self in this.

The story is incredibly generic. There's plenty of handwavy stuff. But it has solid humour and decent action throughout. If you actually read the reviews, the ones I read were like "it's a poor man's guardians of the galaxy" and yeah that about nails it. So while reviews like that are "negative" and they therefore contribute to the 10% rotten tomatoes score, it wasn't ripping the movie apart. Which ultimately is the weakness of the rotten tomatoes formula that boils reviews down to good or bad, with no nuance. Yes I'm sure there are plenty of overtly bad reviews as well, but mostly I don't think it deserved how badly most people are treating it.

Sonic is almost exactly the level I'd put this one at. It's nothing special, but just a solid decent popcorn flick. This is not "Alone in the Dark" style bad video game movie at all.

How bad are the Sonic movies?

My GF and I went on Friday. We were literally the only ones in the theater...

I must ask, did you ever play the games?

 

[The Macho King]

How bad are the Sonic movies?

My GF and I went on Friday. We were literally the only ones in the theater...

I must ask, did you ever play the games?

Sonic movies are fine. Pretty good for what they are. Better than Mario as well.

 

[John Price]

I mean has there ever been a film adaptation of a video game that didn’t suck complete ass like literally ever?

Sonic and Mario come to mind

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

I mean has there ever been a film adaptation of a video game that didn’t suck complete ass like literally ever?

Mortal Kombat

 

[Ceremony]

I may yet watch my first Jimquisition this decade if there's a follow up to this.

 

[Bunch of Jurcos]

I'm one of the biggest Borderlands fans on the board and I had/have no interested in seeing Hollywood mangle something I love. The simplest way to have made an enduring movie is to adapt the mainline story of Borderlands 2 and one of the BL2 DLC, Tiny Tina's Assault on Dragon Keep, together. Handsome Jack is one of the best villians in gaming and the DLC explored how Roland's death affected Tina and it was tremendous. Even the slightest bit of effort towards the source material would have at least kept it from bombing. Truly though, a Borderlands movie never needed to be made. If nothing else, it would have been a really nice one season tv show.

 

[Blitzkrug]

I'm one of the biggest Borderlands fans on the board and I had/have no interested in seeing Hollywood mangle something I love. The simplest way to have made an enduring movie is to adapt the mainline story of Borderlands 2 and one of the BL2 DLC, Tiny Tina's Assault on Dragon Keep, together. Handsome Jack is one of the best villians in gaming and the DLC explored how Roland's death affected Tina and it was tremendous. Even the slightest bit of effort towards the source material would have at least kept it from bombing. Truly though, a Borderlands movie never needed to be made. If nothing else, it would have been a really nice one season tv show.

I would say Randy Pitchford already mangled the IP given the tepid reception to Pre-Sequel and 3 (and it's fanfiction tier writing), but this certainly didn't help.

 

[flyersnorth]

I'm one of the biggest Borderlands fans on the board and I had/have no interested in seeing Hollywood mangle something I love. The simplest way to have made an enduring movie is to adapt the mainline story of Borderlands 2 and one of the BL2 DLC, Tiny Tina's Assault on Dragon Keep, together. Handsome Jack is one of the best villians in gaming and the DLC explored how Roland's death affected Tina and it was tremendous. Even the slightest bit of effort towards the source material would have at least kept it from bombing. Truly though, a Borderlands movie never needed to be made. If nothing else, it would have been a really nice one season tv show.

I think that's the key right there.

Uncharted? Assassin's Creed? Not sure why those had to be made.

The Last of Us? Actually decent show. It has time to breathe and bring depth that movies just can't match.

 

[Cujorulesdtown9]

As a borderlands fan(even if 3 was a bit of a mess), I actually enjoyed it, I saw the reviews and thought it was going to be the worst thing I had ever seen in my life.

Not even in that realm.

Is it the apex of cinema? No, not at all. It has issues with story timing (running at warp speed) and some rough cgi.(but not like, syfy original levels bad)

Kevin Hart was the big sore spot to many in the previews, and id argue jamie lee curtis ended up the weak spot in the cast, hart did fine to me, even if he looked like roland got stuck in a dryer.

But overall I really didnt think it was that bad. Looking at the games to the movie, this is kind of what I imagined, it changes because the movie needed a story, and like the games it kind of went everywhere, which to a lot didnt translate well.
It would have been better as a series instead of a movie, but either way, I liked it, but can understand why it didnt do well.

 

[Linkens Mastery]

So, my friend bought it and I watched it with them because I had free time. I went into it trying to forget everything I ever learned from the games.

I'd probably give it a 2/5 or a 3/5. It's not great, and I probably wouldn't watch it again. But it's not absolutely atrocious like it was reported to be.