As the Borderlands movie rolls through its premiere week, it's grappling with overwhelmingly negative feedback from top critics on Rotten Tomatoes, a leading film review aggregator. Amidst this critical backlash, a member of the film's production team has stepped forward to voice his discontent over not being credited for his contributions.
Borderlands Movie Faces Rocky Premiere Week
Film Staff Says He Wasn't Credited
Directed by Eli Roth, the Borderlands movie adaptation has been met with a cold reception, currently holding a dismal 6% rating on Rotten Tomatoes from 49 critic reviews. Top critics have been particularly harsh. Donald Clarke of the Irish Times suggested that fans might prefer to "hammer an imagined X button" to escape the film’s "wacko BS." Similarly, Amy Nicholson from the New York Times acknowledged some commendable design elements but criticized the film's humor for falling flat.
The lifting of the social media embargo earlier this week allowed early viewers and critics to share their thoughts, many of which echoed the sentiment of the film being "lifeless," "terrible," and "uninspired." Despite the widespread criticism, a segment of Borderlands fans and movie-goers have found value in the film's loud, action-packed style, evidenced by a more favorable 49% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. One user remarked, "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 but pointed out 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."
However, the Borderlands movie's challenges extend beyond its critical reception. Robbie Reid, a freelance rigger who contributed to the character "Claptrap," recently took to Twitter (X) to express his dismay at not being credited for his work. Reid shared, "Up until this point, I've been exceptionally lucky to have received a credit for every film I've worked on." He expressed his disappointment, noting, "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." Reid speculated that the lack of credits might stem from him and the artist leaving their studio in 2021, and lamented that such oversights are unfortunately common in the film 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, highlighting the broader issue of artist recognition in the film industry.
