Borderlands Movie Faces Challenges Beyond Poor Reviews

The Borderlands movie is facing more than just scathing reviews in its opening week. While critics have largely panned the film, a behind-the-scenes controversy has added to the production's woes.

A Rough Premiere: Critics Lash Out

Eli Roth's Borderlands adaptation has received overwhelmingly negative feedback. Rotten Tomatoes currently shows a dismal 6% critics' score, based on 49 reviews. Prominent critics haven't held back, with harsh words describing the film as "wacko BS" (Irish Times) and lacking in humor despite some positive design choices (New York Times). Early social media reactions echoed these sentiments, with descriptors like "lifeless," "terrible," and "uninspired" prevalent. While a segment of Borderlands fans and general moviegoers expressed appreciation for the action and humor, audience scores remain somewhat more positive at 49% on Rotten Tomatoes, with some citing a compelling, albeit altered, storyline.

Uncredited Work Fuels Controversy

Beyond the poor reviews, a credit dispute has emerged. Robbie Reid, a freelance rigger who worked on the Claptrap character, publicly stated on X (formerly Twitter) that neither he nor the character's modeler received screen credit. Reid expressed disappointment, highlighting that this is the first time his work has gone uncredited, particularly for such a significant character. He speculates that the omission may stem from him and the artist leaving their studio in 2021, acknowledging that this issue is unfortunately common within the industry. He concluded by expressing hope that the incident might bring attention to the broader problem of artist crediting in the film industry.