As the Borderlands movie continues its premiere week, it faces a barrage of negative reviews from top critics on Rotten Tomatoes, a well-known film review site. Adding to the film's woes, a staff member has come forward claiming he was not credited for his work on the project.
Borderlands Movie Faces Rocky Premiere Week
Film Staff Says He Wasn't Credited
The much-anticipated Borderlands movie adaptation, helmed by director Eli Roth, is encountering significant challenges during its premiere week. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has garnered a dismal 6% rating from 49 critic reviews. Top critics have been particularly harsh; Donald Clarke from the Irish Times suggested that fans might wish to "hammer an imagined X button" to escape the film’s "wacko BS," while Amy Nicholson from the New York Times praised some design elements but criticized the humor for falling flat.
Following the lifting of the social media embargo earlier this week, early viewers and critics echoed these sentiments, describing the film as "lifeless," "terrible," and "uninspired." Despite the overwhelmingly negative feedback, a segment of Borderlands fans and movie-goers have shown appreciation for the film's energetic, action-packed style. The movie currently holds a 49% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. One viewer admitted, "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 praised the film’s explosive action and crude humor, though they 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. Controversy has emerged involving a member of the film’s production team. Robbie Reid, a freelance rigger who worked on the character "Claptrap," took to Twitter (X) to reveal 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 stated. 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 suggested that the lack of credits might stem from him and the artist leaving their studio in 2021. He added that such oversights are unfortunately common 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.
