The Borderlands Trailer Finally Dropped & Twitter Is Not Holding Back
Given the popularity of the "Borderlands" video game franchise, it was only a matter of time before it got a movie adaptation, which is set to come out on August 9. The "Borderlands" trailer promises plenty of chaotic fun with explosions and mayhem galore, set to the tune of "Do Ya" by Electric Light Orchestra. With jokes, guns, and so much more, what do fans have to say about the preview so far? Well ... many of them aren't getting their hopes up.
A Reddit thread about the trailer has a wide breadth of opinions. However, the one with the most upvotes (over 5,900 as of this writing) comes from u/nissanfan64, who wrote, "It simultaneously looks better than I expected but also an absolute train wreck." The trailer isn't faring much better on X, formerly known as Twitter, where @FishingFather44 wrote, "I feel like you guys got pretty much everything wrong you possibly could when it comes to casting and the humor seems forced in the few scenes you've selected for the trailer."
The "Borderlands" series has gone strong since 2009, so it's amassed quite a fanbase who were naturally going to be very opinionated about any adaptation. While changes from a video game to a narrative movie are inevitable, it appears many fans don't think this hits the mark. And quite a few think it's coming out far too late to capture any "Borderlands" hype. These include @kvngmurph, who wrote, "This would have been cool in like 2012." The finished product could surprise all these people, but it seems the try-hard, manic energy of the trailer is off-putting to some.
Many are comparing Borderlands unfavorably to Guardians of the Galaxy
Many have likely seen the meme where kids will ask a parent to pick up McDonald's, only for the parent to say, "We have food at home." The joke is that whatever's at home just isn't appealing in the same way McDonald's is to a child. In this scenario, kids are asking for another "Guardians of the Galaxy," but the thing waiting for them at home is the "Borderlands" movie, at least based on what people are saying about the trailer.
It's easy to draw the above comparison, with the team having a "found family" dynamic and the trailer featuring a 1970s pop-rock classic from Electric Light Orchestra. X user @Dantromp_ criticized the overall aesthetic, tweeting, "Borderlands is a guardians of the galaxy rip off. It's miscast and it goes down the stereotypical path of a heist movie." The same opinion was espoused by @gknout, who remarked, "The new #Borderlands feels like it is straining way too hard to be the next Guardians of the Galaxy. I'd rather just go back and replay the 2009 classic."
Granted, it's worth mentioning the first "Borderlands" game came out in 2009 and used "Ain't No Rest for the Wicked" by Cage the Elephant in its opening sequence. In a way, it was a wacky space adventure with hip music before "Guardians of the Galaxy." But that's merely one part of this equation.
Some fans criticized the Borderlands trailer over characterizations
Even setting aside the "Guardians of the Galaxy" comparisons, fans still had much to say about the "Borderlands" trailer. And it can all be summarized pretty well from this post by Redditor u/Eruannster. "On the one hand, it doesn't look completely awful, on the other hand... why is it so... sane?" they wrote. For many fans, the appeal of "Borderlands" isn't necessarily the story; it's to shoot and loot stuff. To top it all off, the characters are literally insane, so for some, the version of "Borderlands" presented in the trailer feels like it's playing things too safe.
This is particularly the case for Tiny Tina (Ariana Greenblatt), according to fans like this particular Redditor, who observed, "She's not crazy enough, she needs more Nic Cage insanity going on and less whiny teenager." Director Eli Roth spoke with Entertainment Weekly about Tiny Tina, even addressing her slightly changed characterization. "In the game, Tiny Tina is very over the top. It's Level 10 crazy the entire time," the filmmaker explained. "We have fun with the insanity of Tina, but give her heart and explain why she is that way." It sounds like tamping down some of the insanity was very much an intentional choice when it came to adapting "Borderlands."
Other casting choices got criticism throughout Reddit, so it's already looking like an uphill battle to convince longtime fans to give the film a chance. But even with all that flak in mind, "Borderlands" might end up surprising people, as there's only so much that can be given away in a three-minute trailer.