The Borderlands movie is facing a double whammy: scathing reviews and a credit controversy. Despite its recent premiere, the film has garnered overwhelmingly negative critical reception, boasting a dismal 6% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 49 critic reviews. Prominent critics like Donald Clarke (Irish Times) and Amy Nicholson (New York Times) delivered harsh critiques, highlighting the film's shortcomings in humor and overall execution. While some viewers appreciated the action and crude humor, many found the film "lifeless" and "uninspired." Audience scores are slightly higher, at 49% on Rotten Tomatoes, indicating a more divided reception.
Adding to the film's woes, a freelance rigger, Robbie Reid, publicly revealed on X (formerly Twitter) that he and the character modeler for Claptrap were not credited for their work. Reid expressed disappointment, highlighting the sting of this omission, particularly given his prior consistent credit history. He speculated that the oversight might stem from him and the artist leaving their studio in 2021, acknowledging that such oversights are unfortunately common in the film industry. Reid's statement underscores a larger concern about the treatment and crediting of artists within the industry.
The combination of poor critical reviews and this credit controversy casts a significant shadow over the Borderlands movie's premiere week, raising questions about its long-term success and the industry's treatment of its creative workforce.
