Hit first-person shooter seriesBorderlandsis set to be adaptedfor the big screen next year, directed by Eli Roth and starring Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, and Jamie Lee Curtis. The film will face added perils due to the expectations placed on video game movies, a folly perhaps best personified in 2020’sMonster Hunter.
Movies adapted from video games walk a delicate line, no one wants a pale imitation of the games' story but deviating too far creates a completely unrecognizable mess. A phrase like “Based On The Hit Video Game” on a film’s promotional material is more likely to hurt its appeal then to help it. The upcomingBorderlandsfilm, however, has manyunique traits in its favor, and many grand examples to learn from.
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The adaptation of the long-running game franchise featured beautifully realized recreations of some beloved creatures and weapons, fans were excited to see a Rathalos in all its photorealistic CGI majesty. Alas, the film flopped heavily at the box office, with awide variety of issuesto blame for its failure. The film released in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, which affected the ability of any theatrical release to see success, the duo of director Paul W.S. Anderson and Milla Jovovich were less than fondly remembered for their series ofResident Evilfilms, and the film mixed into the pile of video game movies released over the past few years. Despite the aesthetics, the scale and the fidelity of the references brought to the big screen, the film still could not land with fans or new audiences.
Video game movies often catch criticism from fans for failing to follow the source material. Films likeTekkenandSuper Mario Bros. barely acknowledge any link to the games that supposedly inspired them. Characters share names while bearing little resemblance, settings and plots are laid to waste to better fit a film structure, and fans are left angry that the filmmakers dragged the franchises' good name through the mud. This was the defining opinion of video game movies for many years, that they failed because they refuse to maintain enough from the source material, butMonster Hunterproved a different axiom.Monster Huntermostly nailedthe aesthetic of the hit games, but it failed outright to capture the spirit.
Video games must be defined by their gameplay, the interactivity of the medium is the most important aspect, and making a film that still captures the feel of a game is extremely difficult.Monster Hunterproved that just putting the iconography on screen will not gain the love of the fans, and the film lacks the deeper spirit of the franchise. It’s perfunctory, an exercise in expending immense effort to create a pale and joyless imitation.
It looks likeMonster Hunter, at least after the first act, but the focus remains on Jovovich’s fish out of water military captain hunting monsters to get home. The spirit of the game centers around a culture of hunters who dedicate their lives to the study of dangerous creatures. The hunters craft new weapons and armor from their prey and build a civilization while under constant attack fromthe fantastical flora and fauna. The drive of the narrative is the hunting itself, but the film fails to capture that spirit.
Borderlandsis a well-received entry in the shoot and loot subgenre of games, the gameplay focused largely on gun battles and using the parts gained in the process. Along the way, players meet a cadre of wacky characters, both enemies and allies, and enjoy the game’s irreverent comedic writing. The story ofBorderlandscertainly offers more to work with than that of theMonster Hunterfranchise. Fan-favorite characters like Psycho Krieg and Mad Moxxi are already slated to appear on the big screen.Borderlandsmay look like the game, but the film cannot hope to succeed on that alone.
Borderlandshas to maintain the irreverent tone of the writing, the fast paced action of the gunfights and the fununderdog cynicism of the characters. Fans will only respond to the adaptation if it is able to bring what they love about the franchise to the screen, new audiences will only respond to a quality film. The filmmakers have an opportunity to serve as a jumping-off point to the franchise. The film hasan all-star cast. Eli Roth, who is set to direct the film and also holds a writing credit, is an interesting choice to bring the film to cinemas.Roth is a fascinating director, most famous for his work in the horror genre, but he is also a respected screenplay writer who could bring great energy to the film.
Capturing the energy of the franchise will be the most significant challenge of the film, but it is a challenge the film must overcome in order to hold long-lasting success. Perhaps a great source of inspiration for how the film could succeed is therecent hitSonic The Hedgehog. The beloved blue hedgehog finally made his way to the big screen last year, in a film that changed a great deal about his backstory, but still remained beloved by fans and new audiences. The writing delivered a perfect take on the character, capturing the pure chaotic fun that the franchise has always stood for. That film’s energy would not have worked for a character like Mario, because it was perfectly geared towards Sonic. Building the film around the source material to capture the vibe will reap rewards across the board.
Borderlandsis a beloved franchise, which in just a few short years has developed a devoted fan baseand a respected lore. Bringing the game to the big screen will provide several unique challenges, but the filmmakers need only look to the tragic failure of pieces likeMonster Hunterto see the importance of capturing the spirit of the source.
