Film Preview: Borderlands (2024)

Film Poster

Page Revisions:

(February 25, 2024) Original
(July 28, 2024) New Trailer (#2) — New Posters (#8-#16)
(August 4, 2024) New Poster (#17)

Release Date:

August 9, 2024

Synopsis:

From IMDb: “A feature film based on the popular video game set on the abandoned fictional planet of Pandora where people search for a mysterious relic.”

Poster Rating: B- / C+ (6) / C+ / C+ (7) / C / C+

SEE ALL POSTERS BELOW
Review: (#1, B-) The colors are bright and appealing, if perhaps a bit overboard. That said, it’s consistent with the style of the video game on which it’s based. The staging is familiar and it doesn’t quite have a sufficient enticement factor. (#2-#7, C+) These character posters, while unique, seem overengineered and cheaply corny.

(#8, C+) The chaotic nature of the design might speak to the film’s premise but the details are uninspired and the color scheme is oppressive. (#9-#15, C+) A continuation of the prior character poster series with more different individuals but no more impressive design work. (#16, C) This effort reminds unfavorably of the Guardians of the Galaxy, which will put into the minds of everyone who watches it a question about whether or not the film really is just Guardians with slightly different characters and substantially more diversity.

(#17, C+) While yellow has always been one the various posters for this film, none were as steeped in the color as this one and while there’s too much empty space, it at least has some amount of energy to make it work.

Trailer Rating: B- / B-

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Review: (#1, B-) Taking their cues from Guardians of the Galaxy, this cross between Guardians and Mad Max might work to sell a video game but it may not work to sell a movie if it weren’t for the cast. Strangely, having Cate Blanchett, Jamie Lee Curtis, Jack Black, and Kevin Hart would seem to be a comedy coup, only the voice-over by Black and the work of Ariana Greenblatt sell the film.

(#2, B-) What humor was found in the first trailer is largely absent, replaced by more plot information and heavier action elements. The underreliance on Cate Blanchett’s presence is confusing and Kevin Hart’s part in the film takes a backseat to the action. This is one of those films that looks like it might have potential but doesn’t quite know how to sell that.