The Borderlands movie tried to split the difference between a PG-13 rating and original story appealing to a more general audience. But they were not interested
They shouldn’t wait for 10+ years to do a movie based on a game.
and maybe don’t butcher every shot of the movie thats based on a franchise known for somewhat krass humour and mowing through countless hordes of enemies by trying to make it pg-13.
Pg13 Doom movie
I also just learnt that there was a Doom movie in 2005 starring The Rock?!
I don’t think that’s the problem, though. It was just made by people who clearly don’t give a shit and were just trying to cash in on the fact that there are actually some not terrible movie and TV show adaptations of games being made lately.
The Last of Us came out 11 years ago and became a critically-acclaimed TV show. And Sonic and Mario are ancient by video game standards yet made some good movies. Those IPs are still getting new installments which keep them relevant, but so is Borderlands, with Borderlands 3 only turning 5 next month.
But I think the other part of it too, is that Borderlands basically stopped being relevant years ago. It’s built on some “you had to be there” Millennial humor that people don’t really find funny or original anymore. It’s a series that peaked in high school and thought it was too cool to care about long-term goals. When it turns into a movie and tries to stand on story alone, without the unique art style or passable gunplay that serve as the games’ few remaining charms, what substance is there?
For borderlands though I’d say it was at its peak popularity with borderlands 2. None of the games after that really made a mark. And the characters are using is directly lifted from that game. And the gameplay loop is basically just a looter shooter with humor. Any serviceable story. In the very least handsome Jack was done well. Using this much of borderlands 2, would have been better when borderlands 2 was still a bigger game. Or just putting in a borderlands setting but with all new characters. And I still need better casting and better writing.
Sonic has been around forever, has had numerous games, TV shows, various other media (toys, shirts, etc.). And the movie used some elements from the games but then hard code itself to the game.
And last of us, is a heavily story-based game. The story that pulls elements that have existed and pop culture for a long time. I mean to be blunt it’s just another zombie story.
It’s not even timing issue, they can’t even tell the story faithfully or have accurate detail. Reading the plot makes me scratch my head. Why is Tina’s parent someone from Atlas? Why is Krieg even here? Where’s Mordecai and Brick? It’s a horrible fanfic, that’s why it failed.
