Cate Blanchett has dazzled audiences with her incredible range, but Borderlands is not the showcase for her action-star potential. Despite her dynamic performances in dramas, she hasn’t yet found her perfect action role, like Jennifer Lawrence in Hunger Games or Charlize Theron in Mad Max. In Borderlands, Blanchett’s action scenes feel more like a monotonous routine than an exhilarating experience. Though she handles the physicality of the role well, the film itself fails to provide a worthy platform for her talents.
Borderlands: Familiar Premise with Little Excitement
In Borderlands, Cate Blanchett plays Lilith, a bounty hunter who’s hired by a wealthy businessman to retrieve his kidnapped daughter from the distant planet Pandora. As Lilith embarks on this mission, she discovers that the real issue may lie with the father rather than the kidnapped daughter. Along the way, Lilith teams up with a ragtag group of allies, including Roland (Kevin Hart), a muscle-bound warrior; Krom (Olivier Richters), a mysterious figure in a mask; Patricia (Jamie Lee Curtis), a clever scientist; and Claptrap (voiced by Jack Black), a quirky robot.
The film’s setup of unlikely companions exploring a futuristic world might remind some of Guardians of the Galaxy. However, any initial resemblance quickly fades as the film progresses. The action sequences, though frequent, lack imagination and fail to stand out. There are predictable elements like car chases, dodging acid in tunnels, and battling enemies in dark caves. These moments feel more like a checklist of video game scenarios rather than exciting cinematic adventures.
Uninspired Worldbuilding and Action
The worldbuilding in Borderlands is disappointing. The various threats, weapons, and environments are visually unremarkable and conceptually tired. Nothing in the film lingers in the memory except for a particularly odd scene where Claptrap shoots bullets from his rear end. Jack Black does his best to inject energy into the film with his humor and lively delivery. He even strikes a Kung Fu pose during an action scene, but his efforts aren’t enough to make the film engaging. His chemistry with Kevin Hart, which was enjoyable in Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, falls flat here.
Even though Jack Black and Cate Blanchett managed to create an intriguing world in Eli Roth’s 2018 film The House With A Clock In Its Walls, their collaboration in Borderlands struggles to find its footing. The film lacks the charm and creativity of their previous work. The film’s attempt at adding emotional depth, like the homecoming themes seen in Lady Bird or Causeway, feels forced. The efforts of two Oscar winners—Cate Blanchett and Jamie Lee Curtis—to infuse emotion into the story seem strained and don’t quite hit the mark.
A Hollow Action Flick
Ultimately, Borderlands comes across as a shallow action spectacle. It could have been a poignant coming-of-age story under the guise of an action fantasy, but it never fully embraces that potential. The dialogue, including a line where Cate’s character says, “I have something that you don’t enough,” could have been a key theme if it had been developed throughout the film. Instead, it remains as inconsequential as the rest of the movie.
While Borderlands might offer some visual thrills, it’s best appreciated in 4DX, if at all. As fans of Cate Blanchett await her standout action role, we can look back fondly on her brief but memorable turn as Hela in Thor: Ragnarok. That role provided a much better example of her potential in the action genre—a trap worth the claps.
