Borderlands

"Borderlands is a movie that was talked about for a long time but seemed to never get off the ground—the success of the video game was enticing, but the curse surrounding video game-based movies seemed heavier. That was until, in a rather unlikely turn of events, filmmaker Eli Roth (Hostel) took the lead on the project. In fact, "unlikely" is an adjective that works well for this title: not only is it surprising that it got off the ground, but much of the cast seems out of place here (especially Cate Blanchett and Jamie Lee Curtis). The story, after all, is outrageous: a group of mercenaries must rescue the daughter of a powerful man while there's a race to find a treasure on a planet at the edge of the galaxy. Fun, though exaggerated in its tone, the movie oscillates between a children's audience and science fiction for Star Wars fans at every moment, never quite knowing which side to lean towards. Still, it should entertain those looking for an unpretentious and laid-back space opera, without worrying about creating very complex worlds and universes—besides all the surprise with Blanchett, in her most bizarre role to date."