Borderlands 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Review
Score: 71
from 2 reviewers
Review Date:
Despite a high-quality Dolby Vision transfer and excellent Atmos mix, Borderlands delivers a soulless, generic storyline that ultimately disappoints.
Disc Release Date
Video: 86
Borderlands' 4K UHD presentation impresses with a Dolby Vision transfer that showcases razor-sharp details, vibrant colors, and deep blacks. Although CGI rendering gives a cartoonish feel and reshoot scenes disrupt visual consistency, the disc offers reference-quality sharpness and impressive depth.
Audio: 96
Borderlands' Dolby Atmos mix delivers an immersive and engaging audio experience with dynamic distribution across front, center, side, rear, and height channels. Bass is deep and impactful, enhancing big action sequences, while clear dialogue ensures intelligibility amid the intense and vibrant soundstage.
Extra: 26
The "Borderlands" 4K UHD Blu-ray presents roughly 45 minutes of extras, offering insights into the film’s production and the transition from game to screen. These brief but engaging features go beyond typical EPK soundbites, adding value with highlights such as "High-Tech Hellscapes" and "Fashion and Action on Pandora."
Movie: 26
Despite a star-studded cast, 'Borderlands' is a disjointed, studio-meddled film that suffers from poor writing and direction, delivering lackluster CGI and clichéd plot beats. While attempting to emulate the chaotic energy of its video game roots, it ultimately results in a soulless experience lacking coherence and engaging drama.
Video: 86
The 4K UHD Blu-ray release of "Borderlands" boasts an impressive video presentation, employing a 2160p Dolby Vision transfer that excels in certain areas while showcasing some inconsistencies. The film, encoded in HEVC/H.265 and presented in a 2.39:1 aspect ratio on a BD-100 disc, offers a visual feast, marked by razor-sharp details and vivid color reproduction. Highlights include bright colors, inky blacks, and crisp whites that pop on the screen, contributing to a visually striking experience when the transfer performs at its best. Moreover, the depth achieved through skilled lensing brings a nice balance to foregrounds and backgrounds, enhancing the viewer's immersion.
However, "Borderlands" does carry some visual drawbacks. Certain sequences reveal rushed CGI and evident reshoots that detract from the overall quality. These moments lead to scenes that suffer from poor background integration, rendering the characters' surroundings as flat and unclear—a noticeable issue during green screen utilization. As such, these sections stand in stark contrast to the otherwise reference-quality sharpness and detail found elsewhere in the film.
Despite these inconsistencies, the Blu-ray's video transfer succeeds in delivering a visually appealing experience for much of its duration. The black levels maintain solid consistency with excellent shadow detail, avoiding any issues with crushing. The color palette ranges from neon-like vibrancy to earthy tones typical of the film's desert-like setting, maintaining natural flesh tones for non-animated characters. The overall clarity remains pristine with no visible noise or artifacts, offering a commendable visual treat when "Borderlands" is operating at full capacity.
Audio: 96
The audio presentation of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray release of "Borderlands" showcases a highly immersive Dolby Atmos mix that masterfully engages all auditory channels. This robust sound mix excels in delivering an expansive soundstage with exceptional dynamics, particularly evident during action-packed sequences where guns roar and colossal creatures wreak havoc. The meticulous use of front/center, sides, rear, and height channels ensures that each scene envelops the viewer in a rich auditory environment. A standout moment features our band of unconventional heroes navigating through a giant tentacle monster, which epitomizes the grandeur and immersive quality of the mix.
The technical prowess of the audio mix also shines through in its dynamic use of height channels, offering a fluid distribution of sounds that dynamically transition from speaker to speaker. This creates an active soundscape that captures the viewer's attention from start to finish. Additionally, the low-frequency extension provides a powerful bass that enhances both the musical score and action sound effects, delivering deep impacts that resonate physically within the viewing space. Meanwhile, the comprehensive surround sound presentation remains as dynamic as the height channels, offering precise auditory cues and maintaining clarity.
Throughout the film, dialogue remains clean and distinctly articulated, ensuring it is well-prioritized amidst the chaos of action-laden scenes. Even in quieter moments, incidental sound elements are thoughtfully distributed to maintain a lively presence, keeping viewers engaged continuously. This mix's strategic deployment makes for a thrilling auditory experience that complements the film's energetic visuals, resulting in a thoroughly engaging audio journey for audiences.
Extra: 26
Lionsgate's 4K UHD Blu-ray release of "Borderlands" offers approximately 45 minutes of extras that, while concise in nature, effectively expand on the transition from game to film. These extras provide insights into various production elements, capturing the essence of the beloved video game series. Though not exhaustive, the content is slightly more detailed than standard electronic press kits. The disc includes a range of featurettes that explore character introductions, set designs, and the creative process behind adapting a highly stylized game world for the big screen.
Extras included in this disc:
- Borderlands: From Game to Screen: Exploration of translating the game to film.
- Meet the Team: Introduction to the film's creative forces.
- All Aboard the Death Choochoo: Behind-the-scenes featurette.
- Bringing Borderlands to the Screen: Insights on adaptation challenges.
- Badonkadonk Time: Fun feature focusing on set pieces.
- Fashion and Action on Pandora: Examination of costume and action design.
- High-Tech Hellscapes: Overview of visual effects and environments.
Movie: 26
"Borderlands" 4K UHD Blu Ray Review:
"Borderlands" is an ambitious attempt to bring the chaotic universe of the beloved video game franchise to the big screen. Unfortunately, the film falters under the weight of studio intervention and a lack of coherent storytelling. The movie features a star-studded cast, including Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, and Jamie Lee Curtis, but their talents are ultimately squandered in a narrative that is both generic and predictable. The plot follows Lilith, a reformed bounty hunter on a mission, but the story struggles to maintain engagement due to cliched plot beats and superficial character development. The supposed ensemble fun is dampened by uninspired performances and a pervasive sense of going through the motions.
From a technical perspective, "Borderlands" exhibits the hallmarks of a film compromised by conflicting directorial visions. Originally intended as a hyper-violent, humor-laden action movie akin to its source material, this adaptation was toned down to a more sanitized PG-13 offering. The reshoots, led by Tim Miller, fail to weave together the remnants of Eli Roth's original vision with coherence, resulting in a disjointed film experience. The movie's pacing oscillates inconsistently between frenetic and sluggish moments, exacerbated by choppy CGI and haphazard editing.
While the vibrant world design hints at potential visual appeal, "Borderlands" ultimately leaves viewers stranded in a desert of missed opportunities. Characters that should shine instead come across as hollow versions of their game counterparts. What should have been an electrifying ride ends up as an incoherent series of scenes, further diluted by unremarkable dialogue. Despite its aspirations and formidable lineup, "Borderlands" does not succeed in transcending the pitfalls often associated with game-to-film adaptations, struggling to capture what made its source material so engaging.
Total: 71
Borderlands" presents a challenging transition from an engaging, expansive video game series to a 100-minute cinematic endeavor. Adapting such a detailed and energetic gaming franchise was always going to be demanding. Despite high expectations facilitated by Eli Roth's directorial involvement and a talented ensemble cast, the transformation from game to film has left much to be desired. The shift away from the game's original intense R-rated dynamism towards a more generic and subdued PG-13 narrative failed to capture the essence of its source material. The execution seems muddled with editing choices that left the story feeling clichéd and predictable.
Technically, the 4K UHD Blu-ray package is commendable, offering an impressive Dolby Vision transfer and a robust Dolby Atmos audio mix that ensure a high-quality home viewing experience. The visuals appear crisp, and the sound quality effectively immerses viewers in the intended auditory landscape of the film. However, while it looks and sounds polished, the supplementary features are scant and only moderately informative, which fails to add significant value or deeper understanding to the movie's lackluster narrative.
Conclusively, "Borderlands" in its 4K UHD incarnation proves to be a technical triumph yet remains fundamentally flawed in its storytelling execution. While enthusiasts may appreciate the high-resolution presentation, those seeking a compelling narrative may find the film wanting. Prospective viewers are advised to approach with caution and perhaps consider renting before purchasing outright, as the cinematic adaptation struggles to do justice to its richly conceived interactive origins. In essence, it is best reserved for completists who enjoyed the film in spite of its shortcomings, with others likely agreeing on a simple "skip it.
High-Def DigestRead review here
Video: 80
While there are a lot of great highlight points to celebrate, the image also suffers from the obvious reshoots and what looks like some seriously rushed CGI to get the film finished and in theaters ASAP....
Audio: 100
Given the big action sequences with guns blazing and massive creatures destroying things, there’s a lot going on to give this soundscape a full spread....
Extras: 20
While tackling different topics about making the film and bringing the world design of the game to life, they’re all rather brief....
Movie: 40
Then there are movies like Borderlands, a work that once probably had something going for it but bears all the hallmarks of top-level studio meddling for a boring soulless slog of one cliched plot beat...
Total: 60
That’s especially the case with a game series like Borderlands where there’s a level of near-infinite replay value for a game where you can spend dozens of hours playing it and still not finish it....
Why So Blu?Read review here
Video: 100
The focus is nice and neat with foregrounds and backgrounds both benefitting from some very nice lensing overall....
Audio: 100
This is not a static mix, and these height speakers deliver!Low-Frequency Extension: Bass booms for music and for action sound effects....
Extras: 40
Borderlands hits 4K Blu-ray with a variety of options – The standard option had an O-ring slipcover and the 4K Disc, Blu-ray and Code inside the standard case....
Movie: 20
I do take Roger Ebert’s words to heart that reviews shouldn’t aim to rip a bad film to shreds, and I also know that regardless of the negative reaction here and elsewhere the film will find an audience...
Total: 40
I’d say maybe find a way to rent this and see if you’d like to own it before committing, but even then, I continue to say to do this with caution....
Director: Eli Roth
Actors: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Edgar Ramírez
PlotOn the distant, lawless planet of Pandora, a notorious treasure hunter named Lilith returns in search of her missing daughter. She is reluctantly joined by an unpredictable team, each with their own agendas. Among them is Roland, a disciplined ex-soldier; Tiny Tina, a chaotic teenage explosives expert; and Claptrap, a clumsy yet endearing robot. As they navigate the treacherous landscapes filled with hostile creatures and bandits, the team is under constant threat. They soon realize that finding Lilith's daughter is intertwined with a legendary vault rumored to contain unimaginable riches and power. Their quest becomes even more dangerous when they cross paths with Hector, an ambitious military leader seeking control over Pandora’s potent resources to fuel his own tyrannical empire.
As alliances shift and secrets unfold, the team races against time to uncover the truths buried within Pandora's myths. They must outsmart Hector's formidable forces while confronting their own inner demons. Amidst high-octane action sequences, intense showdowns, and moments of unexpected humor, the core of the group is repeatedly tested. Each character must decide what truly matters in a world where loyalty is scarce and survival is all-consuming. The story blends dynamic character arcs with epic adventure, setting the stage for a thrilling narrative that explores themes of power, redemption, and the relentless pursuit of hope in a chaotic universe.
Writers: Eli Roth, Joe Abercrombie
Release Date: 09 Aug 2024
Runtime: 101 min
Rating: PG-13
Country: United States, Hungary
Language: English