Borderlands

Borderlands has always been an over-the-top, crazy and slightly insane gaming universe, full of clichés, low-cut clothes, explosions and characters with the depth of a puddle. That's why you'd think it was a perfect adaptation for the big screen.

Cate Blanchett's narration manages to sum up the entire universe in the first 30 seconds of the film, and that pretty much says it all. But it also allows those who haven't played the games to follow along - but it's even more fun with the many references and recreations of familiar locations and characters.

While there have been a number of key success stories recently, there are also plenty of examples of an interpretation of a game universe gone horribly wrong. Just recently, Fallout and The Last of Us proved that it can be done, and because Borderlands is the game it is, it's a perfect fit for an action film format where everything takes place at 250 km/h and the accelerator is down from start to finish. There aren't many breaks; there are small transitions between areas, a bit like a transport animation in a game, and then there's violence, explosions and car chases for the rest.

In narrative terms, all the clichés have been acquired, and by that I mean that all the plot twists and surprises can be seen from miles away by a hardened film geek. That doesn't matter either. Again, you have to remember that this is an action film with an emphasis on action, so I was actually surprised that they took some creative liberties. A bounty hunter who's "too old for this shit" is assigned to find a rich businessman's daughter. She has been abducted to a planet with a secret crypt filled with alien technology and a local population struggling for basic daily survival. Along the way she meets a funny robot, a big muscle guy who doesn't say much, a mouthy soldier and an even more mouthy kid who likes to blow things up. If you think Fast & Furious in space combined with Guardians of the Galaxy, then it fits, because that's what Borderlands is.

Cate Blanchett as Lillith and Jamie Lee Curtis as Tannis may seem like odd casting choices, but they shine through by looking like someone who actually enjoyed making the film. Cate Blanchett in particular seems quite relaxed in a role where there is room for physicality. Jamie Lee Curtis pulls off the character of Tannis amazingly well, especially if you know a little backstory about how the character is an autistic introvert who probably hasn't benefited from years of isolation either. Jamie Lee Curtis may be considerably older than the character in the game, but they have actually managed to angle this quite well narratively. Both, but perhaps especially Blanchett, seem to fully immerse themselves in the premise of the planet Pandora and the entire Borderlands universe, and this elevates the film quite naturally.

The villain Atlas is customised for the occasion. Unfortunately, the actor doesn't have much to work with, despite being reminiscent of Raul Julia's portrayal of M. Bison in the Street Fighter film, though without iconic lines like "For you, the day Bison graced your village was the most important day of your life. But for me, it was Tuesday." It's a shame that he has the personality of a Dalek, because there was some potential here - but the few lines he has don't give much room to do much with the character, other than the film establishes early on that he is cunning, evil and has no respect for human life.

Kevin Hart is, as always, the weakest link in the chain. I understand that Eli Roth, as director, needs an extra extra comic relief besides ClapTrap in the form of Jack Black (who is surprisingly even less annoying than in the game), but Kevin Hart has neither the timing nor the sharpness to deliver one-liners on the big screen. His facial expressions are limited to two different disgruntled expressions and a monotone delivery of the lines. It's by no means his worst film, but even at his best, Kevin Hart is still pretty bad, especially when the character he plays is the polar opposite of himself, who is not a powerfully built, relatively quiet, experienced elite soldier. It's a role that would have been perfect for The Rock or Idris Elba, but they were probably too expensive to run. Or maybe they didn't bother with the 17 built-in lazy jokes, which may fit the game, but are already tiring in the film after number two.

Krieg in the form of Florian Munteanu is not used much. He remains a well-trained lump of meat and has lines that can be counted on a quarter of a little finger. It's a shame, because there's a lot more depth to the character in the games.

He works well as the empty-headed protector of the film's real star, child actress Ariana Greenblatt - probably best known for playing the child version of Ahsoka Tano in the Star Wars universe and Gamora in the MCU. Her role as Tiny Tina is quite well done, capturing both a childlike innocence and vulnerability, combined with the arrogance, indifference and lack of maturity you would expect from a child playing with explosives. There's actually some character development to be had here, and the role is, if not great, certainly more memorable than her appearance in Barbie.

The film's effects are quite good; only a few times do the CGI effects fail to make you realise how much is actually computer generated. The physical effects and costumes are also well done. The surrounding environment in particular is vividly created and filled with creatures, people, vehicles and habitation, and along with the pacing, serves to avoid contemplating plot holes for too many nanoseconds at a time.

Borderlands is close to the games - and that's exactly why it can work. It's fast-paced action from start to finish and has no illusions of being a French noir film aiming to win the Palme d'Or.