BORDERLANDS 2024- ACTION MOVIE REVIEW

May 5, 2025

Borderlands (2024) follows Lilith (Cate Blanchett), an infamous bounty hunter who returns to her chaotic home planet of Pandora when summoned by the corporate magnate Atlas to rescue his kidnapped daughter, Tiny Tina.

Teaming up with a motley crew including the rogue mercenary Roland, the Psycho Krieg, and the eccentric robot Claptrap. Lilith uncovers hidden Eridian technology and confronts betrayals that culminate in a showdown inside a mysterious Vault. The film blends high-octane action, dark humor, and sci-fi world-building across three acts, drawing directly from the popular video game series while charting its own narrative course.

On Pandora, a lawless planet rich in alien artifacts and deadly bandits, vault hunters scour the wastelands for fabled treasures. After years away, Lilith heeds Atlas’s plea and a hefty reward to locate the missing Tiny Tina before his private army, the Crimson Lance, can exploit her genetic link to an ancient Eridian Vault.

Lilith is summoned by Atlas, who briefs her via holographic drone on Tiny Tina’s abduction by Roland now a rogue operative and Krieg. Upon her arrival, Lilith reunites with Claptrap, who leads her deep into Pandora’s war-torn badlands. They engage Crimson Lance patrols and rescue Roland and Krieg from ambush, forging a tense alliance of convenience.

Guided by Dr. Tannis, the team navigates an underground Eridian maze teeming with Psychos to retrieve a Vault key. During a communications blackout, Atlas’s true motives surface: he intends to trap Lilith in the Vault to exploit her Siren powers. Believing Lilith has betrayed her, Tina hurls a grenade rendering Lilith unconscious and fracturing the group.

Separated from Claptrap, Lilith awakens to a hologram from her mother, reigniting her resolve. As Roland and Krieg fend off Crimson Lance forces aboveground, Lilith returns to confront Atlas at the Vault’s threshold. With Tiny Tina’s aid, she activates her Firehawk Siren abilities to seal Atlas inside, where an ancient Eridian guardian drags him to his doom. The victorious crew celebrates, leaving Pandora’s fate and potential future heists wide open.

CAST: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, Ariana Greenblatt, Jamie Lee Curtis, Bobby Lee amongst others

DIRECTOR: Eli Roth

RUNTIME: 101 minutes

Watch trailer here.