Why ‘Minecraft’ Triumphed While ‘Borderlands’ Flopped: The Shocking Truth!

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Have you heard that work on a live-action Minecraft movie started back in late 2014? It’s been over a decade since then, which is quite a long wait for anyone, especially gamers. Despite the anticipation building up with those wild chicken jockey festivities, the recently released film featuring Jack Black and Jason Momoa has exceeded expectations at the box office. The Minecraft Movie has already achieved two impressive feats: it’s the second-highest-grossing film of 2025 and, more significantly, it ranks as the second-highest-grossing video game film ever made.

The popular video game Minecraft appears to be joining the ranks of legendary video game adaptations, such as The Super Mario Bros. Movie and the Sonic the Hedgehog films. Going back in time, director Eli Roth’s 2024 cinematic interpretation of Borderlands – a series of first-person shooter games – followed a similar pattern with a team of protagonists, clever dialogues, and comedic action throughout. However, it’s worth noting that despite these similarities, the Borderlands movie turned out to be a box office flop. The question remains: Why did one succeed while the other failed?

New Characters and Respecting the Source Material Help ‘A Minecraft Movie’

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The main distinction between a Minecraft Movie and Borderlands lies in their faithfulness to the original content. While a Minecraft Movie introduces some creative liberties, such as bucket nunchucks and an abundance of pink over white sheep, Warner Bros., Mojang Studios, and director Jared Hess have been steadfast in creating a world that reflects the game’s blocky style and mechanics. The cinematic portrayal of Minecraft blends its expansive lore with humor that caters to moviegoers, showcasing the talents of Black and Momoa. Conversely, a Borderlands film may struggle to gain acceptance if it strays too far from the source material.

In a different phrasing: “The film was referred to as a unique cinematic world.” However, it turned out this choice was problematic. Rather than spending the required time to explore who psychos, vault hunters, Pandora, and the Vault are, those at Lionsgate decided to squeeze in as many casual references as possible without understanding why these elements resonated with viewers so deeply. The core theme of the Borderlands games lies in the vast and imaginative array of weapons on offer. Regrettably, this essential aspect has been completely disregarded in the movie, opting instead for excessive action scenes and explosions that failed to convey any genuine meaning.

In “A Minecraft Movie,” apart from Steve, new characters are introduced who aren’t found in the game itself. These include Henry, his sister Natalie, Dawn, and Garrett Garrison, who is also known as “The Garbage Man.” Since these characters debut exclusively through this film, viewers don’t have any prior comparisons to make.

As for the Borderlands movie, while it shares a color palette with the games, the similarities stop there. The casting choices for Lilith, Roland, Tannis, and Mad Moxxi depict these characters as around 20 years older than their in-game versions.

‘Borderlands’ Couldn’t Even Get the Villain Right

In “A Minecraft Movie,” Jack Black’s character, Steve, is often seen instructing and directing others, yet there aren’t many scenes that truly foster a strong group bond. Conversely, in “Borderlands,” the characters are propelled by the plot rather than vice versa. It’s unclear if it was a problem with editing or simple ineptitude, but the main antagonist in “Borderlands” seems to be another misstep.

Deukalian Atlas craves even greater power to amplify his own might, while the villainous character from A Minecraft Movie named Malgosha, though a computer-generated queen pig with magical powers, radiates an extraordinary charm. Despite her clumsy and unrefined demeanor, she leaves an impact in every scene.

Deukalian doesn’t show up and his character is rather forgettable compared to the numerous dangerous psychos. In fact, these psychos pose a greater danger than he does. To clarify, “A Minecraft Movie” never aimed for anything other than what it was. Given the game’s wide-ranging age appeal, a PG rating seems fitting. The movie adaptation includes all the familiar elements like crafting, farming, and redstone machines, keeping true to its family-oriented audience. For heaven’s sake, one of the film’s debates revolves around the charm of a baby zombie riding a chicken!

‘Borderlands’ Director Speaks Out, but Is He Right?

In simpler terms, the main appeal of the Borderlands game series often lies in its raw, adult-oriented humor. Unfortunately, the movie adaptation seems to focus more on generic, family-friendly jokes instead of preserving the unique premise that made the franchise stand out. This shift towards lighter humor may alienate the mature audience who initially propelled the franchise’s popularity. Furthermore, when a film is centered around action elements like gunfights and explosions but lacks any visible violence, it can create an issue with its overall tone and appeal.

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2025-04-18 00:32