Borderlands, the latest film from Jack Black following a public scandal involving his Tenacious D bandmate’s comment about former President Donald Trump, has been met with harsh criticism and poor reviews. The movie, directed by horror auteur Eli Roth, is an adaptation of the popular video game franchise of the same name, featuring Jack Black as Claptrap, a comic android character that was a staple in the games. It also boasts an ensemble cast including Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, and Jamie Lee Curtis.
However, as of Thursday, Borderlands had only managed to secure a mere 3 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, indicating widespread negative reviews from professional film critics. The movie is rumoured to have undergone extensive reshoots while its budget ballooned over $120 million, leading some to predict that it may become one of the biggest box-office bombs in recent history.
The London Evening Standard’s critic declared that “Borderlands is definitely in contention for being the worst film of the year,” with The Hollywood Reporter’s critic going on to say that Jack Black’s voice work was “grating and unfunny.” Other critics have panned the movie as a plagiaristic, mediocre attempt at adapting video game content for the big screen.
These unfavorable reviews come after last month’s controversy involving Jack Black’s bandmate Kyle Gass, who mocked Donald Trump just one day after the former president survived an assassination attempt. The incident led to the shutdown of their international tour and put the band on hiatus, but now Jack Black has announced that he will bring Tenacious D back in the future.
Despite this tumultuous period for the actor and musician, he remains one of Hollywood’s most prominent celebrity fundraisers for Joe Biden, even headlining a star-studded June fundraiser featuring George Clooney and Julia Roberts. However, none of these celebrities publicly addressed the president’s cognitive decline during this event, which only became apparent shortly thereafter at the first presidential debate.