Borderlands star Florian Munteanu comments on the backlash to Kevin Hart being cast as Roland. Based on the popular video game franchise, the Borderlands adaptation features Eli Roth in the director’s chair and tells the story of a ragtag band of criminals who attempt to rescue a young girl who has access to great power. Borderlands‘ reviews have been disastrous following its theatrical release, but one particular point of criticism that emerged early on during the film’s promotion surrounded the decision to cast Hart, a comedian, as the physically imposing and serious Roland.
During a recent interview with CinemaBlend, Munteanu, who plays Krieg, reveals that he initially had “doubts” regarding Hart’s casting as Roland in Borderlands as well. According to the actor, however, Hart put the work in to be able to convincingly pull off the character. Check out Munteanu’s comment below:
“I was happy to be in a movie with Kevin Hart, but then on the other side, I knew the game. I knew the role that Kevin was playing, and I’m not gonna lie, I had a little bit of doubts as well. You know, just because Roland is a very stoic and big soldier who is known for his fighting skills. Kevin is just known for something else. But that’s the beauty about acting, you know, and that’s the beauty about such talented people. They are able to step out of their usual character.
“He trained with Navy SEALs for two or three months. He got all his fighting down. He did all his stunts by himself, which I obviously admire because I do all my stunts by myself. And then having a guy like him, and seeing that as well kind of inspires and motivates you. I think he will surprise a lot of people with this role.”
Kevin Hart’s Casting Is The Least Of Borderlands’ Problems
Borderlands’ Negative Response Explained
In addition to the Borderlands‘ casting choices, the movie was also met with criticism before release due to its decision to go with a PG-13 rating instead of R, which would have been closer to the tone of the source material. In the weeks leading up to its theatrical bow, the general sentiment online toward the movie did not seem particularly enthusiastic. Unfortunately, the film’s official release only made things worse.
Borderlands debuted to 0% on Rotten Tomatoes and now sits at 6% from 73 reviews. In reviews, the adaptation is slammed for its unexciting action sequences, an uncompelling abundance of characters, and a more family-friendly tone than the source material necessitated. Cate Blanchett’s performance as Lilith is frequently cited as one of the film’s few redeeming qualities.
Audiences are evidently also not loving Borderlands, as evidenced by its 51% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes and 2.6/10 user score on Metacritic. The film is criticized for essentially failing on a basic storytelling level, suggesting that an alternate Roland casting probably wouldn’t have made a difference to those who feel it fails to capture the essence of the games. Even if viewers do feel that Hart pulls of Roland effectively, the rest of Borderlands certainly looks like a let down.
