After 12 years of hit games, theBorderlandsfranchise is being adapted for the big screen, set to release next year. The film is said tokeep the look of the game, and the tone is a must, but will the game remain violent and irreverent enough to seek an R-rating? Every game in theBorderlandsfranchise has been rated M for Matureby the ESRB, withheld from gamers under the age of 17 for violence and language. It would stand to reason that an adaptation of the franchise would hold an R-rating, the MPAA equivalent. But there is a vastly different cultural cache between a game being rated M and a film being rated R.
If a person only paid attention to the big blockbuster franchise games, they could be forgiven for assuming that the majority of popular games are rated M. Game franchises likeCall of DutyandGrand Theft Autosell incredibly well despite their mature rating.GTA V, the latest in the franchise, is the second best-selling game of all time. In comparison, there is only one R-rated film in the top 50 best-selling films of all time,2019’sJokerat number 31.
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This impact is substantial, and it’s often enough to scare studios into editing films down to fit into a PG-13. The difference is difficult to account for, in both cases the barrier to entry is similar. Part of the discrepancy is that the film’s success is measured at the box office, where theater employees are usually required to enforce the rating, while games are more regularly sold over the internet, where the restriction can be more easily evaded. In any case, the impact of the rating carries a palpable difference.
Borderlandsis beloved for its fast-paced shootand loot gameplay, its loveable cast of offbeat characters, and its clever yet crass sense of humor. The game keeps a lightness of tone by keeping the violence cartoony and the dialogue irreverent and immature. The blood and gore ofBorderlandsdo not crest the peaks of famously visceral series likeMortal KombatorDoom, but shooting, slashing, and smashing enemies is the moment-to-moment gameplay loop.
Perhaps even more intrinsic to the series is its style of writing,characters speak in quippy joke-laden dialogue, swearing regularly and consistently leaving innuendo about. Most people have some awareness of MPAA standards, and most people recognize them to be pretty absurd. Most are aware of the language standards of a PG-13 rating, specifically the fact that a PG-13 film is allowed exactly one use of the F-word. A Borderlands game placed under that restriction would likely raise some eyebrows from the fans.
SettingBorderlandsup with an R-rating carries a degree of risk, but there are also benefits to the strategy. Boldly proclaiming your film to be a hard R rating sets it apart and suggests a level of confidence in the quality and audience of the film. Stating clearly that the filmmakers are willing to take that risk to make the adaptation as they think it should be could pay off in the eyes of fans.Deadpoolis the go-to example for this sort of strategy,producer and star Ryan Reynolds made it abundantly clearthat the film needed an R-rating to tell the story the character deserved. Setting a film apart while the R-rating debate continues to rage could court hardcore fans and convert casual fans while bringing the truest version of the story to the screen.
The film is directed by horror movie legendEli Roth, who seems excited about the project. Most of his well-known films are gruesome thrillers, but he has also worked in the field of action and even children’s films. The director is known for gore, but his films often carry an irreverent sense of humor that would feel at home in theBorderlandsfranchise. Among his filmography, none of the films that he has directed serve as a close analogue to the source material. However, he did star in a film that could serve as a brilliant inspiration for the film.
Roth portrayed fan-favorite character Donnie “The Bear Jew” Donowitz in Quentin Tarantino’s classicInglorious Basterds.Basterdsis a wonderful look into the possible structure of aBorderlandsfilm, a cast oflovable characters enacting incredible violencein between intricately crafted dialogue. Move the setting from a hostile fascist dictatorship to a hostile alien planet and refuse to take the dialogue seriously and the filmmakers would have a great starting point for an R-ratedBorderlandsfilm.
There is an argument to be made against an R-rating for theBorderlandsfilm. Fans of the franchise come in a wide variety of ages, including many well below the age of 18. The escalation to an R rating would keep many fans out of the theater seats and at least slow their ability to see the game brought to film video game movies carry a stigma with them which can be difficult to overcome, it is reasonable to suggest the film should take all the help it can get.
Beyond that, the standards held by the ESRB and the MPAA are notably different. Fans often debate the validity of ESRB ratings, some media groups allow for commenters to suggest their own rating for specific games. Many gamers believe that theBorderlandsfranchise should not carry the M rating, as its more mature details are heavily stylized. Mostviolence depicted feels closer toLooney Tunesthan to Tarantino and the sense of humor often holds firmly in the middle school mindset.
Notably, most of the games have an option in the settings menu to obscure blood and gore. If fans believe the game could enjoy a T for Teen rating and some even choose to excise the cartoony carnage, a filmmaker might just be able to make a great adaptation ofBorderlands, even within a PG-13 rating.
Borderlandspresents a world that is brimming with opportunity, and fans are excited to see what thefilmmakers do with the franchise. There are arguments for and against the film seeking an R-rating, but the film might just have what it takes to be great either way.
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