Australian-born Hollywood superstar Cate Blanchett appears to be headed for a box office success with her latest film Borderlands.
Audiences appear to be staying away en masse from the big-budget film, which was panned by critics.
Eli Roth’s sci-fi action comedy based on the video game of the same name reportedly cost $182 million (Australia) to make, but grossed a measly $13.3 million (Australia) after opening in more than 3,000 theaters in the U.S. last weekend.
And critics have held back in slamming the film, which stars Blanchett, 55, as a futuristic “bounty hunter.”
On the aggregator site Metacritic The film has received a ridiculous score of 27 out of 100, based on 30 reviews from some of America’s top critics.
Meanwhile, on Rotten tomatoesThe film earned a 9 percent rating based on a worldwide poll of 99 critics.
“There are still many cinema failures coming our way before the year is out,” wrote one critic of the Toronto star.
‘But this sci-fi film combines clumsy direction, terrible script, mediocre acting, and awful CGI into such a mind-boggling boredom that it feels like nothing can top its badness.’
Cate Blanchett is heading for a box office disaster with her latest film Borderlands, as it has been slammed by critics
David Fear for Rolling Stone didn’t hold back, telling readers, “It’s not a film for critics, as the saying goes. Nor is it suitable for consumption by most gamers, movie buffs, or 99 percent of carbon-based life forms.”
Still, some critics found Blanchett’s performance a bright spot in the box office flop.
“During her chameleonic career, Cate Blanchett has taken on many guises,” wrote the film trade journal Screen International.
“But never before has she had the chance to be a gunslinger who causes mayhem. Unfortunately, Borderlands is an unworthy vehicle for her swaggering performance.”
Blanchett, who has won two Oscars in her thirty-year career, stars in the film alongside renowned American comedian Kevin Hart and Hollywood veteran Jamie Lee Curtis.
According to Cash register MojoBorderlands will struggle to recoup its hefty budget.
According to Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a 9 percent score based on a worldwide poll of 99 critics. Pictured: A scene from the film
The film grossed a meager average of US$656 (Australian $951) in 3,125 U.S. theaters on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Blanchett has received thousands of rave reviews over the past 27 years, having worked tirelessly on dozens of projects in theater, film and television.
Blanchett is a fixture on the global awards circuit, having received major awards around the world, including two Oscars, three BAFTAs, three Screen Actors Guild Awards, an Order of Australia and a Chevalier in France, for her contribution to the arts.
Cate was born in Melbourne and began her film career in Australia, but quickly made her international breakthrough in 1998 with one of her first films, the historical drama Elizabeth.
In the early 2000s, she was known to the global audience from the blockbuster Lord of the Rings series. Later, she appeared in the Hobbit trilogy.
She received widespread acclaim and an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Hollywood legend Kate Hepburn in Martin Scorsese’s Howard Hughes biopic The Aviator in 2005.
In 2013, she won her first Academy Award for Best Actress in the Woody Allen film Blue Jasmine.
In 2013, Blanchett won an Oscar for Best Actress for the Woody Allen film Blue Jasmine