When it comes to video game movies, there are basically two kinds: those that are rumored for years and never get made and those that dive into theaters out of nowhere. I’d like to say that there are good and bad video game movies too, but I’ve yet to see one I could honestly call “good.” Anyway, there’s definitely a Borderlands movie coming out in the not to distant future.

Last week, the major stars for “Borderlands” shared some sneak peek images of their respective characters. Apparently, Kate Blanchett will be playing Lilith, Kevin Hart will be Roland, Ariana Greenblatt will be Tiny Tina, Jamie Lee Curtis will be Tannis, and Jack Black will be playing the one and only Claptrap. It’s definitely a decent cast, but there are some concerns regarding the story, I think.

It looks like “Borderlands” is going the loosely-based route in regard to the story and characters. The plot revolves around Lilith and Roland as the search for…a missing girl who “is mysterious and who may hold the key to unimaginable power.” No mention of vaults or anything so far, and I can’t help but notice the absence of the other vault hunters.

Hyperion, the Crimson Lance and the “Guardian Angel”are also absent from the synopsis, but then there’s still a chance for them to show up. Considering that they’re borrowing from the first and second games though, it’s also weird that there’s no Handsome Jack. Of course, the movie may be just fine in its own right. We won’t know until we see it, but I have to wonder why it is that video game movies almost always do everything but follow their source material.

Why make a Borderlands movie if the only ideas being brought over are a handful of characters? I suppose you could argue that fans wouldn’t want to see a retread of an already old story, but I don’t know. I think it could’ve been a lot of fun to watch a more fleshed out version of the first or second games’ stories, and Handsome Jack seems tailor-made for this kind of thing. Ah well, perhaps all will be fine so long as they keep the irreverent comedy and work some crazy guns in there. Story and characters aside, that’s basically what Borderlands is, right?

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Do you think that “Borderlands” can break the video game movie curse? What do you think of the casting or plot differences?

Image is Borderlands movie title art