With video game adaptations continuing to become more popular in recent years, Prime Video’sSecret Levelgot especially creative with the subgenre by producing an anthology series featuring plenty of hit titles. Having already been part of a gaming adaptation earlier in the year, Ariana Greenblatt and Kevin Hart both featured inSecret Level, which helped make up for their cinematic disappointment,Borderlands. After appearing in popular projects likeAvengers: Infinity WarandAshoka, Greenblatt’s career really took off when she secured a major role in2023’s highest-grossing movie,Barbie, and her profile has continued to grow ever since.
On the other hand, Kevin Hart has been a major name for years and adds plenty of humor and personality to every project he works on. Despite the duo’s talent, their highly-anticipated video game movie was underwhelming to say the least, asBorderlandsbroke Rotten Tomatoes recordsand currently sits at a 10% Tomatometer score. While its audience score makes for slightly better reading, it’s still far from the live-action project long-term fans of the franchise were hoping for. However,Secret Levelhas already given Greenblatt and Hart some much-needed redemptionjust a few months later.
Secret Level Is A Better Video Game Adaptation For Greenblatt & Hart Than Borderlands
Prime Video’s Animated Show Does A Much Better Job With Its Source Material Than Borderlands
AfterBorderlandsfailed to hit its mark,Secret Levelhas come along and been a much better gaming adaptation for Hart and Greenblatt. TheBorderlandsmovie’s decision to change several video gameaspects hurt the project drastically, as it seemed to take bits that were convenient from the source material while ignoring everything else. Many of the actors didn’t resemble their gaming counterparts - both physically and in terms of personality - while the overall story felt more like aGuardians of the Galaxy-inspired adventure than anythingBorderlands-related, resulting in the poor reception.
Secret Level: All 15 Episodes, Ranked
Secret Level’s 15 episodes provide an intriguing animated insight into their video game counterparts, yet some are more effective than others.
In contrast,Secret Levelhas found itself with favorable reviews. While some episodes deviated from the game they were based on, they did this in an original way that can at least be admired, even if it wasn’t to everyone’s taste. However, other stories were very accurate to the world and characters of their respective games, helping them flourish and receive admiration from fans. With much more creativity and personality,Secret Levelseason 1 has already carved a better legacy than 2024’sBorderlands, and it is by far a better adaptation, in which Hart and Greenblatt played a heavy role.
Hart & Greenblatt’s Secret Level Episodes Still Faced Some Issues
Hart’s PlayStation Episode & Greenblatt’s Spelunky Story Both Have Shortcomings
WhileSecret Leveloffered Greenblatt and Hart the video game adaptation success they’d been looking for in 2024, both of their episodes still faced some issues. Greenblatt played Ana inSecret levelepisode 12, titled “Spelunky: Tally”. The story follows Ana navigatingSpelunky’s constantly changing levels, dying over and over again as she grows frustrated that she can’t make it to the end. Although there were plenty of nice visuals and a heartwarming message,Greenblatt’sSpelunkyepisode suffered from being on the short side, which denied her the opportunity to get the most out of her character.
The bond between Ana and her mentor Liz was wholesome, but it could have benefited from being slightly longer. Likewise, the time spent withinSpelunky’s levels was more of a montage, and it would have been better to explore these dangerous caves and their environment in more detail. Interestingly, Kevin Hart’s role didn’t face the same problems; instead, his story suffered from the show’s advertising. The actor starred alongside his daughter inSecret Levelepisode 15, “Playtime: Fulfillment”, and the story focused on a young girl who breaks her mundane cycle to find more fun and adventure through gaming.
Secret Level’s “Playtime” episode was clearly supposed to be a love letter to PlayStation, as several iconic characters made an appearance, but this ultimately backfired.
Secret Level’s “Playtime” episode was clearly supposed to be a love letter to PlayStation, as several iconic characters made an appearance, but this ultimately backfired.Fans clearly wanted to see the likes of Kratos and Jin Sakai in more story-driven adventures after they were featured in the trailer, rather than through blink-and-you’ll-miss-them cameos. Although the episode itself had a nice premise and was executed fairly well, it didn’t compare to the show’s best adaptations, leading to viewers being slightly disappointed.
Greenblatt & Hart Reuniting For Secret Level Season 2 Would Put Borderlands Behind Them
Another Secret Level Appearance Would Help People Forget About Borderlands' Failures
Shortly after the conclusion of season 1,Secret Levelwas renewed for a second season, giving Greenblatt and Hart the perfect chance to putBorderlandsbehind them. While neither of them had the perfect episode in theirSecret Leveldebuts, they both did a good job at portraying their respective characters, and having the pair return for season 2 would be ideal. Although the series is likely to bring in some new faces, especially as many of the show’s characters were modeled after their voice actors, there’s no reason the duo couldn’t come back and play different roles.
All 15 episodes of Secret Level season one are now available to watch on Prime Video.
Hart and Greenblatt had good chemistry inBorderlands, so giving them the chance to work together on the same episode would be the perfect redemption. Hearing them both shine in a more positive adaptation would make theirBorderlandsshortcomings feel like more of a blip, and ifSecret Levelseason 2 could find the right game and story for the duo, there’s no doubt they are both capable of delivering memorable performances that will make the show’s next outing even more exciting.
Secret Level
Secret Level is an adult animated series exploring original short stories set within the worlds of popular video games. Each episode introduces new adventures, delving into iconic gaming classics and forthcoming titles to unlock captivating narratives and immersive experiences. Created by Tim Miller, the series celebrates gaming culture.
