I was very doubtful going into this movie as I was concerned it was going to contradict itself in terms of lore and backstory, as previously established in the games. Especially since I was EXTREMELY unhappy with the casting of Mark Wahlberg as Victor Sullivan, as his persona is so night and day with the character we see in the game
That being said, I let most of that go when I was watching the movie because I was having so much fun with it!
Without going into too many spoilers, yes the game's story is different from that of what we see in the games, and Mark Wahlberg's Sully isn't the same person we see in the games, but within the context of what I consider to be another version of the story, I think it works really well. Tom Holland brought his own spin on Nathan Drake and I thought he was great, Wahlberg grew on me over time as Sully and he had me invested in his character. Sophia Taylor Ali was a wonderful Chloe Frazer, and she felt like the closest to their respective character in the games if that's what you're looking for. And of course, Antonio Banderas and Tati Gabrielle were excellent villains perfect for an action adventure such as this one
The story felt very appropriate for an uncharted property, and even had some winks and nods to lifelong series fans who played through a few of the exact situations in the games. It really does feel like you could make an installment in the game franchise with this exact story (With exceptions to maintain backstory consistency). Along with the action being so so so entertaining! Considering Nate's just now jumping into this life, it makes sense he's not comfortable breaking necks and getting into gunfights quite yet. But thankfully, that doesn't take away from the stakes or the excitement. The mixture of practical effects and excellent stunt work meant that the cgi they did use could have more time dedicated to it looked super clean, which I hate to say is rare nowadays
Did I mention this movie is actually really funny? Props to the writers for making me laugh throughout the movie, which can become irritating if it's not done properly. I honestly can't think of a joke I heard that fell flat, and none of the comedy felt inappropriately timed, which a lot of movies tend to do, compromising the moments that need to digest as serious tonal shifts. It was well done, and I gotta give credit where it's due
I do still have issues with it though, even if they are mostly nitpicks. The emotional moments didn't really stick the landing, and just about every time someone had tears in their eyes I didn't buy it. The child versions of Nate and Sam didn't have the greatest acting ability, although they weren't by any means terrible. And yeah I wish this movie was more consistent with the backstory we got in the games, because it would've made the whole franchise feel like one odyssey. I understand them taking another direction to create another story, but it would've been cooler in my opinion
Flaws aside, in the end this was a great time at the movies, and I'm glad to see that Video Game movies do have a future ahead of them. As long as you understand this isn't necessarily the same universe as the stories we've seen on the PlayStation, I think you'll walk out of this fulfilled. If you haven't played any of the games, this might actually be what gets you interested even! This movie may not have been a small beginning, but I sure do see greatness coming soon.
That being said, I let most of that go when I was watching the movie because I was having so much fun with it!
Without going into too many spoilers, yes the game's story is different from that of what we see in the games, and Mark Wahlberg's Sully isn't the same person we see in the games, but within the context of what I consider to be another version of the story, I think it works really well. Tom Holland brought his own spin on Nathan Drake and I thought he was great, Wahlberg grew on me over time as Sully and he had me invested in his character. Sophia Taylor Ali was a wonderful Chloe Frazer, and she felt like the closest to their respective character in the games if that's what you're looking for. And of course, Antonio Banderas and Tati Gabrielle were excellent villains perfect for an action adventure such as this one
The story felt very appropriate for an uncharted property, and even had some winks and nods to lifelong series fans who played through a few of the exact situations in the games. It really does feel like you could make an installment in the game franchise with this exact story (With exceptions to maintain backstory consistency). Along with the action being so so so entertaining! Considering Nate's just now jumping into this life, it makes sense he's not comfortable breaking necks and getting into gunfights quite yet. But thankfully, that doesn't take away from the stakes or the excitement. The mixture of practical effects and excellent stunt work meant that the cgi they did use could have more time dedicated to it looked super clean, which I hate to say is rare nowadays
Did I mention this movie is actually really funny? Props to the writers for making me laugh throughout the movie, which can become irritating if it's not done properly. I honestly can't think of a joke I heard that fell flat, and none of the comedy felt inappropriately timed, which a lot of movies tend to do, compromising the moments that need to digest as serious tonal shifts. It was well done, and I gotta give credit where it's due
I do still have issues with it though, even if they are mostly nitpicks. The emotional moments didn't really stick the landing, and just about every time someone had tears in their eyes I didn't buy it. The child versions of Nate and Sam didn't have the greatest acting ability, although they weren't by any means terrible. And yeah I wish this movie was more consistent with the backstory we got in the games, because it would've made the whole franchise feel like one odyssey. I understand them taking another direction to create another story, but it would've been cooler in my opinion
Flaws aside, in the end this was a great time at the movies, and I'm glad to see that Video Game movies do have a future ahead of them. As long as you understand this isn't necessarily the same universe as the stories we've seen on the PlayStation, I think you'll walk out of this fulfilled. If you haven't played any of the games, this might actually be what gets you interested even! This movie may not have been a small beginning, but I sure do see greatness coming soon.