Uncharted

This Uncharted adaptation is decent at best. The video games are work of art. This movie is formulaic, cheesy, unrealistic, and a slap in the face to the greatness of the game. The casting is obviously horrible as they look nothing like they do in the game. I didn't like how different elements from different games were infused as well into one movie when they should keep them separate as they are already making sequels so what's the point? Overall it is a fun movie but don't expect Naughty Dog quality on production.

Whenever you take on the daunting challenge of adapting a video game franchise for the cinema, you face an uphill battle from the outset.

But adapting a video game franchise that happens to be one of the most successful and most fiercely adored out there is a task many in the industry will wince at.

After years of speculation and setbacks, on a road that includes a terrific, albeit incomplete, fan film project, UNCHARTED finally makes its way onto the big screen with massive expectations and an abundance of fans ready to burn it at the stake if it so much as gets Sully's facial features wrong.

So, does it succeed?

That's a complicated question to answer fairly.

Ruben Fleischer's UNCHARTED is a film that, much like Tom Holland's young Nathan Drake in the opening sequence, hangs in the balance. It isn't quite the natural successor to the Nathan Fillion-starring short film from 2018 and will likely leave many die-hard fans of the franchise feeling frustrated with its characterisation and plot. It also isn't quite the buddy action comedy by commitee that modern Hollywood has churned out in various incarnations. UNCHARTED manages to find the smallest of spaces in between these two descriptions - while the fan film had the genuine cinematic fingerprints of the video games, this feature film substitutes those qualities for a deeper focus on comedy and chemistry and largely succeeds in that regard; however, it lacks the sheer thrills and carefully crafted plot points of the games in favour of predictable story beats and a glossy, stylish exterior fit for the 2020s.

But that's not to say UNCHARTED isn't exciting or even daring. It showcases its highlights with the best aspect of the games themselves - the action setpieces.

The choreography is frequently spectacular and is pulled off with genuine flair while the globetrotting locations are used to its advantage by being able to display a variety of indoor areas and outside terrain.

The performances are perhaps what stand out the most though - the chemistry between Holland and Wahlberg is fresh and organic and they really anchor the film and drive the plot forward with tenacity. Their relationship and character arcs are believable and help lay the foundation for the partnership Drake and Sully would eventually form in the games.

The comedy is actually pretty well written and plays to each of the actors' strengths but the overall pacing of the film can feel cluttered and awkward, especially with Antonio Banderas' crew, as the conflict and set-up between our heroes and villains can feel slightly disjointed.

The glaring issue here is it's glossy and stylish to a fault; the raw, gritty essence of Nolan North's tenure is watered down in order to make way for a movie star-led action-adventure that see-saws between a buddy comedy and an old-school treasure hunt. UNCHARTED is Sony's latest to exhibit what can happen by trying to please too many demographics; you slowly but surely lose the soul of the story you're meant to be telling.

Maybe the entire idea of telling the story of a young Nathan Drake just doesn't work and that Sony should've focused on adapting A Thief's End instead.

The cynic in me reminds you that the inevitable sequel(s?) wouldn't have been possible if that route had been chosen.

Ultimately, the fan film is more successful in transporting the suspense, pathos and texture of the game franchise than its big screen counterpart but Holland and Wahlberg's partnership as well as the action setpieces help lift this film to respectable heights, hopefully opening this world up to a new generation of fans.

The answer to my initial question, does it succeed? Yes, in many ways, just not in the way you want it to.

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I love old-school adventure films and i'm glad I supported this one as we desperately need more of them even if they stem from existing intellectual property.

Ideal for fans of Tom Holland and devil-may-care treasure hunts, "Uncharted" is a solid action movie with crazy stunts, beautiful locations and surprising star power. It's a good reason to leave the house for that big-screen spectacle that we all live for. If you've never owned a Playstation, that's really all you need to have a good time.

. . .

But sweet merciful Jesus, this is not an Uncharted movie and that is a torpedo that sinks the whole thing. Because to have that, you need Drake and Sully, and both Holland and Mark Wahlberg are way off; they're not even close. They don't look like these characters and they don't sound like them, despite the mid-credits afterthought of a scene that's supposed to satisfy this requirement.

And as a result, I have to admit, I was bored to tears. To the movie's credit, it picks up considerably in the third act, and even goes nuts in the set piece department (that airlift scene was pretty cool). But to make us wait ninety-odd minutes for Drake to even pick up a gun is ridiculous.

I admit personal bias in the strongest sense; this series of games makes my desert-island list, no question, and I wanted to be surprised by this. It just didn't happen, and I couldn't make these actors fit these characters. As it stands, that Nathan Fillion fan film from a few years back (I'm serious, go watch it) still reigns supreme. I try to be a movie-goer that steers clear of fanboyism, but it didn't work here. And it was not fun.

The Uncharted video game franchise is my favourite series of games ever made. I thought I should get that out of the way before diving into my review. Upon the countless storylines I'm sure they went over and numerous directors leaving the project before settling on Ruben Fleischer, I was worried, but still very excited to see these characters on the big screen. This will also be a completely unbiased review because I can't even compare it to the games. Too many things have been changed to really compare it. With all of that said, let's dive in.

The story begins with young Nathan Drake, a bartender who had one day planned on finding treasure with his brother Sam. After the disappearance of his brother, he never felt the need to get back into the game. When Victor Sullivan (Sully) appears after his shift one night, he brings up the past, saying that he worked with his brother Sam. This instantly makes Nathan want to be a part of this story and the two of them form a bond. These two believe that a fortune left behind by Ferdinand Magellan over 500 years ago is still sitting somewhere in the world. They take this journey together, but they're not the only ones after this treasure, which leads to a lot of predictability as well.

When I first heard that Tom Holland was cast to play Nathan Drake and Mark Wahlberg would be playing Sully, I, like many other fans, was left scratching my head. It was clear that they wanted to start these characters younger than they were in the game in order to build a long-running franchise, but it just didn't seem right. Again, I'm wasn't about to let my love of the games sway me in any direction though. I'm a huge fan of both Holland and Wahlberg, so here's the catch-22 happening in my head. Did I enjoy this movie overall and did I enjoy these two in their respective roles? I absolutely did! Do I still feel that it was a little miscast and that they should've been older? I absolutely do! For both of those reasons and for a few negatives I'm about to get into, I believe Uncharted is an okay, entertaining movie for the most part.

Ruben Fleischer has been a very hit-or-miss director for me, directing both Zombieland films, which I think are great, as well as Venom, which I had some fun with, but he has also done some pretty bad films in Gangster Squad and 30 Minutes or Less. His films always have a very clean look to them and a silly/fun tone. I was worried that tone wouldn't fit an Uncharted movie and I do feel that way after having seen the film as well. Bright and colourful (other than landscapes around them) is not how I ever saw an Uncharted movie looking, but again, it was adapted and I'm not going to complain about the look. What I feel is the weakest aspect of this film is the fact that there's absolutely no grit. Nobody is ever dirty, there's barely any blood, and it never feels like stakes are high because these characters can go through a lot without a scratch.

Overall, I probably have more to critique than praise when talking about Uncharted, but that's just because the Screenplay felt like it was hitting random bullet points instead of fleshing out the world they're living in. It never felt lived-in. Still, I love the cast (including Antonio Banderas and Sophia Ali as well), the banter between Nathan and Sully was fun, the action is cool, and I left the theatre feeling positive enough about the film that I would love to see them continue. I will gladly go back for a sequel, but I just hope they evolve these characters more and get down to a grittier, dirtier story. Yes, the point of Uncharted is to have fun and tell a great story, but I felt the story was a little hollow here. I think it's a movie worth seeing and I recommend it because I think there is potential for so much better in the future. This film is just okay overall, but the groundwork has now been laid for something even better.

Obvious cgi, plot holes, and lack of character depth made uncharted fall in the kind of lame category. Some funny moments between Wahlberg and Holland and decent sets. It was just too unbelievable.