Uncharted – A Generic Yet Somewhat Entertaining Adventure

Video game film adaptations have had a complicated history. For the most part, they’ve been a mixed bag but with studios continuing to try and leverage their existing IP, there will always be video game films. The Uncharted action/adventure video game series is arguably one of the most popular series of all time. There have been rumblings of a film adaptation for forever it seems like. Running through different directors while fans have cast countless actors as its star, Nathan Drake. Finally, an actual film is now upon us. The aptly-named Uncharted puts one of the biggest stars at the moment in Tom Holland through the ringer with varying degrees of success. Influenced by classic action/adventure franchises such as Indiana Jones, the film continues that inspiration perhaps a little too closely. A generic film in just about every conceivable way, it does very little to set itself apart from all the others out there in spite of its popular source material. As a result, the film comes off as bland and contrived though still kind of fun.

Uncharted follows a young Nathan Drake (Holland), a street-smart treasure enthusiast that would find himself recruited by a veteran treasure hunter named Victor “Sully” Sullivan (Wahlberg) to assist in finding a vast treasure believed to be lost belonging to Ferdinand Magellan 500 years prior. However, they were not the only ones interested in the treasure. From there, the chase was on to decipher the puzzle behind the secret location of the treasure first. This journey would take the characters around the world looking for clues in order to get one step closer to the treasure. Suffice it to say that it wasn’t going to be easy as all the parties involved entered into a cat and mouse game of sorts with the caveat of not necessarily knowing where each stood therefore couldn’t always be trusted. In the end, the prospect of a potential multi-billion dollar treasure was definitely a source of temptation but whether or not it was actually there at the end of the journey wasn’t a sure thing either.

Uncharted saw the Drake and Sully dynamic be tested and be testing for audiences. Their roles were clearly defined, wisecracking each other as the former was put through the ringer while the latter merely swooped in at the end. They were still somewhat fun to watch as the guide through the treasure hunting world but there was more to that story. The film was essentially a coming-of-age story for Drake as the adventure was a means to embrace who he was and get closer to his older brother Sam who was missing and presumed dead. That being said, nothing particularly new or original happens over the course of the film with the film banking on that dynamic to make up for it and for the most part, it did. That adventure was of course leading up to something as all the pieces came together to make a ridiculously over-the-top climax serving as the epitome of what the film had to offer. In spite of some bad VFX, it was grand and still exciting to watch.

Ultimately, the best part of Uncharted was the charismatic performance of Holland as Nathan Drake. Maybe he was too young for the role but nevertheless, he still gave it his all as his star power and charm shined through, enough to look past that. Though the material wasn’t always the best and generic, he made it work and was compelling to watch. The action wasn’t that far removed from his more recent work but he more than held his own. Meanwhile, a disinterested Wahlberg as Sully dragged down the proceedings. Thankfully, his chemistry with Holland made up for that albeit slightly. The other side of the equation was the underused Banderas as Santiago Moncada, a wealthy man who believed the treasure to be his birthright. Relegated to the background, he was basically useless.

At the end of the day, Uncharted will more than likely do its job but will be forgotten not long after.

 still courtesy of Sony Pictures

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Keith Noakes

The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.