Uncharted

The film's grandiose action choreography is its strongest point. Tom Holland appears to be defying gravity while flying thousands of feet in the air during the cargo plane scene, which was ripped straight from Uncharted 3. The excitement is evident when the movie gets realistic, especially during hand-to-hand fighting scenes like the bar fight at the nightclub where Holland does his own stunts. Using the same energy that made Zombieland work, Ruben Fleischer shows off his talent for making the absurd very enjoyable. But the quality of the action is variable; some scenes are thrilling, while others lack the bone-crunching force that made the games unique and are drowned in CGI weightlessness.

The relationship between Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg turns out to be the film's redeeming factor. Wahlberg has referred to Holland as "like a little brother," and their improvisation on their initial encounter created an instant connection. Their rapport feels natural and new. Wahlberg's seasoned cynicism contrasts well with Holland's enthusiastic recklessness, and their banter helps the movie get through its darker moments. With her enigmatic plan, Sophia Ali's portrayal as Chloe Frazer gives the group a welcome boost of energy.

The world-trotting spectacle anticipated of the franchise is delivered with Uncharted. The movie comprehends the visual lexicon of the adventure genre, from breaking into an auction to steal an elaborate golden cross to investigating mechanical puzzle entrances in Barcelona's catacombs. Even while the CGI occasionally overshadows the physical wonder, the last act's pirate caves and aerial ship fights offer the kind of spectacular moments that make the admission fee worthwhile.

As an action lead, Holland demonstrates his ability to be "tirelessly likable" through his unquestionable charisma and authenticity. He generally avoids repeating his Spider-Man persona while capturing Nathan's athleticism and humor. The acting choices, however, elicit conflicting responses: Wahlberg never quite captures Sully's dapper charm, giving what seems like an "un-researched performance" that falls short of the emotional nuance fans anticipated, while Holland does a good job as a younger Drake. Tati Gabrielle's Braddock is so undeveloped that her name hardly registers, while Antonio Banderas shines in one-dimensional villain mode.

What made the games unique is essentially misunderstood—or perhaps ignored—in the movie. Instead of rewriting the story of any one game, it builds a disorganized prequel that retcons established canon and remixes elements from the whole franchise. In contrast to Uncharted 3's established narrative, the choice to make this an origin story in which Nate meets Sully in a bar seems like change for the sake of change. Fans will find plenty of Easter eggs, but the end product sounds more like "Marvel meets National Treasure meets Fast and Furious" than Uncharted. This adaptation, in some ways, feels less cinematic than the original games, which had a cinematic flair that made them feel like playable movies.

The screenplay bears the scars of years of development hell and numerous writers. Finding his estranged brother Sam should be Nate's purpose, but it feels more like a plot mechanism than an emotional one. Although we are informed that Nate has a strong desire to reunite with Sam, the emotional stakes are undermined by the fact that he worked as a bartender for years instead of aggressively looking for him. Sully's past is still incredibly ambiguous, and the antagonists lack any interesting depth and only act out of avarice. Without explaining why, the movie shows us that these characters are important to one another.

Although capable, Ruben Fleischer lacks motivation. He maintains the tempo and the intensity, but he doesn't give the content a unique visual character. While action scenes suffer from "quick cuts and extreme editing" that mask the choreography, the cinematography "never quite POPS to open the film up to an Indiana Jones-level." According to one critic, Fleischer "manages to go from one hit to the next without ever showing any particular talent"—a harsh but not totally unjust observation. Spielberg's self-assured swagger and even the fashionable excess of contemporary Mission: Impossible episodes are absent from the movie.

Without any real surprise, the plot moves automatically, crossing off treasure-hunt beats. The Magellan treasure MacGuffin offers minimal emotional involvement but sufficient scaffolding for set pieces. Puzzles that have remained unsolved for 500 years are solved by our heroes in a matter of minutes. Every line that "feels as if it had to pass a corporate committee vote" reveals the script's corporate-committee beginnings. We've seen a lot of action by the time the credits have rolled, but not much significant adventure.

Inconsistency is embodied by Uncharted. While CGI shows are unimpressive, practical stunts are impressive. Wahlberg coasts while Holland captivates. Scenes function individually, but the overall seems put together from spare pieces. The picture has a compromised identity that doesn't entirely satisfy either side since it can't decide if it wants to be an accurate adaptation or its own thing. It is competent entertainment that is "watchable in a thin 'Raiders of the Lost National Treasure of the Fast & Furious Caribbean' way"—that is, before you leave the cinema.

Uncharted does well as a cheap February blockbuster, but it falls short as a respectable adaptation of one of the most visually stunning video game franchises. While the action scenes offer sporadic thrills, Holland and Wahlberg's chemistry gets the movie through its uninspired direction and mechanical storyline. It is adequate for viewers looking for thoughtless adventure. It serves as a disheartening reminder to game aficionados that Hollywood is still having trouble capturing the unique qualities of the original material.

Staff:

Directed by: Ruben Fleischer

Screenplay by: Rafe Lee Judkins, Art Marcum, and Matt Holloway

Story by: Rafe Lee Judkins, Jon Hanley Rosenberg, and Mark D. Walker

Based on: Uncharted by Naughty Dog

Produced by: Charles Roven, Avi Arad, and Alex Gartner

Starring: Tom Holland, Mark Wahlberg, Sophia Ali, Tati Gabrielle, and Antonio Banderas

Cinematography: Chung-hoon Chung

Edited by: Chris Lebenzon and Richard Pearson

Music by: Ramin Djawadi

Production companies: Columbia Pictures, A2 Productions, Atlas Entertainment, and PlayStation Productions

Distributed by: Sony Pictures Releasing

Release date: February 18, 2022

Running time: 116 minutes