A bit of a backstory first; since this is a movie based on a video game. I am a fan of the Uncharted games, I played and liked them all, but I didn’t grow up playing them. It was only recently (about 2016/17) I played through all of them and had a good time. So when this film was announced, I felt… “meh”. Even though I like this franchise, I don’t have any massive feelings for it, and if done correctly, it could have been the first video game adaptation in a while done well (because the real ones know Silent Hill (2006) exists and is a great film). Unfortunately, the final result is… I hate to repeat myself again, but “meh”.
Let’s start with the casting decisions. I like Tom Holland and was happy when he got announced because I get it that if this succeeds, the studios wanted somebody young to build a franchise around him. And even after watching the final product, I liked him as Nathan. Because you can tell this is not “the Nathan Drake” we know and love yet; but it is very much the beginning of his journey. Tom has the charisma, acting chops and demeanour to pull it off, so I had no issues here. As far as Mark Wahlberg as Sully goes… that was my first problem with this film. I didn’t think Tom and Mark had great chemistry between them. I don’t mind Mark, but I think they should have gone with somebody slightly older, more “father figure” rather than Wahlberg. Last; but not least is Sophia Ali, aka Chloe Fraser. I am not as familiar with her, but I thought she was perfectly fine as Chloe. Of course, she wasn’t given any decent amount of screen time to do anything but try to establish the character, and I thought she did a decent job. I would hope to see more of her if there are any sequel(s).
And to be honest, I liked the first 40 minutes of this film. I liked how we combined elements from all the games (big set piece from the third game, young Drake from the fourth one), and when we were getting to know who Nathan was, I was enjoying myself. The moment we get into the action stuff, and the “adventure” is when nothing surprises you. And not because I have played all the Uncharted games, no. It was simply because this film seemed like every single adventure film ever made combined into one. I understand that the original game series is based on Lara Croft with hints of Indiana Jones; therefore it wasn’t that fresh, to begin with, but come on. You can still make a decent adventure film without going through all the motions. But ok; for the sake of argument, let’s say you can’t come up with an original enough story, sure. Then at least make the action sequences fun! And this is where my main beef with this film comes into the foreground – Ruben Fleischer might be the most mediocre high-profile director we have today. And Uncharted, unfortunately, proved it.
Don’t get me wrong, he’s got some great movies (well, technically just the one movie, the original Zombieland (2009) is the only one of his I would truly call great), but he is one of those directors who seem to be content with CGI doing all the work. And mainly for the action sequences in this film, it is painfully noticeable. Think about it like this – even all the Indiana Jones films aren’t the most original stories ever told. But Spielberg gave them such a unique flair, paid attention to the action sequences because he didn’t have CGI to fall back on and made them unique, fun and part of the story. Here, we have several big set pieces, but they all feel shallow, empty, and pointless, as you can almost see the corners of the green/blue screen studio where they shot them. I get why it’s easier and safer to make an action movie like this, but when the action is so outrageous (like the flying boats sequence at the end), you lose all interest in the film. And Fleischer gave this film nothing unique. Everything seemed so “paint-by-the-numbers” we could have been playing any Uncharted video game and had a much better experience.
If there is any chance for a potential sequel (and this film grossed slightly over $400 million at the box office), please give it to somebody who can make it their own. I would much rather see a director who shoots big and misses where I could at least see them trying for something than to watch something as flavourless as this film. If this film were a spice, it would be flour. Hire somebody who has had some connection with this game’s franchise, get them a decent budget, and please let them shoot some action scenes on locations/practically. Because what we got with this movie… this ain’t it, chief.
Overall, Uncharted is a very slightly above-the-average film that has many things going for it, but it ultimately doesn’t deliver in its second half. If you are a passionate fan of this game series, you will probably hate this film as it doesn’t do the games justice. For what it’s worth, I thought the first 40 minutes had a promise, and I was on board with it, and then the rest of the film happened. And as we have gone from predictable to outright “oh, come on now!”, my enjoyment for this film faded. I would only be up for a sequel if they hire a new director; I am willing to give Mark a second chance. Would I recommend this film? It depends – if you are a hardcore fan of this franchise, no, I probably would say avoid it. If you haven’t played any of the Uncharted games and want something “light” to watch, then you might have some fun with the film, but don’t expect anything exceptional.
That’s all for this one! Did you see it? What did you think about it? Let me know!
Until next time.
Luke