Uncharted (2022) Movie Review

When it comes to video game adaptations, it's not uncommon for them to be criticized for lacking a human element. However, Ruben Fleischer's film adaptation of the award-winning Sony game, "Uncharted", takes this criticism to new heights, feeling emptier than the game itself. Despite its use of green screen special effects and treasure-hunt plotting, "Uncharted" fundamentally lacks the sense of adventure that made the game so beloved.

What's most surprising is how much the game feels more cinematic than the actual movie, in terms of world building, character, and narrative. While the film may not be as disastrous as some video game adaptations, it feels like a bare minimum effort in terms of storytelling, riding on the goodwill of the video game adventures of Nathan Drake more than creating any of its own.

Nathan Drake, played by Tom Holland, was designed as a throwback to Indiana Jones and the serial adventure films that inspired him. He is meant to be a smooth-talking treasure hunter, someone who exists in a slightly gray moral area wherein stealing priceless artifacts is warranted because no one else can really appreciate them like Drake.

Holland, while agile, lacks the weight and world-weariness needed for a character like Drake, who was raised in an orphanage and is willing to steal to make ends meet. In contrast, Indiana Jones is typically the smartest person in the room, while Drake needs to be the one with the sharpest instincts, someone who sees the puzzles of history from a place of expertise and courage. Holland is a smart actor, but he's just not right for the role, always looking like a kid dressing up as his favorite video game character.

The film follows Drake, who is working at a bar and stealing jewelry from his patrons, as he is approached by Victor Sullivan (Mark Wahlberg), who tells him that he got close to one of the most famous lost treasures in history with Nathan's brother Sam. They stole the diary of the famous explorer Juan Sebastian Elcano, which will guide them to treasure that was hidden by the Magellan expedition. They quickly cross paths with Santiago Moncada (Antonio Banderas), the heir to the family that funded the original expedition. Moncada's will is enforced by the tough Jo Braddock (Tati Gabrielle), and the boys reunite with an old colleague of Sully's in Barcelona named Chloe Frazier (Sophia Ali, who pretty much steals the movie).

Throughout the film, the characters bounce off each other on a journey to Spain and the Philippines, but nothing has any weight to it. The use of green screens ignores how much setting can matter in a film like this one, and the design never once feels like a consideration. Whether Nathan and Chloe are crawling through a nondescript tunnel to hidden treasure or Sully is getting into one of the few fight scenes in an actual Papa John's, the film fails to transport audiences. It lacks the sense of adventure that should be inherent in a movie based on a beloved adventure game series.

If anything saves "Uncharted" from the depths of the worst video game adaptations, it's the relative charm of the cast. Holland may be miscast, but he's just an incredibly likable movie star, and it's hoped he can find parts that better utilize his charms. Wahlberg creates a nice balance between his charisma and the exhausted tone of a treasure hunter who has seen and done enough, and just wants that final gig that can set him up for life. Banderas is wasted and Gabrielle is inconsistent, but Ali is arguably the one performer who gets that "Uncharted" should be fun. She gives the film some much-needed energy and unpredictability when she's on-screen.

While "Uncharted" is not a complete disaster, it certainly falls short of the standard set by the video games on which it is based. The film lacks the sense of adventure and world-building that made the games so beloved, and it feels soulless in comparison. The green screen special effects and thin plot do little to capture the magic of the games, and the characters lack the weight and world-weariness needed for their roles.

Tom Holland is miscast as Nathan Drake, lacking the gravitas and expertise that the character demands. Holland is a talented actor, but he is just not right for this role, always looking a bit like a kid playing dress-up. Mark Wahlberg fares better as Sully, striking a balance between charisma and the exhausted tone of a seasoned treasure hunter. Tati Gabrielle is inconsistent as Jo Braddock, and Antonio Banderas is wasted in a role that could have been so much more. Sophia Ali, on the other hand, brings some much-needed energy and unpredictability to the film, stealing scenes as Chloe Frazier.

The film's lack of attention to design and setting is a major flaw. "Uncharted" should transport audiences to different parts of the world and immerse them in the adventure, but instead, it relies too heavily on green screen effects and CGI. The games take players on a journey around the world, but the film fails to capture that same sense of travel and discovery.

The cast's relative charm and likability save "Uncharted" from being a complete disaster, but they can only do so much with a lackluster script and uninspired direction. The film's journey to the screen was a tumultuous one, with numerous filmmakers attached or rumored to be involved over the years. The end result feels like a compromise, a watered-down version that fails to capture the essence of the video games on which it is based.

In conclusion, "Uncharted" is a passable but forgettable film that falls short of the standard set by the video games on which it is based. The lack of attention to design and setting, as well as the miscasting of Tom Holland, are major flaws that prevent the film from capturing the sense of adventure and world-building that made the games so beloved. While the cast's charm and likability save the film from being a complete disaster, they can only do so much with a lackluster script and uninspired direction. Fans of the video games may enjoy seeing their favorite characters brought to life on the big screen, but they are likely to be disappointed by the soulless and lackluster nature of the adaptation.