By Seth Lukas Hynes
Uncharted
Starring Tom Holland, Mark Wahlberg and Sophia Ali
Rated M
Based on the bestselling video game series, Uncharted is an exciting, well-acted and generally extremely entertaining adventure film.
Bartender and pickpocket Nathan Drake (Tom Holland) joins forces with treasure-hunters Sully (Mark Wahlberg) and Chloe (Sophia Ali) to find the explorer Magellan’s lost gold.
Uncharted is, simply put, a very fun blockbuster, and these vibes come from the action, the fantastic chemistry among the cast and the strong sense of discovery, cunning and cleverness from their adventures.
Holland brings both pluck and gravitas to the role of Nathan, Ali has a steely, commanding presence as Chloe, and while Wahlberg seems to play the same character in all of his movies lately, he still does a fun honourable scoundrel. The second act has a highly engaging flow of the characters following clues and deducing their next moves. The action sequences are creatively-staged and well-composed, including a fire-throwing fight in a nightclub and a death-defying aerial stunt pulled from the third Uncharted game.
Sully is portrayed as a man willing to sell out anyone for personal gain, and while he is shown lying to Nathan, he is supportive and cooperative throughout the film. The climax has a satisfying moment of Sully finally placing his friends’ safety above his greed, but it feels like a redemption without a journey. The villains are severely underdeveloped, so the betrayal twist in the second act lacks weight (and is reversed almost immediately).
I haven’t played the source games, so I can’t speak to the film’s accuracy, but I’d certainly call Uncharted a (regrettably rare) good video game movie, despite Sully’s empty arc and the flimsy villains.
Uncharted is playing in most Victorian cinemas.
– Seth Lukas Hynes
