Uncharted

So it looks like we'll have to wait for another really good movie based on a game, because Uncharted didn't succeed as much as fans of the source material would have liked. And probably not even adventure movie fans. Making it a prequel turned out to be a smart move, the makers can tell their own story and just reference the game; sometimes a lot, sometimes a little, sometimes totally, and make a good adventure movie first and foremost. But it’s not much of one. The main problem is that it all drags quite a bit, there’s little action, and at some points what happens on screen is almost embarrassing. All the attempts at Indiana Jones-like wandering through corridors, avoiding traps and solving puzzles looks so cheesy that I was reminded of the 1990s series Relic Hunter. The chemistry between Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg is also pretty dour, and that's mostly because Wahlberg is playing more of a scumbag than a likeable bastard, and Holland tries his best, but the flat and predictable script doesn't give him much of a chance to make Nathan Drake a real likeable guy to root for. Fortunately, Uncharted climbs from below average as the runtime progresses, and the finale on the boats is already a lot of good action fun. And it was because of it that I left the cinema feeling actually satisfied. Unfortunately, as soon as I started thinking about the rest of it, the enthusiasm went way down again. A good finish is important, but Uncharted has so many unfinished or uninteresting elements that it makes up for an average adventure at best. (09/02/2022)

I haven't played computer games, so I can't compare them to the movie adaptation. For most of the running time, though, I was thinking how incredibly stupid this movie is – in a good way, but also in a bad way – as most of the scenes just happen for the sake of having something happen (at all). Uncharted doesn't lack action or suspense, but unfortunately it also has a lot of illogical moments – but maybe that was creative intent, who knows? The ship sequence had drive, while the plane scene was over the top. In the end, it's as dumb as Lara Croft, just good enough for one viewing. The final "cliffhanger" leaves the door open for a sequel, provided there is money. (19/02/2022)

Sahara 2, a bit better perhaps, but certainly not a good film. Tom Holland's Nate is more a kid who often takes his shirt off than a likeable thief with a sense of honour, and Wahlberg's Sully doesn't look much like the video game Sully either. But I'd be quite happy to wave my hand over it, if for God's sake I was having fun and if the story was interesting. Unfortunately, Uncharted is the kind of movie that isn't about the adventure atmosphere, but about the visual effects, that isn't about the characters' relationships, but about them talking and picking on each other all the time, where one character tells another that he acts like Indiana Jones, and another character calls someone else Jack Sparrow, but it's never a joke, it's always cringe. The plot is downright simple, the story unfolds as you expect (except for the bad guy thing, which was rather surprising, but also stupid). For nearly two hours, Uncharted tries, in two big action scenes it boldly defies the laws of physics and logic, but it's either too little or too much. When Nolan North appeared in a cameo role, I didn't have that nice feeling like I did with Stan Lee's cameos in the Marvel movies. I thought I'd rather see a Nate that looked like that. (12/02/2022)

Ruben Fleischer deliver an adaptation of the famous video game “Uncharted”, and although it doesn't break the curse of movies based on games, it is a likeable and entertaining adventure, the kind that is missing in cinemas, and certainly doesn't disgrace the game. I'm a big fan of the director, I love Gangster Squad, Zombieland and Venom, and Uncharted can easily stand alongside them. Tom Holland is great and comes off as a big personality, and he is well supported by Mark Wahlberg, who is an entertaining part of the whole film. The female characters don't stick out that much and the female protagonist is a bit bland, but I can get past that. The film has likeable visuals, solid pacing, fun characters, an engaging story and solid action, though there are only two proper set-pieces, but the finale is long, imaginative and epic enough (the reference to Pirates of the Caribbean was great), and a couple of Easter eggs to play with as well. It's quite comparable to the recent Tomb Raider adaptation and for me definitely better than the recent adventure movies with The Rock. I had a decent time and it's great to be back at the cinema after a long time! Story 3/5, Action 4/5, Humour 3/5, Violence 0/5, Fun 4/5 Music 4/5, Visuals 4/5, Atmosphere 3/5, Suspense 3/5, Emotion 2/5, Actors 4/5. 7.5/10. (13/02/2022)

I haven’t played the game and I enjoyed this. A modern Indy with lively action, snappy one-liners and entertaining heroes. But it isn’t particularly clever, but at least one twist had me surprised. Two opulent action sequences - the plane and the boats work smoothly, but ignorance of the laws of physics is sometimes a bit annoying. Quite soon, Tom Holland stops being so reminiscent of Peter Parker and in places carries the movie effortlessly on his shoulders. Most of the time, Wahlberg is a self-centered bastard, but reels off some great one-liners. I’m still disappointed that it wasn’t Carnahan who directed this, but in the end it worked out really good. (24/07/2022)