If you like realistic movies, “Uncharted” isn’t for you. But if you like popcorn blockbusters and Tom Holland, then it may be the perfect movie for you.
- “Uncharted” — based on the video game series — tells the story of Nathan Drake, a street-smart bartender who joins hunter Victory “Sully” Sullivan on an adventure to discover the treasure hidden by Ferdinand Magellan.
- Of course, the adventure doesn’t go smoothly as other parties seek out the treasure, too.
- “Uncharted” may seem like a basic adventure story. But there’s definitely more than meets the eye for this adventure story.
The good bits: “Uncharted” leans into the ridiculousness that a video game movie will provide. The physics of the real world matter. Like professional wrestling, these characters take bump after bump and still get up.
- So you have to suspend your disbelief for this movie. And if you do, it’s a thrilling treasure hunt story wrapped in puzzles.
- It doesn’t quite reach the charm and excitement of “National Treasure,” but it’s better than “Red Notice,” the recent treasure hunt story with Gal Gadot, Dwayne Johnson and Ryan Reynolds.
- “Uncharted” brings you on a magical adventure that doesn’t slow down. It dabbles in colonial world history that could be boring. But the writing is good enough that you stay engaged throughout the entire story.
- Few of the puzzles are easy to solve. Viewers won’t pinpoint the next move for the characters, making the audience have to do some extra bit of thinking on their own.
Magellan’s Book in Columbia Pictures’ “Uncharted.”
Clay Enos
The cast: Tom Holland does Tom Holland things, so if you’ve enjoyed his schtick in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, you’ll enjoy this movie.
- Mark Wahlberg is another Mark Wahlberg character — a tough guy with a heart. It balances well with Holland’s goofy, clumsy nature.
- Sophia Ali, who plays Chloe, does a great job jumping between trustworthy and untrustworthy, which defines a lot of the film.
- Tati Gabrielle is an almost flawless villain. You don’t trust her from her first appearance and you genuinely dislike everything she does to disrupt our heroes.
Tom Holland, Sophia Taylor Ali and Mark Wahlberg star in Columbia Pictures’ “Uncharted.”
Clay Enos
The knocks: Naturally, a movie will have its flaws. Some of the jokes didn’t land as well as they could have. Holland and Wahlberg delivered the lines well, but the dialogue felt clunky and forced. So it wasn’t as funny as it could be.
- The trailer also spoiled some of the movie’s coolest moments. So if you haven’t watched the trailer, don’t do it now. It’s better to walk into that movie without seeing some of the bigger trailer shots since that spoils the most fun part of the movie.
- There’s one sequence in particular — it takes place in Barcelona — that felt overly long. Sure, the characters had to solve puzzle after puzzle. But it felt like we spent too much time in Barcelona compared to how we spent time in the third act.
Victor “Sully” Sullivan (Mark Wahlberg) and Nathan Drake (Tom Holland) look to make their move in Columbia Pictures’ “Uncharted.”
Clay Enos
Yes, but: I didn’t play the “Uncharted” video game, so I won’t have a good comparison between the movie and video game. From what other critics told me, the movie did not match the same direction as the video game. I cannot speak authoritatively on that subject, though.
The bottom line: “Uncharted” is a fun, popcorn blockbuster flick that, if you suspend all thinkings of physics, is fun for everyone. I definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a good time and a wild ride. It serves as a pretty fun summer escape in the middle of winter.