Uncharted

Not helping the case against video games movies is the latest starring vehicle for Spider-Man star Tom Holland. The adaptation of the popular (and spectacular) video game franchise, Uncharted, may be the kind of film that hooks you in the moment, but fails to deliver anything fresh or even take from the best of its source material.

Holland is Nathan Drake, a young, whip-smart bartender living in New York with a vast knowledge of history. Drake gets recruited by seasoned treasure hunter, Victor “Sully” Sullivan (Mark Wahlberg) to uncover a lost fortune from Ferdinand Magellan, by the House of Moncada, that’s worth billions. Along their globe-trotting adventure, they’ll have to fend off evil heir to the fortune Santiago Moncada (a profusely underutilized Antonio Banderas), his henchwoman Braddock (Tati Grabrielle) and fellow mysterious treasure hunter Chloe Frazer (Sophia Ali) all while learning to work together.

Instead of a straightforward adaptation of the games, Uncharted, serves as an origin story to the Nathan Drake fans have come to know. Getting the prequel treatment means getting to establish how Nate and Sully met, what their dynamic evolves into and of course, laying the groundwork for a new franchise, fit with two post-credits scenes. This gives Tom Holland the chance to further flex his movie stars muscle. While he’s far from an ideal choice as the Indiana Jones-inspired globetrotter, Holland is nevertheless a charismatic star. He’s got the physical prowess to impress in the films many stunt-heavy set pieces, and the dramatic chops to serve the character’s charming demeanor.

What remains a baffling decision is to cast Mark Wahlberg as the gruff mentor, Sully. Wahlberg isn’t sleepwalking in the role, he’s quite alright actually, and he does have a snappy rapport with Holland, but it’s not a rich or interesting enough portrayal to warrant the head-scratching choice. It’s the same character we’ve seen Wahlberg play several times before.

Director Ruben Fleischer (Venom, Zombieland) does bring a sense of scale to Uncharted that was missing in something like Red Notice. That still doesn’t mean Fleischer shows much distinction or originality in the film’s spectacle. Save for one truly inventive bit in the final act and the opening sequence, which does successfully recreate the opening of each game, there’s little excitement in Uncharted’s action. You don’t even get much suspense or sense of danger here that this genre flourishes in.

This adaptation occasionally looks and sounds like the games, but there’s a general lack of soul that is unshakable. The script, with five accredited writers, is thoroughly workmanlike and the emphasis on CG creates an artifice that detracts from some of the actual locations that are being used.

All four Uncharted games are known for their exquisite narratives along with exciting twists and turns, thrilling set pieces and characters you fall in love with. This cinematic adaptation has almost none of that. Uncharted is largely an uninspired action adventure that has likable stars and competent enough action, but too generic to make much of an impression.