How is a movie based on a video game more lifeless than the game itself? There have long been knocks against the gaming world that they lack a human element, but Ruben Fleischer's “Uncharted” feels emptier than the award-winning franchise it's based on. Dominated by green screen special effects and thin treasure-hunt plotting, “Uncharted” fundamentally lacks the sense of adventure that has made Sony games some of the most beloved of all time. What's most striking is how much more cinematic the games feel in terms of world-building, characters, and narrative than actual movies. It's not as disastrous as some video game adaptations, and it's at least light enough on its feet to never insult the intelligence of its fan base like so many of these movies do. however, “Uncharted” seems to want to appropriate the goodwill of Nathan Drake's video game adventure; It takes no risks and feels like a bare minimum effort at storytelling. Roger famously said that video games can never be art. Based on those, this movie is definitely more artistic.
Nathan Drake (Tom Holland) was conceived as a throwback to Indiana Jones and the serial adventure films that inspired him. He's supposed to be a smooth-talking treasure hunter, someone who exists in a slightly gray moral area where priceless artifacts must be stolen because no one else can appreciate them like Drake. Holland has the quickness but lacks the weight and world-weariness needed for a character like Drake, who grew up in an orphanage and is willing to steal to make ends meet. If Indiana is usually the smartest person in a room, Drake has to be one of the sharpest instincts, a man who sees the riddle of history from a place of skill and courage. Holland is a brilliant actor, but he makes a mistake here, always dressing up as a kid as his favorite video game character.
While working at a bar and stealing jewelry from his patrons, Drake is approached by Victor Sullivan aka Sully (Mark Wahlberg), who tells him that he, along with Nathan's brother Sam, came close to one of history's most famous lost treasures. They stole the famous explorer Juan Sebastian Elcano's diary, which would lead them to the treasure hidden by Magellan's expedition. They quickly make their way to Santiago Moncada (an Antonio Banderas so underused that one has to believe he's been cut in half), heir to the family that financed the original expedition. Moncada's wish is enforced by Joe Braddock (Tati Gabriel) and the boys reunite with an old colleague of Sully's in Barcelona named Chloe Frazier (Sofia Ali, who pretty much steals the movie).
The journey to Spain and the Philippines “strangers” drives these characters away from each other, but none of it carries any weight. It's performing green screen that ignores how important the setting can be in a film like this. Whether it's Nathan and Chloe crawling through a nondescript tunnel for a hidden treasure or Sully entering one of the few fight scenes of the real Papa John, the design never once feels contrived. A movie like “Uncharted” needs to transport the audience. We need to go on a journey, not just watch actors pretend to fall out of a plane. “Stranger” games take players from all over the world. Not once do you get that feeling during this cold, distant adventure film?
If anything saves “Stranger” from the depths of the worst video game adaptations, it's the relative charm of the cast. Holland may be flawed, but he's just an incredibly likable movie star, and I hope he can find parts that make better use of his charm. Wahlberg strikes a nice balance between his charisma and the weary tone of a treasure hunter who has seen and done enough and just wants that final gig that could set him up for life. Banderas is wasted and Gabriel is inconsistent, but Ali is arguably a performer who gets that “Stranger” should be fun. When he is on screen he gives the film some much-needed energy and unpredictability.
“Uncharted” is another one of those projects that have gone through so many potential production teams over the years that it has lost its identity. Various filmmakers tried to make this movie and David O. There have been rumors going back to 2008 about Russell, Neil Berger, Joe Carnahan, Sean Levy, Dan Trachtenberg,
and Travis Knight. All the rumors or even different points were connected. When a project goes through many iterations over the years, it can often lead to a final film that feels like a compromise, a watered-down version that takes the most common, most basic elements of everything offered over the years. “The Stranger” checks the boxes for fans and newcomers but does so in a predictable manner that lacks any edge or spark. I have played the “Stranger” game multiple times from start to finish. Multiple-hour commitment. It may only take two to see.
Starring:
Tom Holland
Mark Wahlberg
Tati Gabrielle
Antonio Banderas
Cinematography
Distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing
Release dates:
February 7, 2022 (Barcelona)
February 18, 2022 (United States)
Running time – 116 minutes
Country – United States
Language – Hindi
Budget – $120 million
Box office – $357.9 million
