Uncharted (**)
In which it’s not clear if Mark Wahlberg is playing a weird brother figure or a weird uncle figure
People often say that the book is better than the movie – today, I’ll say so is the video game.
I’ve played through all five Uncharted games over the years. In many ways, Uncharted borrows tropes and plot elements from treasure hunt stories that have come before – Indiana Jones, in particular. But Uncharted managed to feel fresh and exciting all on its own, in part thanks to the hyper-cinematic nature of the gameplay. I also think part of it had to do with the fact that Nathan Drake is a modern-day adventurer, as opposed to some adventurers of the past who are stuck in a long-gone time period. We also can’t ignore the incredible voice and motion-capture performances of the cast, particularly Nolan North as the titular Drake. Seriously, his voice is such an iconic part of the games. It’s impossible not to love the guy, and having a relatable and self-aware protagonist with such depth was always a blast. Even if you’re not into video games, the Uncharted games are worth a shot for their narrative value alone.
Ever since the first Uncharted game came out in 2007, people have been asking for a cinematic adaptation. One of the big names that fans were pushing for was Nathan Fillion to play Drake; Fillion had played a similar character for the cult classic television show Firefly and its film follow-up Serenity. By the time the Uncharted film finally came to fruition, though, Fillion was (as great as he is) a bit too old for the role at 50. Even so, he participated in a fan-made short film you can find on YouTube that is definitely worth the watch for Uncharted fans. He had all the spunk and snarkiness that the character required – and to be honest, he just looked the part. But too much time had passed, so here we are.
There was a bit of criticism about casting Tom Holland to play Nathan Drake, mainly because Drake is supposed to be in his thirties for the bulk of his time in the games and Holland is on the very young side of 25. Personally, I think Holland was a good call. He’s a huge star right now – especially in the wake of Spider-Man: No Way Home – and he’s shown he can balance displaying an incredibly likable persona while doing impressive acts of acrobatics. I have no qualms about the casting choice of Holland, and I also don’t think there was anything wrong with his performance in the film. He did just fine.
My problem with the film was Mark Wahlberg. Some people wrote off the film based on his name alone – there were some crimes involving racist behaviour that Wahlberg did time in jail for back when he was a teenager, and a notably insensitive comment about 9/11 in 2012 that he later apologized for. I don’t know much about either of these issues, but I do know that Wahlberg wasn’t right for the role of Sully. Sully is supposed to be Drake’s mentor – a much older, moustache-wearing, cigar-smoking man whose love of treasure is only eclipsed by his love for Drake in a fatherly sort of way. Wahlberg didn’t really establish a mentor relationship with Holland’s character, nor did he come across as a father figure at any point. More than that, it really seemed to me like Wahlberg was just playing himself. That was a little disappointing for someone who had grown to love the characters of the video games.
Then there’s the script to contend with, which felt largely uninspired. The banter between Holland and Wahlberg often felt forced or out-of-place, and there were multiple moments of plot that left me scratching my head. Granted, my wife and I missed the first six minutes of the film because we had to drop my daughter off at her grandmother’s house, but that shouldn’t have hindered us all that much. You certainly won’t walk away from this film with any lines of dialogue that’ll stick with you for the year.
I’ve criticized the movie a lot, so I’ll end on a good note. The fight on the plane was a blast, as was the climactic battle on the flying pirate ships. I loved every minute of that. There’s also no shortage of treasure-hunt-aesthetic, which I’m a real sucker for. And there’s a Nolan North cameo – yes, it was a bit forced, but it was still nice to see him get a moment in the spotlight for all he’s done.
This movie wasn’t great. It won’t satisfy fans of the games, and it won’t convince many to try the games out. There’s not much to make me give this film a redeeming review. All the same, if you’re a sucker for treasure hunts like I am, this definitely falls into that category. I’m just warning you that – like most treasure hunts – you’ll end up walking away without much to show for it.
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