At the end of 2021, Tom Holland stormed our cinemas for his third solo appearance in the costume of the Marvel Spider-Man, and barely two months later the Briton is showing his new film. The highly anticipated video game adaptation; “Uncharted” unveils a film which, despite a banal story and very flat characters, is not that boring.
(Film Review: Christopher Diekhaus)
An expected adaptation
A makeshift explorer Victor Sullivan (Mark Wahlberg) approche Nathan Drake (Tom Holland), history buff, bartender and part-time thief, with an offer to accompany him on a perilous mission. Nathan refuses for a time, but because he sees an opportunity to see his missing brother again, he finally agrees to search for the gold of a famous navigator. A treasure in which Santiago Moncada is also interested (Antonio Banderas).
The genesis of the creation of “Uncharted” illustrates the hell of developments in Hollywood. In 2008, a year after the release of the action/adventure game “Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune”, the producer Avi Arad (“Venom: Let There Be Carnage”) is on the initiative of an adaptation for the cinema. But the projects keep being abandoned and the names of David O. Russell («Venom : Let There Be Carnage»American Hustle), Neil Burger («Divergente») ou Dan Trachtenberg (“10 Cloverfield Lane”) are mentioned in the grand lottery of this adaptation. And then it’s finally Ruben Fleischer to be drawn, director in particular of the film “Return to Zombieland”.
From “Spider-Man” to “Indiana Jones”
Thus thirteen years after the initial beginnings of this project, the big screen version of the series of video games “Uncharted” finally sees the light of day and boasts of a prestigious distribution. Tom Holland plays bartender Nathan “Nate” Drake, a young man passionate about historical puzzles, allegedly a descendant of privateer Francis Drake and an amateur thief. He and his older brother Sam (Rudy Pankow) lost sight of each other a long time ago during a terrible night at the orphanage that forced Sam to flee. Over the years, only isolated postcards from his brother have come to him, sent all over the world.
Make no mistake about it: “Uncharted” is a fast-food adventure of all kinds…
Today, the young man is hired by the curious Victor “Sully” Sullivan (Mark Wahlberg) for a bold venture. Together, they want to get their hands on the gold of the navigator Fernand de Magellan, whose name is inseparable from the first circumnavigation in history, in the 16th century, and which has not yet been discovered. If Nate accepts, it is only in the hope of finding Sam. In their journey, they are supported by Chloe Frazer (Sophia Ali), but their treasure hunt is thwarted by the plans of the intrepid Santiago Moncada (Antonio Banderas), descendant of an influential Spanish family and pursuing the same goal.
Sophia Ali, Mark Wahlberg and Tom Holland in ‘Uncharted’
© © Sony Pictures Releasing Switzerland GmbH
Make no mistake about it: “Uncharted” is a fast-food adventure of all kinds, accompanied by a thin story and characters that are anything but complex. The film unveils a joyous mix of action, more or less refined enigmas, ironic verbal jousts and spectacular images; enough to recall the works of Indiana Jones. But if the footage is far from equaling its peers, too hollow, too predictable, it is nevertheless part of a recreational genre, and which is not without attraction for the public. To start with Tom Holland and his unstoppable kindness. The actor is adorned with this same banter that made the charm of his Spider-Man.
And we will also appreciate the development of the characters of Chloe Frazer and Braddock (played by Tati Gabrielle), two striking female characters. What is surprising, however, is the final decision to banish and relegate to the background the adventurer character of Sophia Taylor Ali. And suddenly, the rather fair blockbuster until then, prefers to celebrate the good old male buddy movie and its two heroes who unite, despite adversity, to be able to exist.
3/5 ★
February 16 at the cinema
(Adapted from German by Théo Metais)