Uncharted

The "development hell" of the Uncharted movie lasted so long that Mark Wahlberg—who was originally cast to play the young, nimble protagonist Nathan Drake back in 2010—ended up playing the crusty, middle-aged mentor Victor Sullivan by the time the cameras finally rolled. It’s the kind of Hollywood irony that usually signals a disaster in the making. Yet, when this thing finally dropped in early 2022, it didn't just survive the tail end of the pandemic theatrical slump; it actually thrived. I watched this for the first time while eating a bag of slightly stale pretzel nuggets that were roughly the same texture as a centuries-old Spanish doubloon, and honestly, that felt like the correct way to consume it.

The Physics of the Impossible

If you’re looking for a gritty, grounded heist movie, you’re in the wrong zip code. Uncharted exists in that high-gloss, contemporary blockbuster space where the laws of gravity are merely suggestions. The film’s centerpiece—a dizzying sequence involving Tom Holland dangling from cargo crates trailing behind a plane—is a frame-for-frame love letter to Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception. It’s spectacular, but it also highlights the weird friction of modern action: the CGI is so seamless that it occasionally loses the "weight" of actual danger.

That said, Ruben Fleischer (the guy behind Zombieland) knows how to keep the camera moving. He uses the visual language of the games—sweeping pans across ancient maps and intricate puzzle-solving in dusty basements—without making it feel like we're just watching someone else play. The finale, involving 16th-century pirate ships being airlifted through a tropical archipelago by heavy-lift helicopters, is the kind of glorious, big-budget stupidity that makes me love going to the movies. It’s loud, it’s colorful, and it’s unashamedly a "franchise starter."

Chemistry Over Canon

The internet spent months arguing that Tom Holland was too "boyish" for Nathan Drake. I get it; he’s not the grizzled, five-o'clock-shadowed adventurer from the games yet. But within the context of the film, his casting makes sense for our current moment. He’s the ultimate Gen Z action hero—vulnerable, acrobatic, and constantly looking a little bit overwhelmed. His chemistry with Mark Wahlberg is the real treasure here. Wahlberg plays Sully as a cynical, untrustworthy father figure who refuses to put down his phone, which feels like a very "2020s" take on the character.

The supporting cast is a bit of a mixed bag. Antonio Banderas (of The Mask of Zorro fame) shows up as the billionaire Santiago Moncada, but the movie doesn't seem to know what to do with a legend of his caliber. He’s largely overshadowed by Tati Gabrielle as Jo Braddock, a mercenary who actually feels like a physical threat. Every time she stepped on screen, I found myself wishing the movie would give her more to do than just look menacing in expensive tactical gear. She’s got that "future star" energy that manages to cut through the green-screen haze.

Making It Work Post-Pandemic

It’s worth noting that Uncharted was one of the first big tests for the theatrical experience after the 2021 wobbles. While Disney was shuffling things to streaming, Sony stuck to their guns with a theatrical-only release, and it paid off to the tune of over $400 million. Apparently, audiences were hungry for a "Global Treasure Hunt" that didn't involve superheroes for once.

The production itself was a logistical nightmare, being one of the first major films to shut down in March 2020 on its very first day of shooting. When they finally got back to work, they had to navigate the "new normal" of COVID protocols, which might explain why some of the street scenes in Barcelona feel a little sparsely populated.

A few fun details for the eagle-eyed fans:

The guy Nathan Drake meets on the beach after the plane crash? That’s Nolan North, the original voice actor for Drake in the games. Tom Holland actually worked as a bartender at the Chiltern Firehouse in London to prepare for the early scenes in the film, though he reportedly got kicked out once people realized who he was. The production budget of $120 million is massive, but compared to the $200+ million spent on many streaming-only "blockbusters" lately, Uncharted* actually feels like it has more "bang for its buck" on the big screen.

Ultimately, Uncharted is a perfectly calibrated piece of contemporary entertainment. It doesn't reinvent the wheel, and it certainly doesn't reach the heights of the games it’s based on, but it understands the assignment. It’s a breezy, 116-minute distraction that manages to turn a decade of production delays into a functional, fun adventure. It’s the cinematic equivalent of a solid vacation—you know exactly what you’re getting, and you’ll probably have a decent time even if the "treasure" is mostly just the friends we made (and betrayed) along the way.