“Uncharted” is a short but action-packed film starring Mark Wahlberg and Tom Holland. Based on the old PlayStation games of the same name. Nathan Drake is an adventurous treasure hunter, risking his life to get ahold of the world’s most infamous lost treasure.

Having never played the game myself, I can’t give much insight on the game to give you a clear comparison between both the movie and the game “Uncharted”. The movie was well put together and kept me on my feet.    

The plotline of the movie ran a bit faster than normal action films, with quick cuts between scenes and little transitions, leaving me confused.

The movie also had an abundance of over-the-top subplot choices that were not necessary to the film’s overall production. I see what the producers were trying to do in the choices they made– trying to stay true to the story while also adding interesting side stories to keep the film entertaining. However, at a point it became a little more than necessary since it didn’t do well to carry out the plot of the movie overall. 

The actors did a beautiful job acting their roles. Though both Holland and Wahlberg are exceptional actors in their own right, (and extraordinarily hilarious), the way the pair portrayed their characters was unsatisfactory. Tom Holland was too well known as the bright-eyed Peter Parker to cast in such a playfully sarcastic role like that of Nathan Drake.

A great option would have been casting Nolan North, as he was the original voice actor of Nathan Drake in the “Uncharted” video games. 

Also, casting both actors side by side as the infamous pair did not make sense, and it showed in the movie when their character relationships didn’t click like it should have in the “Uncharted” video games. Making the decision to focus on the plotline by throwing in unnecessary story choices, attempting to make the movie enjoyable, had the opposite effect and distracted me from the movie itself.

The time spent on the story would have been utilized much more productively if they would have had the actors adopt the personalities of the characters a bit more, and to find ways to exhibit those personality traits in a way that makes myself feel as though I were watching the real Nathan Drake on a crazy adventure for treasure, with his sidekick, Sully. 

Despite the movie’s flaws, including the poor creative choices as far as attempting to adapt a beloved video game, it was still a film I would watch again. It was still an enjoyable watch with a hilarious pair of actors, and the thrill of the chase. I still highly appreciated the movie.

If the movie stood on its own, without adapting from a video game, “Uncharted” would have been much more successful and more appealing to myself and other audiences. If you’re looking for something to kick start your adrenaline, “Uncharted” is a good choice to keep your adventurous taste buds appeased.

“Uncharted”: ★★★★☆