“Uncharted,” a film based on the popular video game franchise, is an action-packed race to see who can solve the clues left behind by Magellan and get to the treasure first. While hardcore fans of the game may not find this film to be a treasure, stars Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg deliver exactly what action fans come to the movies to see. 

Directed by Ruben Fleischer, “Uncharted” is a 2022 action film based on the “Uncharted” video game series, developed by Naughty Dog, that began in 2007. The film stars Tom Holland as Nathan Drake and Mark Wahlberg as Victor “Sully” Sullivan. Sully worked with Nate’s older brother, Sam, while trying to discover the lost gold of famed explorer Ferdinand Magellan. The two were partners until one day, Sam vanished. To continue searching for the gold, Sully had to turn to the younger Drake brother, Nate. There is only one problem. They aren’t the only ones after the treasure. Billionaire Santiago Moncada, played by Antonio Banderas, believes the treasure is rightfully his because his family funded the exploration centuries ago.

I’ve never played the video games, and had little knowledge about the story beforehand, so I walked into this movie with very few expectations. I knew I would see a lot of action and cool visual shots, but not much more, except for the dynamic between Holland and Wahlberg to be fantastic. I mean, who doesn’t want to see Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg travel the world searching for a 500-year-old treasure? 

I walked out of this movie thinking I just saw a combination of “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle” (2017) and “Red Notice” (2021). It took the best parts of each of those films and combined them into one thrilling adventure. The pacing was all right and the writing was solid, but the duo of Holland and Wahlberg was great. The constant bickering created an older brother/younger brother dynamic between the two, which also led to some heartfelt moments. 

The critics did not seem pleased with the movie. They rated it 40% on Rotten Tomatoes. 

“It’s not that much of a movie, but a diversion. It’s a big, dumb diversion; the best thing about it is that it serves as evidence that Tom Holland makes for a wonderful movie star,” stated Amy Nicholson of FilmWeek. 

Did the movie have any flaws? Absolutely. Certain characters are set up to have large parts, but they disappear in the middle of the film and are hardly seen again. It is also very frustrating to watch characters constantly betray one another when they can find a way to split billions of dollars. However, the fans gave it a score of 90%, which shows not everybody had a problem with this movie. Critics seem to forget that not every movie is made to be the best picture winner at the Oscars. Some movies, including Uncharted, are made simply for fun. If you are a fan of the video game series, I understand the critiques. It is very hard to love a game so much, then watch someone create a movie adaptation that leaves out key moments of the character’s stories. 

After a successful opening weekend, this may be the start of a new movie franchise. “With over $100M in box office worldwide in just one weekend, and a 90% positive audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, Uncharted is a new hit movie franchise for the company,” stated Sony CEO Tom Rothman. 

“Uncharted” is a funny, action-packed movie that was made for audiences to enjoy. If you are expecting an exact recreation of the video game series, this movie may not be for you. However, if you are looking to sit down, eat popcorn and take a break from the outside world, then look no further than “Uncharted.”