I was first introduced to the character of Nathan Drake when I picked up the original Uncharted game on the PlayStation 3.
The series quickly become my favorite, with the engaging, cinematic storylines and the great action set pieces.
When I heard that an Uncharted movie was coming out, I was cautiously optimistic that Sony would be able to do the job right.
Unfortunately, the movie languished in development hell for nearly a decade, seeing many producers, directors, and actors attach themselves to the troubled film just to depart again.
It is just about a given that a movie with such a troubled development isn’t going to play well, and critics have certainly not been kind to the film.
Before seeing it at Stettler’s Jewel Theatre, I deliberately avoided the reviews of the film because I wanted to be able to watch it without any pre-conceived ideas going in.
For the most part, I enjoyed the film.
Tom Holland played a very believable young Nathan Drake and the blink-and-you-miss-it cameo of Nolan North, the original voice actor of Drake in the four main video games, was a great nod to fans.
The part of the movie I struggled with was the casting of Mark Wahlberg as Drake’s mentor and partner-in-crime, Sully.
Don’t get me wrong, I like Wahlberg as an actor, but the problem is he plays himself in just about every movie and Uncharted was no exception.
Wahlberg was initially cast for the role of Drake, a part which I believe would have suited him well with his sarcastic wit and humour.
However, with the time it took to get the film through development to the screen he aged out of the role and was recast as Sully, a role that I don’t think suited him as well being that Sully is more gruff.
Drake and Sully didn’t have the usual banter that their digital counterparts had and it took to the end of the film before Sully appeared more as he did in the games.
I guess one thing to consider is that this film is the origin story for Drake and Sully, which could explain some of the discrepancies.
Still, all that aside, the movie was a blast.
Some of the film’s action sequences could have been ripped directly from the video games, there were plenty of nods to the game series for the quick-eyed fans and the story was on-par with a globe-trotting Indiana Jones adventure.
The plot of the film was, to me, mainly solid as well with a couple of edge-of-your-seat moments and a couple of other moments that succeded in taking the audience by complete surprise.
Whether you are a fan of the game series or not, if action/adventure is your genre and as long as you go into the movie looking for entertainment, and not high-art, most anyone should enjoy the film.
The film left off with overt sequel-baiting, with indications that it could lead into a film version of the first game.
I would definitely be on board for that.
Now we need to wait and see whether or not Sony, and the production team, chart a new course to an Uncharted sequel.