After a long and troubled production of almost fifteen years, it is finally arriving in all cinemas Unchartedthe film based on the video game series of the same name PlayStation And Naughty Dog that we will analyze today in our review. The events that will tell the first meeting between Nathan Drake And Victor Sullivan, reinterpreted in a more modern key, they are finally about to land in theaters, the director will have succeeded Ruben Fleischer to bring the classic atmosphere of this saga to the screen?
Lost, but not gone
We all remember a little when in its debut back in 2008, the Uncharted saga was cataloged almost immediately as a sort of link between video games and movies. Although at the time this return of Naughty Dog on PlayStation 3 was criticized for being too derivative and similar to tomb Raiderwith the passing of the years and the release of new chapters, the action series has managed to obtain its own precise individuality, becoming one of the cornerstones of the Sony videogame identity.
The arrival of this series in theaters was almost taken for granted, but despite this, its announcement nevertheless created a lot of sensation, both for the cast and for the events that the film will tell. Uncharted’s arrival on the big screen has set itself the goal of narrate the first collaboration between Nate and Sullywhich in the review we can confirm to have been one absolutely winning choice. Despite the various hints that occurred during the four chapters released on consoles, the way in which our protagonists met for the first time has never been specified and seeing it at the cinema makes its impact darkly, satisfying both fans of old dates and both those who approach the franchise for the first time.
After a brief parenthesis that immediately sets the stage for the troubled relationship between our main protagonist and his brother Samwe finally see our Nathan Drake in action who, improvising himself as part-time bartender, continues to score some theft towards unsuspecting customers subjugated by his charisma. Right here he meets Victor Sullivan, who with his speaking skills and above all his own bond with Sam Drakebewitches the young thief by convincing him to collaborate with him in search of one of the priceless lost treasures: the treasure collected by Magellan himself on his voyage to circumnavigate the globe.
Of course, things can’t go so smoothly, and like any self-respecting story there is always a need for an antagonist who tries to put a spanner in the works for Nate and Sully. Therefore, the figure of also comes into play Moncadathe last exponent of the Spanish family of the same name, also in search of this ancient fortune which he believes to belong to him by right, as descendant of one of Magellan’s collaborators. He will therefore do everything necessary to find and take possession of this treasure, even hiring the team of mercenaries led by the ruthless assassin Braddock.
A friendly neighborhood thief
The foundation for one great “Uncharted style” adventure they are all there, and in this review we can confirm that even the interpretations of the main duo are more than good. Tom Holland fits perfectly as the young Nathan Drake, bringing to the screen a charismatic character but still without the experience necessary to complete an adventure like this without creating trouble. Having made Nate a barman also gives another facet to his characterization, as thanks to being always in contact with new people every night he will surely have refined his manual and speaking skills … and it is thanks to these that he will capture the attentions of a optimal Vincent Sullivan, played by Mark Wahlberg, which manages to transmit on film the classic Sully that we have come to know and love in the videogame counterpart… albeit in a much younger version and without the iconic mustache. The two protagonists have excellent harmony and, despite some narrative choices that are not exactly effective, even the points of conflict between the two – arising above all from Sully’s sayings and unspoken ones about her past with Sam – are rendered discreetly, even if they are treated with a thread of superficiality and are resolved. soon after.
If the two protagonists work great, the same thing cannot be said of the ‘villains’ of the film. Moncada is too banal and speckled a character, used simply to put a minimum of obstacle to Nate and Sully in their raids. Antonio Banderasdespite the great experience, he fails to instill his charisma in this antagonistwhich ultimately does not arouse in the viewer the slightest threat to the protagonists. The same goes for Braddock, the ruthless mercenary played by Tati Gabriellewhich on screen certainly makes more impact as an antagonist than Moncada, but always falls into the usual clichés already seen and reviewed even in the same series of video games, adding nothing new to what one could already expect from an adventure “a the Uncharted “.
However, what this film does not fully return is the classic atmosphere present in the adventures of this series experienced with the pad in hand. The decidedly more action imprint chosen for this film unfortunately gives less space to the sequences of pure exploration, discovery and adventure, which very often ended up upsetting the initial plans of the duo of thieves. The search for Magellan’s lost ships does not compare at all with the other historical adventures of Sir Francis Drake’s heir, above all because the usual “jaw-breaking” moment is missing that leaves the viewer stunned. All longtime fans will remember for example the discovery of El Dorado, the entry into the ancient city of Shambhala or the encounter with the remains of the entire crew of Henry Avery; unfortunately we will not find any of this in this feature film. The adventure does not lead to revelations that reinterpret old myths or legends and is, despite everything, all too “normal”.
An Uncharted with little bite
The screenplay edited by Rafe Lee Judkins, Art Marcum And Matt Holloway certainly does not shine with particularly effective or unexpected narrative cues, even presenting some choices a bit far-fetched even for the usual Uncharted standards, which we do not want to spoil you in this review of ours, but which will certainly catch the eye even to those who are not so well versed with this brand. The only merit could be attributed to a sudden turning point between the relationships between the various antagonists of the film, which, however, not being at all as detailed as they deserve, certainly does not leave its mark on the viewer. Here, therefore, a parenthesis should also be opened for the character of Chloe Frazer (Sophie Ali), which in this film is used simply as a first love interest for our Nate and which, despite everything, will always end with the fall back into the usual styles we are used to for some time and with narrative twists that could turn out to be phone calls even for those who are new to the series.
Directed by Ruben Fleischer is certainly not surprising for its originality but it does its duty, putting on the big screen an action adventure without stumbling and without praise. The choice of locations is certainly a winnerespecially for the sequences set in Barcelonawhich, albeit for a brief cross-section of the film, fully breathe the classic mood of the videogame counterparts of Uncharted, which as already mentioned in our review unfortunately is not as present as we hoped.
Finally, an applause must be made to the excellent work of Ramin Djawadi as for the soundtrack, which with its very powerful and epic tones make the key scenes of the film even more impactful. The only real flaw, however, is his total detachment from the soundtracks present in the video games that we have come to know and love, completely snubbed by the German composer. Fortunately, the iconic main theme of Uncharted is present in one of the most faithful scenes of the film, which is sure to make all fans of the saga jump in the armchair. And speaking of surprises, we advise you to stay until the end of the creditsyou will not be disappointed.
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