“Uncharted” reimagines video game franchise
Chart your course to a movie theater to watch “Uncharted,” an adaptation of the popular PlayStation series. PHOTO CREDIT: ign.com
The movie, “Uncharted”, was finally released this Thursday, Feb. 17 in the United States after six years in the making.
The first time I heard about the “Uncharted” movie I was in high school in 2018 and it was news that the part of Nathan Drake had been given to Tom Holland. Little did I know how long it would be until I saw it in theaters because of the pushback from the COVID-19 pandemic.
And what could be a more perfect movie for a return to the theater than one based on my favorite video game?
In case you were there for just Holland and did not know the history or the plot of this movie (like some of my friends), it is based on one of the most successful and highly sold PlayStation video games of all time. The Uncharted series has four games that were all released between the years 2007 to 2016.
The fourth and final installment in the original series starring protagonist Nathan Drake, “Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End” is the second-highest selling PS4 game, according to the official PlayStation website, only behind “Grand Theft Auto V”.
The games follow the aforementioned Nathan Drake and his exploring partner Victor “Sully” Sullivan in their quests to find some of the world’s most notable and wealthy lost treasures. The games are reminiscent of Indiana Jones, with added elements of parkour and amazing graphics depicting some of the most beautiful mythical cities and views.
Let’s start with the pros. First, the casting is great. I think Holland makes a great Nathan Drake, and even though Mark Wahlberg is far too young to be Sully, I think that he was well cast. One of the things that makes “Uncharted” so charming is Sully and Nate’s father-son relationship and wit with each other, and that is something I think these two actors did a great job portraying.
Another great thing was all the hidden easter eggs. For example, inside Nate’s suitcase is a Naughty Dog sticker, a nod towards the creator of the famous game, Naughty Dog LLC. Another hidden gem was the name of the bar Nate worked in, “Kitty Got Wet”, which is one of the famous catch-lines of the video-game character inspired by the voice actor, Nolan North’s son.
And speaking of Nolan North, nothing made me quite as happy as seeing him make a cameo in the movie. If you see the film and keep your eye out, you’ll see him speak to Holland’s version of Drake when he washes ashore after the plane scene.
And even though this movie was supposed to be a prequel, I was glad to see the beloved plane scene from the third game make it into the movie. It’s one of the most notable scenes in the games, along with the opening scene in “Uncharted 2: Among Thieves” when Nate wakes up from being unconscious on a train that is falling off a mountain. The movie also replicates this with its opening scene.
Unfortunately, this movie had its fair share of cons. For one, the plot lines between the movie and the games don’t match up. Sam, Nathan’s older brother, portrayed by “Outer Banks” actor Rudy Pankow, never worked with Sully before Nate. Nate and Sully are brought together on their own when Nate steals Sully’s wallet around 13 years old, according to the game.
There are tons of scenarios like this one in the movie where the events of the game and the film don’t line up. I also feel like the directors were trying to add in all of the fans’ favorite moments, which is nice, but also confusing. One example of this is that Nate finds Magellan’s ship at the end of the film the exact same way, and in a very similar looking location, as to where he and Sam find Henry Avery’s ship at the end of the fourth game. Because of this, I couldn’t figure out if I really was watching a prequel or if all four of the games were supposed to be mashed up together into one movie.
Overall, if you’re an Uncharted fan looking to see this film as an accurate prequel to the video games, you’re going to be sorely disappointed. If you’re looking to see a funny and suspenseful movie starring one of the most popular modern-day actors, then you’ll really love this one. If you’re like me, who just couldn’t get enough out of the games and will do anything for more Nathan Drake content, then you’ll find yourself happy enough with this adaptation.