By: Kimberly Grant
What happens when you mix National Treasure and Spider-Man? You get Uncharted (in theaters on February 18). Uncharted is based on a video game created by Amy Hennig.
Treasure Hunting for the Unexpected
In Uncharted, Nathan “Nate” Drake (played by Tom Holland) is roped into a treasure hunt by his lost brother’s frenemy, Victor “Sully” Sullivan (Mark Wahlberg). Yes, you read that sentence correctly. Sully leads Nate across the world to Barcelona, Spain to find a hidden cache of gold worth $3 billion. This wouldn’t be an action movie without some twists and turns, though. Our resident villains include Antonio Banderas as Santiago Moncada who comes from old money and a long line of Spaniard wealthy elite. And then there’s Tati Gabrielle as Braddock, Sully’s former treasure hunting partner.
Written by Rafe Judkins, Art Marcum, and Matt Holloway, Uncharted takes the audience on an adventure that’s somewhat unexpected. Just when the story feels formulaic or been there, done that, the movie jumps into a new direction. There are quite a number of parts of the film that the audience is not going to see coming. This makes Uncharted worth the watch; just in case you were only interested in seeing Holland without a shirt.
Directed by Ruben Fleischer (he also directed Venom!), Uncharted keeps the audience on the edge of their seats. There are just enough stunts to keep the action going, without being so over the top that you roll your eyes heavenward. (I’m talking about you Fast & Furious 6-9!) However, Fleischer does include one, good, unbelievable stunt; you know for action movie posterity.
Unexpected Characters
In the character development category, Wahlberg’s Sully is clearly aging as an action hero. Although, I question why Sully can’t well… do his own stunts. In the film, Sully needs his glasses and can’t keep up with the young adults in a chase. So, it begs the question of where Sully’s character fits into the story. Is he there to guide Nate as they navigate their way to literal hidden treasure? Or are the writers nodding and winking to aging action heroes who refuse to retire? Either way, Sully isn’t fully fleshed out as a character, which is unexpected for an actor of Wahlberg’s caliber.
In the villains department it’s nice to see women of color who are way more than just the love interests. The ladies of Uncharted, Gabrielle and Sophia Ali (as Chloe Frazer), play strong female characters with depth. These villains are scary good and you almost find yourself rooting for them to win. I just wish Gabrielle was better at action sequences. Her fight scenes are unexpectedly lackluster.
Expect the Unexpected
What is also quite noticeable about Gabrielle are her character’s fabulous costumes. Costume designers Anthony Franco and Marlene Stewart really bring the unexpected in the fashion department. The best fashion pieces in Uncharted are worn by Gabrielle. My favorite is her badass attire when she’s being really bad. The haute couture fashion in Uncharted is another unexpected surprise for this film.
One more unexpected thing about Uncharted is that it’s produced by PlayStation Productions in collaboration with Columbia Pictures and Atlas Entertainment. Who knew PlayStation produced films? It worked for Marvel and DC Comics. And it seems to be working for PlayStation so far.
In a time where movies are so predictable that you know the entire plot from watching the movie trailer, it’s nice to be surprised at the movie theater. As long as it’s a pleasant surprise. Thankfully, Uncharted goes beyond expectations.
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