“Uncharted:” movie review

“Uncharted:” a flying boatload of effortless fun. Released in theaters on Feb. 18, “Uncharted” is a film fit for the theater, a treasure-hunting action movie of epic proportions. 

“Uncharted” centers around petty thief and bartender Nathan Drake (played by Tom Holland), who was recruited by seasoned treasure hunter Victor “Sully” Sullivan (played by Mark Wahlberg), to find a lost treasure. What is this lost treasure, you ask? It’s the 500-year old lost fortune of explorer Ferdinand Magellan, amounting to $5 billion in gold. What starts as a simple heist quickly turns into a globe-trotting race to reach the prize, before the cold-blooded treasure hunter Santiago Moncada (played by Antonio Banderas) gets it first. 

“Uncharted” is what would happen if you were to mix Indiana Jones with the likes of National Treasure, creating a global treasure hunt with clues that are simultaneously obvious but confusing – yet the characters understand them instantly, using basic knowledge of history and swashbuckling skills. 

While the movie was a bit predictable at times, and had a few slow scenes here and there, overall it was a very enjoyable experience fit for the big screen. Simple humor stemming from stupid henchmen and interactions between main characters mixed well with dizzying (literally) action sequences, including but not limited to: getting run over by a car while flying midair, swinging around on chandeliers, and crashing pirate ships together. 

Based on Naughty Dog’s beloved video game, the movie acts as an origin story for Drake, even including two post-credit scenes. These scenes set up potential for sequels to the movie, which is likely, given the success of the film so far.

Critics were skeptical before “Uncharted” came out, wondering if Holland, Sony Pictures’ leading man, could actually bring in a massive audience, or if his blockbusting abilities are solely set on Marvel films. He was able to prove them all wrong, with “Uncharted” scoring the top spot at the box office making nearly $50 million domestically, opening weekend alone. 

For the most part, the movie has been received well by audiences. Currently, it has a 4.2 star rating with an 89% in audience approval, according to Google reviews. A large number of people who didn’t enjoy the movie are fans of the Uncharted games, or people who found it too similar to other movies like Indiana Jones. 

“Uncharted” is a fun treasure hunting movie, able to fuel anyone’s desire to go out and adventure.