Actor Tom Holland is having a very good year. Spider-Man: No Way Home may have been released in 2021, but it has earned a staggering $166 million in the U.S. in 2022 alone. That means it’s currently the biggest box office hit of this year as well as last. The picture continues to earn money. It hasn’t left the Top 3 since it debuted 11 weeks ago.
Now on the heels of that success comes this fun action-adventure starring the web-slinging actor. This time he plays Nathan Drake. He’s working as a bartender in New York City when we meet him. His flirtatious flair for making drinks gave me flashbacks of another Tom…Cruise in Cocktail. However, Nate uses his job to pickpocket the patrons. We see him lift an expensive bracelet from a young woman. Noticing his “talent,” he’s approached by a fortune hunter named “Sully” (Mark Wahlberg) who offers him a job. Sully wants Nate’s expertise to steal a gold cross that is being auctioned off. Nate declines. Then later realizes Sully swiped the bracelet from his back pocket and left his business card in its place. Nate ultimately agrees to work with Sully. Thus begins a collection of escapades that the mismatched pair hope will lead to riches.
Uncharted the film is based on a series of games for PlayStation consoles. So full disclosure, I’m not a gamer. I have zero familiarity with the franchise that inspired this picture. However, knowing its origins had me worried. Movies adapted from video games don’t have an illustrious history. Expectations were low, but to my delight, this entertaining saga stands on its own. The popcorn movie is easy to enjoy as a swashbuckling adventure in the vein of National Treasure inspired by Indiana Jones. A big distinction is that Tom Holland’s character is a younger protagonist with a baby face. It’s an odd casting choice. Holland doesn’t look like a rugged hero. He is an everyman and though he is capable, he always seems a little out of his depth. I rather enjoyed his incongruous presence.
Uncharted excels in emphasizing the palpable chemistry between Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg. Both actors rest heavily on their movie-star personas. Mark Wahlberg has played tough guys before. Meanwhile, Tom Holland is doing Peter Parker goes treasure hunting. Nate and Sully are like siblings with a competitive relationship. Their witty repartee is highlighted in a screenplay written by Rafe Lee Judkins, Art Marcum, and Matt Holloway. The two stars bicker back and forth tossing off an array of amusing quips in an ongoing effort to top one another. Sure there’s plenty of action and it’s well-staged by director Ruben Fleischer (Zombieland, Venom). The opening sequence of Nate falling through the sky out of a cargo plane is a wow. However, films of this genre often deliver computer-enhanced FX thrills. It’s the banter that kept me invested. I was entertained.
02-24-22
4 Responses
At no point from start to finish pretty much did I Care what was happening in this. Also unfamiliar w the games though I’d Heard the less you know of them the more you’re supposed to enjoy this…
It’s an action movie. It didn’t need to make me care. It gave me what I expected. Witty banter + thrills = fun
I also don’t know anything about the video game. I liked this. From the banter to the action, It definitely kept my attention and didn’t drag. Tom Holland definitely gave me Spider-Man in some scenes, but, oh well. It worked for me. 3 1/2 ⭐️
Many of the negative reviews I read were critical of Tom Holland not looking/acting like some preconceived expectations of the character in the video game. That didn’t make any difference to me…or you obviously.