Uncharted, review of the film dedicated to the Nathan Drake saga

Uncharted

Uncharted is about to arrive in Italian cinemas (February 17), bringing with it great anticipation from both longtime and more recent videogame fans, also thanks to a troubled production made of postponements, changes of direction and script that began in 2008. to then only end in 2017, the year in which Tom Holland was confirmed as the protagonist. The film is based on the well-known Uncharted videogame saga, which started with Uncharted: Drake's Fortune (2007, Playstation 3) and continued with great luck to the present day: you can buy Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection for PlayStation 4 on Amazon

Retrieve our report of the Uncharted press meeting with Tom Holland, Ruben Fleischer and the producers

Uncharted: a limp script

To summarize what Uncharted is all about, and what is liked about more by fans, one could venture a juxtaposition with Tomb Raider, albeit with obvious differences. The saga follows the adventures of a somewhat Gascon but golden-hearted treasure hunter, Nathan Drake, who claims to have a direct lineage with the famous and real-life Francis Drake. Nathan has a steady couple with another explorer, who over time reveals an almost paternal nature for our hero: Victor Sullivan (Mark Wahlberg in the film). Strong points of video games are the incredible settings, ranging from rain jungles to the Tibetan mountains, always offering a great visual impact and reconstructions as unlikely as engaging. Added to this is the more imaginative and adventurous aspect of the titles, which always offer alternative historical reconstructions, often based on the unveiling of mysteries, occult societies, ancient secrets to be revealed, contraptions and puzzles to be solved and so on, all seasoned with a frenetic storytelling and a solid and engaging rhythm. The final result is an explosive mix that recalls many related works, from the aforementioned Tomb Raider, to the literary labors of Dan Brown.

Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection if (jQuery ("# ​​crm_srl-th_culturapop_d_mh2_1") .is (": visible")) {console.log ("Edinet ADV adding zone: tag crm_srl-th_culturapop_d_mh2_1 slot id: th_culturapop_d_mh2"); } In short, the film carries a very heavy burden, also thanks to the almost always enthusiastic reception of critics and audiences towards the videogame counterpart. Unfortunately we can say right now that expectations have been betrayed, at least in part, even though we are not in front of an unwatchable film. First of all, the plot of the film, which in the perspective of probably launching a real series focuses on the origins of Nathan Drake, takes a frenzied pace right from the start, building the main character in a fairly botched way. The hero's growth path is therefore forced and too fast.

Without too many spoilers, Nathan is an orphan whose only family unit is made up of an older brother, who is also passionate about history and legends . Apparently abandoned also by the latter, Drake finds himself surviving as a barman (and skilled thief), until he meets Sullivan, business partner of his older brother and involved in a treasure hunt that sees him rival with two inevitable bad guys: the very rich Moncada (Antonio Banderas) and the mercenary Braddock (Tati Gabrielle).

Moncada wants for himself two gold crosses, family heirlooms and, secretly, keys to access a huge quantity of stolen gold from the crew of Magellano to the Moncada family. Obviously, the opportunity is also tempting for Sullivan, who worked on the "blow" with the elder of the two Drakes. Once this has disappeared, all that remains for Victor is to turn to Nathan, who will embark on this adventure with the ultimate aim of understanding what was the fate of his family member. Also noteworthy is the presence of the well-known character of Chloe Frazer (Sophie Ali).

if (jQuery ("# ​​crm_srl-th_culturapop_d_mh3_1"). Is (": visible")) {console.log ("Edinet ADV adding zone: tag crm_srl-th_culturapop_d_mh3_1 slot id: th_culturapop_d_mh3 "); } The above plot does not depart so much from what are the classic stylistic features of the videogame saga: a story certainly of pure fantasy, but well packaged within those myths and legends that very often come close to the era of great explorations . However, the bite is missing, more complex and more introspective motives than a simple treasure hunt are missing, especially if placed in a context of growth and introduction of the characters. Still, the lines often come out slow and unattractive, both in moments of pathos and in the lightest and most likeable moments, which are a distinctive trademark of Uncharted and which however do not explode when transposing the same irreverent comedy on cinema screens. .

And if the Wahlberg / Holland duo works very well, thanks to a perfect casting, the first ever historical reference point for action, the second prodigy boy a bit naive, a bit braggart, antagonists never emerge. Banderas is relegated to a luxury extra, with a ridiculous playing time and no notable background; Braddock instead tries to take the scene in the finale, but his crescendo of greed and wickedness (albeit supported by a discreet performance from Gabrielle) is implausible and inconsistent.

Uncharted: no-nonsense action

if (jQuery ("# ​​crm_srl-th_culturapop_d_mh4_1"). is (": visible")) {console.log ("Edinet ADV adding zone: tag crm_srl-th_culturapop_d_mh4_1 slot id: th_culturapop_d_mh4"); } Uncharted, as mentioned at the beginning, is a saga known for its convoluted plots and breathtaking settings. Having examined the plot, which does not shine, we then move on to what is the visual rendering of the story. In this case, of course, things get more interesting. On the other hand, there is talk of a $ 120 million production, directed by Ruben Fleischer himself from the first Venom (as well as Gangster Squad and Zombieland). The action scenes, especially the urban ones, are fast and engaging, with frenetic fights at the right point, which however manage to fully enjoy the evolution of events.

Photography seeks in all ways to return the same feedback that the pad player in hand feels, with very hot lights that counterbalance the darkness of the underground tunnels and the more mysterious and exploratory moments. Also to be appreciated is the not excessive but present use of the first person, with a clear reference to what is the videogame world and the more "immersive" counterpart of the saga (despite Uncharted having a third person point of view). br>
The locations are beautiful and the “archaeological” scenographies always impactful. Unfortunately, however, there is also the need (not required) to overdo it, so much so that towards the last quarter of the film, situations cannot be proposed even for such a noisy and confusing adventure film. Revealing them would be basically a spoiler, but we are sure that the viewer will understand, once they have seen the film, the scenes we are talking about.

In conclusion

Uncharted is a film that does not even dare a little, and this turns out to be his biggest mistake. We are not talking about a bad film and surely audiences will appreciate some unpretentious fun. Certainly, however, the character of Nathan Drake could have received more attention in the writing phase, and it must be pointed out that many other films of a similar genre succeed better and with much simpler assumptions. It must be understood that this lack of courage can also be dictated by the fear of dissatisfying the public, which could have happened with more drastic characterization choices.

Unfortunately, the choice of re-proposing, almost on tissue paper, what is seen in the video games is not exactly winning: Uncharted fails to return the same sensations of the console and lacks character. However, it remains an enjoyable film, with the hope that a possible sequel will be posed with greater originality, especially in the writing phase.