Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg star in the movie adaptation of Sony’s popular video game franchise Uncharted.
The Production: 2.5/5
As a fan of the first three entries in the video game franchise Uncharted for the Playstation 3 game console that were created by Naughty Dog, I had really wanted to like this movie adaptation starring Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg, in the end having a rather mixed feeling about it. While the movie itself is a relatively entertaining piece of escapist fare, it basically jettisons the Nathan Drake origin subplot of Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception in favor of a more original story of how a young Nathan Drake (Tom Holland) meets his eventual mentor and friend Victor “Sully” Sullivan (Mark Wahlberg). For anyone who has played any of the video games from the series, the first reaction would be that the two leads are completely miscast, and that is one of many problems I had with the film. Don’t get me wrong, these are both very fine actors, but they completely fail to capture the essence or nature of the original characters. Holland’s portrayal of Nathan Drake feels too much like Peter Parker portraying Nathan Drake, while Wahlberg is not only too young for Sully but also the wrong body type.
The film’s plot revolves around Sully recruiting bartender Drake to first steal an artifact at an auction before Santiago Moncada (Antonio Bandera) is able to place a winning bid on it. The artifact is needed to lead them on a quest for the lost gold treasure of explorer Magellan, which takes them to Spain and the Philippines. Sprinkled among their adventures are key iconic moments from the video games, such as the cargo plane sequence from Uncharted 3 (the main poster and artwork for this film even pay homage to that video game’s cover art). The film may work better for those unfamiliar with the video games, but for fans, there are just too many glaring holes and missteps in the script. And that is a real shame.
Video: 5/5
3D Rating: NA
Uncharted was captured at 3.4K resolution on Arri Alexa Mini and SXT Plus cameras, likely completed as a 2K digital intermediate with an aspect ratio of 2.39:1 with Dolby Vision for its premium theatrical engagements. Sony’s upscaled 2160p HEVC-encoded transfer for this disc also includes both Dolby Vision and HDR10 flavors of high dynamic range. This is pretty much what one expects from a modern film and Sony, with exceptional fine detail, deep blacks, and naturally vivid colors. There really is nothing negative nor original to say about the transfer.
Audio: 4.5/5
The default Dolby Atmos track is active and engaging, but not exactly as aggressive as one would expect for an action film of this type. LFE is strong where needed but never overly boomy. Surrounds help create an immersive feel, with a sense of overhead extensions but nothing overly discrete. Dialogue remains clear and understandable throughout.
Special Features: 3/5
The UHD disc contains one special feature, an Audio Commentary, otherwise all of the video based features can be found on the included Blu-ray edition of the movie.
Audio Commentary with Director Ruben Fleischer: Fleisher is overly enthusiastic about being involved in this film, which he incorrectly credits as the first movie from Playstation Productions (it was the animated Ratchet & Clank from 2016).
Deleted and Extended Scenes (1080p; 10:23): A total of eight scenes are included – Museum Deleted Scene; Original Sully Intro (the intro used in the trailers); Private Plane Extended Cut; Alternate Barcelona Arrival; Extended Safe House & Balcony; Braddock Finds Sully Outside the Antechamber; Inside the Car Trunk; and Nate Finds Magellan’s Note.
Never a Dull Moment: Stunts & Action (1080p; 5:54): An EPK piece centered on the stunts from the film.
Becoming Nathan Drake (1080p; 3:59): Standard EPK fluff on Mark Wahlberg being originally attached as Nathan Drake (back when it was going to be based more directly on the video games), casting Tom Holland in the main role, and the homages to the video game.
Villains, Backstabbers & Accomplices (1080p; 4:20): A look at the various other characters from the film.
Charting the Course: On Set with Ruben Fleischer (1080p; 4:28): Typical EPK piece with cast and crew gushing over the film’s director, Ruben Fleischer.
The Buddy System (1080p; 3:49): A look at the chemistry between Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg.
Big Action Breakdown: C-17 Globemaster (1080p; 5:03): A look at the cargo plane sequence.
Music Video – No Mind by Milkblood (1080p; 2:38)
Theatrical Marketing (1080p; 4:12): Four EPK pieces likely shown as part of the pre-show in cinemas prior to the movie’s theatrical release – Just a Little Charted; Bromantic; Harry & Tom; and Stunts.
Digital Copy: An insert contains a code to redeem a digital copy in 4K on Movies Anywhere and points o Sony Rewards.
Overall: 3.5/5
Uncharted is one of many movie adaptations of video games that fails to translate the characters, excitement, and storyline from its source material, not to mention the miscasting of its two lead characters. While the presentation is up to the usual Sony standards, the movie itself is a bit of a disappointment.
Uncharted [4K UHD] [Blu-ray]
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Todd Erwin has been a reviewer at Home Theater Forum since 2008. His love of movies began as a young child, first showing Super 8 movies in his backyard during the summer to friends and neighbors at age 10. He also received his first movie camera that year, a hand-crank Wollensak 8mm with three fixed lenses. In 1980, he graduated to "talkies" with his award-winning short The Ape-Man, followed by the cult favorite The Adventures of Terrific Man two years later. Other films include Myth or Fact: The Talbert Terror and Warren's Revenge (which is currently being restored). In addition to movie reviews, Todd has written many articles for Home Theater Forum centering mostly on streaming as well as an occasional hardware review, is the host of his own video podcast Streaming News & Views on YouTube and is a frequent guest on the Home Theater United podcast.
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