Uncharted, the long-awaited film adaptation of the hit video game franchise, is in theaters starting today (February 11).
Although UK critics were able to see the adventure at screenings this week, reviews of the film were embargoed until 6am (BST) this morning. That's never a good sign, and it showed with the movie, which was mutilated by critics.
Uncharted is based on Naughty Dog's immensely popular video game franchise and follows treasure hunter Nathan "Nate" Drake as he travels the world to uncover various historical mysteries.
In this film, Drake, played by Spider-Man star Tom Holland, joins forces with Mark Wahlberg's Victor "Sully" Sullivan. Sullivan, an older explorer and Drake's mentor, takes the young man on an adventure where they come face to face with a rich and ruthless treasure hunter and his mercenaries in search of a lost fortune.
The fortune is a large quantity of gold, lost by the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan during one of his many lucrative voyages in the XNUMXth century. Along the way, the pair also find themselves searching for clues that may lead to Drake's long-lost brother, Sam.
An Uncharted movie has been in active development for over a decade, so much so that Wahlberg, who was once cast as Drake, has grown up enough to take on the role of his mentor, Sullivan.
Directors have come and gone, including David O. Russell, Free Guy's Shawn Levy, and Bumblebee's Travis Knight. Ultimately, Zombieland and Venom director Ruben Fleischer pulled the thing out of development hell and onto screens.
Unfortunately, judging by the critics' reactions, they might have wanted to leave it at that...
How are Uncharted reviews?
Wrong. Almost exclusively like this.
Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian awarded the film two stars, calling it: "A great green-screen action-adventure for reasonable value for money, but a box-office job where your heart is supposed to be."
His review was kinder than that of The Daily Telegraph's Robbie Collin, who was scathing of the new adventure, describing it as being made by "a ruthless sadist fed a copy of The Da Vinci Code via the Hollywood Marveliser."
Collin was also critical of Wahlberg's casting, saying, "As a stoic blue-collar worker or smoother, Wahlberg may have great value, but he comes just as naturally as a surrogate father figure. Sweeter than a ball gown to an orangutan." .
Oh.
Uncharted: Finally an answer to the age-old question "What if The Da Vinci Code had been more like a Marvel movie?" https://t.co/GrSIMg2SCo February 11, 2022
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Kevin Maher of The Times called it "tedious", while Huw Fullerton of Radio Times criticized Tom Holland's choice to play Drake, saying "Holland is generally miscast as Drake. While the The movie tries to add a little more grit to his Spider-Man Persona: there's a 'song' in which he drinks alcohol, which is a bit reminiscent of a teenager trying to sound like an adult."
Total Film's Matt Looker was a bit kinder, giving the film three stars, saying of the adventure, "Uncharted is making a decent romp to fill an Indy-shaped void in the movie market right now."
His review was somewhat aberrational, with Charlotte O'Sullivan of the Evening Standard ending her review fearing for Tom Holland's future. She said of the MCU lead: "He's too good for this potential franchise. It's hard to walk away from that kind of money, but it's time for him to go."
Axel Metz of TechRadar was also not a fan, writing that: "Uncharted's main cast will leave returning fans cold, and the film's lack of identity, save for a few cleverly choreographed fight scenes, makes it nothing more than harmless and pointless entertainment."
Uncharted is in UK cinemas now and hits US theaters on February 18.