Uncharted – A Failed Adaptation | Review

Starring Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg, Uncharted: Off the Map  is an action-adventure film directed by Ruben Fleischer and written by Art Marcum and Matt Holloway. The film serves as an origin story for protagonist Nathan Drake from the “Uncharted” game series created by Amy Hennig. It stars Tom Holland as Drake, and Mark Wahlberg as his future mentor Victor Sullivan, along with a supporting cast that includes Antonio Banderas, Tati Gabrielle and Sophia Taylor Ali.

Image: Disclosure/Sony Pictures Releasing

At the beginning of the film we can already see theThe Drake brothers caught by museum security trying to steal the first map made after Magellan's expedition. The orphanage that houses the two boys evicts Sam. Before leaving, Sam promises his return to Nate and leaves him a ring with the inscription "Sic Parvis Magna".

The film's plot is based on the beginning of Nathan Drake's entire journey, when he was just a pickpocket and working as a bartender and meets Sullivan, a fortune hunter who worked with Sam tracking hidden treasures by Magellan's crew, explains the Nate that Sam disappeared after helping him steal Juan Sebastian Elcano's diary. Nate, who has received several postcards from Sam over the years, agrees to help Sully find his brother. Sully and Nathan go to an auction to steal a golden cross linked to Magellan's crew, where they meet Santiago Moncada, the last descendant of the Moncada family that financed Magellan's expedition, and Jo Braddock, leader of the mercenaries hired by Moncada.

The duo travel to Barcelona, ​​where the treasure is supposedly hidden, and meet up with Sully's contact Chloe Frazer, who has another cross.

Image: Disclosure/Sony Pictures Releasing

When it comes to adapting games to the movies, fans are always squeamish, and with good reason. This time it was no different, the film was a disappointment for lovers of Uncharted, which is one of the biggest franchises in the gaming industry.

If you are just a cinephile, who has never played any game in the series or never heard of the games, this game may be wonderful for you, as the Uncharted fan went to watch it expecting a work similar to the one Naughty Dog delivered to us, but left disappointed with the result.

Uncharted: Off the Map delivers an unusual cast, a Sully totally uncharacteristic of the games, a very naive Nathan Drake, without total experience, and those who played Uncharted 3 had the opportunity to realize how smart Nathan Drake was with just a few years of life and experience in the life of treasure hunter. Chloe Frazer is perhaps the best character in the movie, appearing very little but being very faithful to what we had in the games.

The movie is full of references and ester eggs, some quotes from Jack Sparrow, Indiana Jones and scenes inspired by the games. In the games, every time we arrive at a new location, we are presented with a great photograph from a wide angle, in the film nothing like that is present at any time, we can see a scene transition in the Indiana Jones style, and then it may be the mistake, the producers believed that Uncharted was just another Indiana Jones model, however, Uncharted has a style of its own that they didn't know how to take advantage of.

If you're expecting to see Nathan Drake shooting different weapons, climbing different buildings and objects, driving dangerously in cars, you won't find any of this in Uncharted: Off the Map.

Image: Disclosure/Sony Pictures Releasing

The soundtrack is one of the negative points of the film, Ramin Djawadi is an excellent composer who did excellent work in the Westworld and Game of Thrones series, but in Uncharted: Off the Map he left something to be desired. We can't enjoy in the course of the film any soundtrack that reminds us of the games, in a small part of the film you see a melody of the main theme of the game but in the general context of the work it doesn't come close to the soundtracks of Greg Edmonson and Henry Jackman.

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Uncharted: Off the Map is a flawed adaptation that may please anyone who has never experienced the stories of Amy Hennig, Neil Druckmann and Josh Scherr.

Do you know my brother Sam? – Nathan Drake

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