UNCHARTED : Tuesday 22nd February 2022.

I saw the M Rated 'UNCHARTED' at my local multiplex earlier this week, and this American action adventure film is Directed by Ruben Fleischer, whose previous film making credits include his big screen debut in 2009 with 'Zombieland', then 2013's 'Gangster Squad', 'Venom' in 2018 and 'Zombieland : Double Tap' in 2019. The film, based on the video game series of the same name, had its Premier in Barcelona, Spain on 7th February, having been originally set for release on December 18, 2020 but was postponed several times due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and was subsequently released in the UK two weeks ago now and both here in Australia and the US last week. It has received mixed reviews from Critics and has so far grossed US$146M off the back of a US$120M production budget. 

The film opens up with young teenage brothers Sam (Rudy Pankow) and Nathan Drake (Tiernan Jones) attempting to steal the priceless first map of the world made after the Magellan Expedition of 1522.  However, mid-heist they are caught red handed by two Security Officers who escort them back to the orphanage where they are living. Because this is Sam's third strike, he is expelled from the orphanage and ordered to vacate immediately. Nate goes up to the room they share together, and sees Sam climbing out of the window, to pursue life on his own rather than be holed up in someplace he doesn't want to be. Before leaving, Sam promises his little brother that he will return for him. Sam leaves him with a ring belonging to their ancestor Sir Francis Drake, with the inscription 'Sic Parvis Magna', which when translated means 'Greatness from small beginnings'.

Fast forward fifteen years, and Nathan (Tom Holland) now works as a bartender in New York City and pickpockets wealthy patrons. Victor 'Sully' Sullivan (Mark Wahlberg) observes Nathan stealing a bracelet from a female customers arm, and confronts him with it at closing time. Sully is a fortune hunter who worked with Sam tracking treasure hidden by the Magellan crew, explains to Nathan that Sam vanished two years ago without a trace after helping him steal Juan Sebastian Elcano's (a crew member of that Magellan Expedition) diary. Nathan, whose only contact with his brother over the years has been through a series of postcards sent from exotic places around the world, agrees to help Sully to find his brother. 

Sully and Nathan attend an auction to steal a golden 15th Century cross linked to the Magellan crew. There, the pair encounter Santiago Moncada (Antonio Banderas), the last descendant of the Moncada family (who funded the original expedition five hundred years ago), and Jo Braddock (Tati Gabrielle), leader of a small group of mercenaries hired by Moncada. Nathan is ambushed by Braddock's men, and the ensuing fight creates a distraction for Sully (disguised as an auction attendant) to steal the cross, which is one of a pair which also double up as keys but for locks which are as yet to be discovered. However, not before Sully is held at knifepoint by Braddock, until she is interrupted by a trio of security guards who catch her off guard allowing Sully to make his getaway with the cross.

The pair fly to Barcelona, where they believe the treasure to be hidden, and rendezvous with Sully's contact Chloe Frazer (Sophia Ali), who has the other cross. Chloe steals the first cross from Nathan and after a foot chase across the roof tops and streets of the city eventually catch-up with her and convince her to work with them. Meanwhile, Moncada confronts his father, Armando (Manuel de Blas), upon learning the family fortune is being donated to charitable causes states that his son is not worthy of inheriting it, and so Moncada orders Braddock to kill him, with his last words to his father as his throat is slit are 'father, please forgive me!' 

Nathan, Chloe, and Sully follow clues in Elcano's diary to the 15th Century church Santa Maria del Pi, finding a secret crypt behind an altar. Nathan and Chloe enter, locating a trap door, but as they open it, the crypt floods with water. Sully, just in time, manages to help them escape before the pair drown, after being ambushed by Braddock. 

Using the two crosses to unlock a secret passage, Nathan and Chloe find a map that indicates the treasure is in the Philippines. Chloe betrays Nathan (having originally been hired by Moncada) by knocking him unconscious and makes off with the map. Sully reunites with Nathan and tells him that after he and Sam recovered Elcano's diary, they were ambushed by Braddock and Sam was shot and Sully narrowly escaped. Sully believes Sam to be dead. Nathan however, believes Sam to be simply lost and not gone, as so agrees to team up with Sully again, and finish what they started. 

Moncada, Chloe, and Braddock's team depart in a cargo plane to find the treasure, but just as Moncada drinks to their success with the map now in his possession, Braddock betrays and kills him by slicing his throat. Nathan and Sully hide out on the plane in the boot of the prized red sports car given to Moncada on his 18th birthday by his father. Nathan confronts Braddock and a gunfight breaks out while Sully parachutes out. Nathan is knocked out the plane with Chloe behind the wheel of Moncada's sports car, who is trying to make her getaway with the map after Moncada's death. The pair land in the sea just off the coast of a Philippines island at the end of a parachute, where they realise the map does not identify the location of the treasure. 

Checking into a resort hotel for the night, the pair come to the conclusion that Sam may have left a clue in his numerous postcards. Nathan determines the treasure's true whereabouts while Chloe sleeps. Unsure over where Chloe's loyalties lie, Nathan leaves her fake coordinates and finds the Magellan ships and the lost gold, reuniting with Sully. 

Braddock meanwhile follows them, forcing Nathan and Sully to hide as her crew airlift the ships using two heavy lift cargo helicopters from their resting place of the last five hundred years. While escaping, Sully climbs up the rigging and commandeers one of the helicopters, causing Braddock to order the other helicopter to approach for a broadside. Nathan is able to fend off her mercenaries and shoot down the other helicopter with one of the ship's centuries old but still working cannons. Braddock drops that ship's anchor while Nathan climbs to the helicopter with the mercenary in hot pursuit. Sully throws a bag of collected gold at Braddock, who falls into the sea some distance below, and is then is crushed to death when the ship breaks free of its bindings and falls directly on top of her. 

As a Philippine naval boat arrives, Nathan and Sully escape with a handful of pieces of pickpocketed gold treasure, while Chloe (who has followed them by boat) is left empty handed. Sully, looking down on the ship which is now sinking below the surface and breaking up says that the gold, worth an estimated US$5B is now the property of the people of the Philippines. 

Judging by the critical reaction to 'Uncharted' I wasn't expecting too much going in, but I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised coming out of the movie theatre. Sure there are obvious parallels to the 'National Treasure', 'The Mummy' and Indiana Jones franchises, but this film is a serviceable fun and entertaining enough addition to the big screen video-game adaptation genre that knocks the likes of 'Mortal Kombat' and 'Assassin's Creed' into a cocked hat! The action set pieces are well realised and when they arrive they do so thick and fast; the all to often bickering dialogue between Sully and Nathan grates at times but is interspersed with moments of humour and a real sense of chemistry between the two male leads. As for the villain in the piece, Banderas as Moncada is nothing more than a one-dimensional cardboard cut-out character who seems to be there to simply fill in a few plot holes. I have no prior knowledge of the Uncharted video game and so I had no pre-conceived ideas about the casting, the plot, the action or the look and feel of this film, but I can also guess where die hard fans of the game might be put out by some of those elements in this cinematic rendering. Nonetheless, 'Uncharted' is a fun, safe, well paced and effective action adventure adaptation that is sure to find an audience perhaps unfamiliar with those aforementioned franchises, and for whom this movie will offer up something new and fresh. Remain in your seat for two mid-credits sequences, which set up a sequel.  

'Uncharted' merits three claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard from a possible five claps.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-