Joseph Lentz

Having spent hundreds of hours grinding each Uncharted game to 100% completion, and thousands more hours into their multiplayer experiences, I can say I loved this movie as an ode to the fantastic video game series despite going into this film expecting the worst. Too many people (myself included at one point) seemed to not give Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg a fair chance going into this movie due to their previous acting roles, but I can say they both allow an insight into what could be the younger versions of the characters we were first introduced to years ago. The supporting cast did a fine job being just that, a support cast, and the story flowed smoothly. I attended the movie with someone who had played some of the games, and someone who had never played any. We all agreed that it was easy to follow, and much better than we expected it to be. Translating a video game series known for its complex story telling and encapsulating imagery into a two hour movie seemed too impossible of a task to me walking into the theatre, but the film crew did justice for a typical action/adventure film that anyone can enjoy. This film would slot perfectly into a summer blockbuster schedule if not for the wishy washy history of poor video game adaptions, and I hope Columbia greenlights the next film immediately, despite me hoping they canceled the release when I first saw the trailers and read who was casted for this film. Lastly, there were just enough Easter eggs to do service to veterans of the franchise, but the heavy focus seemed to be creating a new story everyone can enjoy without riding on the coattails of the success from the games. My only initial critique is including the airplane scene from Uncharted 3, but despite negative expectations due to it's inclusion in the trailers, it was used tastefully without ruining a trademark scene.