Troubled production would be something of an understatement when it comes to Uncharted. Development first started on a film, based on Naughty Dog’s critically acclaimed PlayStation series, in 2008, when Mark Wahlberg signed on to play the treasure hunter Nathan Drake. 14 years, a minimum of 10 screenwriters and at least 6 directors later, it has finally arrived. Mark Wahlberg has aged sufficiently to be shunted from playing Drake, to his mentor Sully, with Tom Holland stepping in to the lead.

Things that are lost can, indeed, be found.

The result is a surprisingly enjoyable and coherent film, full of the wise cracking, and blockbuster set pieces, we have come to expect from the game franchise.

Nathan Drake feels like a role that Tom Holland was born to play, and a natural progression from Spider-Man. He encapsulates the - at times unearned - cockiness that epitomises the Drake brand, and his imperfect fighting style nicely matches that which we see in the games. This is a younger Drake, but one that you can easily see growing into the character that we know. He has an easy chemistry with Mark Wahlberg’s Sully and Sophia Ali’s Chloe which helps the film along in the areas where it might otherwise have become bogged down in bland dialogue and exposition.

Mark Wahlbergs casting is an interesting one however, and one, I think, which may play better with those unfamiliar with the games. He brings charisma and charm to the role, in the way which Mark Wahlberg tends to, delivers the gags well, and banters pleasingly with Tom Holland 

He’s just not Sully.

Despite the fact that it is alluded to throughout the movie, I found it hard to believe that he is the same character that has his fingers in various criminal acts and enterprises. While the games set him up as a mentor and father figure, the film, very early in its run time, places him as a surrogate big brother. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as if we take the film in isolation it works. It may just be something that fans of the games may find a little jarring.

The aforementioned Sophia Ali is excellent as Chloe Frazer. A fan favourite in the games the character has definitely been done justice in the film. If Sully is presence on one of Drakes shoulders, pulling him in one direction, Chloe is ever present on his other. An opposing influence, attempting to pull Drake of course, who in turn spends the movie struggling to work out her allegiances, and unsure of which figure of seniority to follow

Uncharted borrows heavily from the games that spawned it, picking set pieces, visuals, and plot points out of each of the games. For fans of the series this offers some enjoyable little easter eggs, and for newcomers to the franchise delivers the kind of Hollywood-esque magic the games have become renowned for. It is expertly shot by Chung-hoon Chung - who previously worked on the beautiful Last Night in Soho - and the round-the-world treasure hunt our players embark on allows him to showcase his talents. 

Unlike 2018’s Tomb Raider, however, what it does not lift is the plot, bringing a new adventure, and, most importantly, a new villain to the table. While the plot, for all original to the series, brings nothing new to the genre, Antonio Banderas is clearly having a ball as the malevolent Santiago Moncada, and this sense of fun transcends onto the screen. While he may not have a huge amount of screen time, he makes the most of every syllable, and leaves a lasting impression on the viewer.

The same, unfortunately, cannot be said for Tati Gabrielle’s Braddock, who is given very little to do other than look moodily or seductively - depending on the scene - at Drake and Sully. The few fight scenes she gets to enjoy are dealt with relatively quickly, and I would have liked to see a lot more of her. 

Another area that, for me, they could have improved on is Ramin Djwadi’s score. Djwadi is a talented composer, and has delivered consistently excellent soundtracks to each series of Westworld, but his score here is just… generic action-adventure movie. The games themselves had strong soundtracks of their own, and while it wouldn’t be as easy as lifting them from the games and placing them in the film, they should have been the starting point. A launching pad. Evolving them, yes, but keeping the essence at its core. 

Overall, Uncharted is a fun, if imperfect, ode to a much loved video game. It was never going to be an awards contender, but if you want a set piece heavy, action-adventure blockbuster, Uncharted dutifully delivers.

I hope that it gets the sequel it is so clearly setting up.

MILD SPOILERS AHEAD BELOW. IF YOU’D RATHER KNOW NOTHING AND HAVEN’T SEEN UNCHARTED STOP READING NOW. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

A further area for which I believe the film deserves credit is in its eschewing of the supernatural endings that featured in the first few games. To me these segments always felt at odds with the rest of the game, and an unnecessary addition to what were otherwise excellent game. It always felt jarring to me to have these levels tacked on at the end, and in a film this shifting in tones would have been even more apparent.