The Uncharted Movie Is Best When It Isn't Copying The Games

thegamer.com:

Uncharted is a complicated game to adapt into film because in so many ways it already is one. It’s a blockbuster adventure defined by breathtaking set pieces, charming characters, and globetrotting escapades that are all designed to be witnessed in a linear, heavily scripted fashion. Naughty Dog took ample inspiration from Indiana Jones and Tomb Raider - both of which have established themselves in the world of cinema already - and now it feels like the whole creative process has come full circle.

When the film adaptation was first announced my initial reaction was befuddlement. Of all the games to twist into mediocre films we’ll forget about in a matter of days, why Uncharted? I suppose it has some form of brand recognition and slots into the mould very easily, but for years scripts were rewritten and directors were swapped out until we finally landed on a finalised project. Tom Holland is on board as Nathan Drake while Mark Wahlberg fills the shoes of Victor ‘Goddamn’ Sullivan. The results aren’t too shabby at all, and you can read about in my full review, but I do wish the film didn’t rely so much on the games that inspired it, as it zaps the experience of an originality it almost certainly has otherwise.

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All the trailers for Uncharted highlighted moments that were pulled directly from the game, which made some of its larger set pieces predictable in a way that lowered my interest. You’re already ageing the characters down and altering their appearances drastically, so suddenly seeking to ape set pieces straight from Drake’s Deception and A Thief’s End felt lazy and uninspired. In the full picture they almost certainly are, with the auction