Uncharted Makes The Case For And Against Loyal Casting

thegamer.com:

The casting has been the most controversial aspect of the Uncharted movie, but after seeing it hammered into my eyeballs through the power of an IMAX screen, it's clear the issue is far more complicated. Much like Tom Holland's previous blockbuster, Spider-Man: No Way Home, Uncharted isn't going to trouble the Academy Awards any time soon, but it's a fun romp that knows exactly what it is. It pays homage to the games with a hidden Naughty Dog sticker, an excellent cameo, and a few set-pieces, but as our reviewer Jade King noted, it's best when it does its own thing. Nowhere is that more clear than in the casting.

There are four main cast members to discuss here. Tom Holland, Mark Wahlberg, and Sophia Ali play Nathan Drake, Victor Sullivan, and Chloe Frazer respectively - all characters well-known from the video games. Meanwhile, Tati Gabrielle plays Braddock, an entirely new character who steals every scene she's in. Right off the bat, Braddock is a strong argument for not being an entirely faithful adaptation. She's an invention of the movie, and improves the story in every perceivable way. Braddock is a lot like the set-pieces in the movie. Like the pirate ship in the jungle, she's not from the games, but she feels exactly like she could be.

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Sophia Ali continues this argument. Likely because Chloe is not as central to the story as Drake and Sully, as well as the fact Ali is far less famous than Holland and Wahlberg, she has not been discussed much in the discourse around the marketing. Perhaps though she has been ignored because she undermines the movie's greatest criticism. Holland and Wahlberg are not good lookalikes for