Uncharted (2022) Movie Review: A Fun Treasure Hunt Packed With Action and Adventure
Uncharted (2022) follows Nathan Drake and Victor Sullivan on a globe-trotting hunt for Magellan's lost treasure. Here's a look at the story, characters, action, villains, and whether the adventure is worth watching.
MOVIE
Uncharted (2022) Movie Review: A Fun Treasure Hunt Packed With Action and Adventure
Uncharted (2022) brings the popular video game franchise to the big screen with Tom Holland as Nathan Drake and Mark Wahlberg as Victor “Sully” Sullivan. The movie combines treasure hunting, globe-trotting adventure, comedy, puzzles, and huge action sequences into a fast-paced blockbuster.
While the story follows familiar treasure-hunting movie ideas, Uncharted keeps things entertaining through its charismatic cast, impressive set pieces, and constant movement from one location to another.
Warning: Minor spoilers ahead.
The Story
Nathan Drake is a clever bartender and amateur thief who spends his time searching for clues about his missing brother, Sam.
Sam disappeared years earlier while the brothers were searching for the legendary treasure of Ferdinand Magellan.
Nathan eventually meets Victor Sullivan, an experienced treasure hunter who knows more about Sam than he initially reveals.
Sully tells Nathan that Sam was searching for a massive fortune connected to Magellan's expedition.
But they aren't the only people looking for it.
Wealthy treasure hunter Santiago Moncada wants the fortune for himself and has hired Jo Braddock and her mercenaries to find it.
Nathan agrees to help Sully, hoping the journey will finally give him answers about what happened to his brother.
The search takes them across the world, with clues leading them toward Barcelona and eventually the Philippines.
What begins as a search for a lost treasure quickly becomes a race between several groups who are willing to do almost anything to reach it first.
Nathan Drake and Sully
The relationship between Nathan and Sully is at the center of the movie.
Nathan is younger, inexperienced, and more impulsive.
Sully is older, more experienced, and far more comfortable with deception.
Neither completely trusts the other.
Sully has his own reasons for wanting the treasure, while Nathan is mainly motivated by finding information about Sam.
This creates an interesting partnership.
They constantly lie to each other, steal from each other, and argue about their plans, yet they still manage to work together when things become dangerous.
Tom Holland gives Nathan a more youthful personality than the character's video-game counterpart, while Mark Wahlberg plays Sully as a confident treasure hunter who always seems to have another trick ready.
Their chemistry provides much of the movie's humor.
The Search for Magellan's Treasure
The treasure is connected to Ferdinand Magellan's famous expedition.
According to the legend in the movie, Magellan's crew accumulated an enormous fortune during their journey.
The treasure was eventually hidden, and generations of treasure hunters have searched for it.
Nathan and Sully discover clues that lead them closer to the fortune.
The clues involve historical artifacts, secret messages, maps, and hidden mechanisms.
Instead of simply following a map from one location to another, the characters have to interpret the clues and figure out where the treasure has been hidden.
This gives the movie its classic adventure-movie feeling.
Chloe Frazer
Chloe Frazer is another important part of the story.
She is a skilled treasure hunter who has her own connection to Sully and Nathan.
Chloe is intelligent, confident, and not particularly interested in playing by the rules.
The biggest problem is that Nathan isn't sure whether he can trust her.
That uncertainty becomes an important part of their relationship.
Chloe isn't simply another member of the team. She has her own goals and is willing to make deals that benefit her.
This creates another layer of tension because Nathan has to constantly wonder whether she is helping him or using him.
The Villains
Santiago Moncada believes that the treasure belongs to his family.
His ancestors were connected to the original search for Magellan's fortune, and he sees recovering the treasure as a way of restoring his family's legacy.
But Moncada isn't the real physical threat throughout most of the movie.
That role belongs to Jo Braddock.
Braddock is a ruthless mercenary who works for Moncada and is willing to eliminate anyone standing between her and the treasure.
She provides much of the danger during the action sequences.
Unlike Nathan and Sully, who are mostly interested in finding the treasure, Braddock has no problem using violence to get what she wants.
The Action
The biggest selling point of Uncharted is its action.
The movie features several enormous set pieces, including the famous sequence involving cargo containers falling from an airplane.
Nathan becomes caught in a chaotic battle involving vehicles, containers, parachutes, and enemies.
It is completely over-the-top, but that's exactly what makes it entertaining.
The movie doesn't try to make the action feel realistic.
Instead, it embraces the larger-than-life style of classic adventure blockbusters.
Another major sequence takes place in a European city, where Nathan is chased through the streets and buildings while trying to escape the people hunting him.
The action constantly moves between locations, keeping the movie fast.
The Treasure Hunt Formula
If you've watched movies such as Indiana Jones or National Treasure, some of Uncharted will feel familiar.
There are ancient clues.
There are secret locations.
There are puzzles.
There are competing treasure hunters.
There is a legendary fortune that everyone wants.
And there is always another clue leading to the next destination.
The movie doesn't necessarily reinvent this formula, but it uses it effectively.
The treasure hunt gives the characters a reason to travel around the world while allowing the movie to introduce new puzzles and action sequences.
The Twist About Sam
One of the biggest mysteries throughout the movie is what happened to Nathan's brother.
Nathan believes Sam disappeared while searching for the treasure.
Sully eventually reveals that Sam was involved in the treasure hunt and that their relationship was more complicated than Nathan initially realized.
Nathan desperately wants to believe that Sam is still alive.
This hope drives many of his decisions.
By the end of the movie, however, Nathan doesn't get the simple reunion he wants.
Instead, the film leaves Sam's fate open enough to suggest that his story may not be finished.
This becomes particularly important because the movie is clearly setting up the possibility of future adventures.
The Final Treasure
Nathan, Sully, and Chloe eventually reach the location of the treasure.
However, finding it doesn't mean they automatically get to keep it.
Braddock and her forces arrive, creating one final confrontation.
The treasure is hidden aboard two enormous ships that were transported and concealed in an unexpected location.
The discovery is one of the movie's biggest visual reveals.
Instead of finding a simple chest underground, the characters discover something much larger.
But the villains' attempt to take the treasure leads to a spectacular final battle.
The ships are eventually destroyed, and the treasure is lost.
Nathan and Sully survive, but they don't walk away with the fortune they were searching for.
Was the Treasure Really Worth It?
For Nathan, the treasure is never really the most important thing.
His real motivation is finding Sam.
The fortune gives him a reason to continue the journey, but his emotional goal is always connected to his brother.
Sully, on the other hand, is much more interested in the money.
That difference explains why the two characters approach the adventure differently.
Nathan wants answers.
Sully wants the treasure.
Yet their journey gradually turns them into genuine partners.
What Works Best
The movie's biggest strength is its entertainment value.
It moves quickly, features impressive locations, and rarely stays in one place for too long.
Tom Holland brings plenty of energy to Nathan, while Mark Wahlberg gives Sully a more relaxed and comedic personality.
The action sequences are also visually impressive.
The movie understands that Uncharted should feel like an interactive adventure brought to life on screen.
What Doesn't Work as Well
The biggest weakness is that the story can feel predictable.
The basic treasure-hunting structure has been used many times before, and some of the twists are easy to anticipate.
The movie also moves so quickly that certain characters and relationships don't always receive as much development as they could.
Some of the action sequences also stretch realism considerably.
But if you're watching Uncharted for realistic archaeology or historical accuracy, you're probably watching it for the wrong reason.
The movie is designed as an action-adventure spectacle.
Final Thoughts
Uncharted (2022) is a fun and fast-paced adventure movie that doesn't take itself too seriously.
It may not reinvent the treasure-hunting genre, but it delivers the essential ingredients: mysterious clues, ancient treasure, double-crosses, exotic locations, comedy, and enormous action sequences.
Tom Holland gives Nathan Drake enough personality to make the character enjoyable, while Mark Wahlberg provides a strong comedic contrast as Sully.
The movie's greatest success is its ability to keep moving.
There's almost always another clue, another chase, another fight, or another location waiting around the corner.
For viewers looking for a serious archaeological thriller, Uncharted probably won't satisfy.
But for anyone wanting a lighthearted blockbuster filled with treasure hunting and ridiculous action, it is an entertaining adventure.
Final Verdict – Uncharted is a colorful, action-packed treasure hunt that delivers exactly what you'd expect from a big-screen adventure: charismatic characters, spectacular set pieces, hidden clues, and plenty of chaos.
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