Often compared to tomb Raider, Uncharted has succeeded in winning the hearts of players thanks to its undeniable technical qualities, which have made the various episodes true interactive adventure films. So when PlayStation Productions announced that he wanted to close the loop by adapting the license to the cinema, there was something to be curious about. After years of waiting, the project finally hits theaters on February 16 and we can already give you our review.
Often funny, Uncharted is not lacking in generosity.
How to take this Uncharted : like an adventure story like any other, or like an adaptation that must respect the codes of its model? On this last point, the bet is successful. Charming and teasing main character, travel across the globe sometimes piling up clichés like postcards, catching up on the edges of precipices at the last second, multifunctional artefacts, puzzles to be solved by referring to an old notebook… Everything is respected, if it is not the turn towards the supernatural which had after all been abandoned in the last shutters. But completing this checklist is not enough to make a great movie. Difficult to propose an original adventure when almost everything has already been done by IndianaJones, Benjamin Gates, Alan Quartermain and consorts. And unfortunately, Uncharted lack of charisma on many points. Where the games have managed to transcribe the emotions of the great adventure feature films, the film ultimately fails to fully pay them the homage they deserve.
Nathan Drake is and remains an endearing character, but without a striking personality: thank an ultra-invested Tom Holland who carries the project almost single-handedlyhelped by the beautiful discovery that is Sophia Ali, even if her Chloe could be written better. The same goes for Mark Wahlberg aka Sully, long cold and little invested, and especially for Antonio Banderas, on the verge of offside. Beyond the cast, the scenario lacks finesse, between shaky infiltrations, generic chases, treasure hunts with boat drawers and betrayals to not know where to turn. But let’s not surprise them: the games are not storytelling models either.
The artistic direction also deserves to be more sought after: no scenery amazes us and the environments are moreover often urban for too long, the photography does not have any particular charm and the only musical emotion to remember is the diffusion of the theme of the franchise in the credits. Note also some ugly blurry effects, special effects that sometimes smell too much of a green background and rare dramatic moments so hectic that they become cloudy, a whole that clearly testifies tolack of image control.
The thrill was not there all the time, but Uncharted remains a pleasant feature film, and not only thanks to Tom Holland. Often funny, he is not lacking in generositywhether during his callbacks to video games ora completely original action scene over the top which would have nothing to envy to the best follies of Fast & Furious. And if, past the pleasure of plunging into this epic, the intensity and the joy settle down without boring either, this origin story unbridled in its last part, to the point of despite everything making us want to see more. This film adds another stone to the edifice of the saga without making it waver, just to fuel the imagination of the players even more, but it is not impossible that those who have never played the series find the same delight when watching this very classic production.
Note : 2.5 out of 5 stars
Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection is currently available from €48.38 on Amazon.com.
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