There were moments in watching this film in the theater where my main thought was, “gosh. I wish I was back home playing Horizon: Forbidden West”. But then the movie would pop off with some patently ridiculous action scene and I’d smile in appreciation and get into it. I wish I loved this movie… it really wants to be loved… but I think it needed a few more minutes in the oven.

Uncharted is based on the PlayStation line of video games where a veteran, sarcastic, and grizzled Nathan Drake goes on patently ridiculous quests for treasure across the world. So they hired young Tom Holland to play the guy. And, yep, he has to go on a treasure hunt while being chased by various goons and baddies. You’ve seen this movie before in the video game, and then in an earlier video game, then in a movie, and before that maybe in a 1930s serial. It’s fedoras and bullwhips all the way down.

So the movie has its over-the-top smile-worth sky pirate ridiculous goofy action scenes that it takes quite seriously. And those are usually very fun…. even if they strain credulity to the snapping point (but, honestly, the video games are sillier… and it’s not like Indiana Jones doesn’t have has moments of ridiculous action). Some of the creativity is borrowed from other sources but I’m not quite sure I’ve seen the end chase sequence anywhere recently. Kudos to originality within this familiar formula.

Unfortunately, the rest of the movie can be a bit of a drag. Not terrible but not particularly good. Just some pretty typical set ups and story exposition scenes that are never as cool or clever as I think they think they were going to be. And the less said of the genuinely terrible witty repartee the better… they really botched the dialog when trying to be clever and funny. Ugh. Make Marky Mark and Spiderman stop talking please.

This is a real mixed bag but I had enough genuine fun and eye-rolling enjoyment in the final action set piece that I forgive the majority of its sins. And maybe if the movie does well, Tom Holland can grow into that guy he’s meant to be playing (you know, when he can actually grow a 5 o’clock shadow and earn that shoulder holster).

Score: 76