Movies made from popular video games tend to be financially successful and this year's release, Uncharted, is no exception. Starring Tom Holland (Spider-Man: No Way Home) and Mark Wahlberg (Father Stu), the movie has already grossed three hundred and ninety million dollars worldwide based on a one hundred and twenty million dollar budget and that is even before the movie is released on 4K, Blu-ray, and Digital. Headed to stores this week, this is an excellent choice for those who love lots of action, some mystery and intrigue, and who are typically games.
As I wrote in my theatrical review," Nathan Drake Tom Holland) grew up in an orphanage with his brother Sam (Rudy Pankow; Outer Banks) who taught Nate about being an explorer and a thief. Fifteen years later, Nathan has barely heard from Sam, except for a few postcards Nathan periodically receives from all over the world. Then one day Nathan is approached by Victor "Sully" Sullivan (Mark Wahlberg; Ted) who asks for Nathan's assistance in locating Magellan's treasure."
The acting is pretty strong though I reiterate my previous statement regarding Holland being too young to play Drake which may make fans of the video game rather unhappy. Wahlberg does a good job, even though he has played a similar type of character in past movies. The ladies of Uncharted, Sophia Ali (Grey's Anatomy) and Tati Gabrielle (The 100), are badass, fighting those that stand in the way of each of them attempting to find the treasure.
In my assessment of the picture quality on the big screen, I stated, "the visuals are hit or miss throughout the film. There are times when director Ruben Fleischer (Venom) offers magnificent vistas of exotic locations but there are also times when it seems as if he made the decision to make the picture quality similar to the video game." Unfortunately, I don't see a significant difference in the Blu-ray release. The 2.39:1 aspect ratio and 1080p resolution cleans up the optics somewhat but since I was also able to watch the movie on 4K I recommend spending the extra money for the higher quality disc.
The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 is similar to the theatrical release, doing a good job of fully immersing the viewer in the atmosphere of the treasure hunters. Of course, the upgraded Dolby Atmos that accompanies the 4K disc is excellent with gunshots reverberating from the speakers and helicopters flying by from one side of the room to the other. Again, the upgrade is worth the money in my opinion. The Blu-ray disc houses the extras and I am happy to report there are several, informative features, making the Blu-ray a worthwhile purchase. The extras include: Deleted and Extended Scenes, Becoming Nathan Drake, Big Action Breakdown: C-17 Globemaster, Charting the Course: On Set with Ruben Fleischer, Never a Dull Moment: Stunts & Action, The Buddy System, Villains, Backstabbers & Accomplices, and Commentary with Director Ruben Fleischer.
I stand by my review of the movie from my theatrical review having stated, "With the concept of trying to find ancient treasure, it has similarities to National Treasure - only not as well done in my opinion. It also mimics 1985's The Goonies at moments but does so in a much more serious manner. The film borrows heavily from the different versions of the video game as well which is to be expected." If you liked the film and you know what to expect, then this combo pack is a solid purchase to add to your home video collection.
Grade: B+
