Uncharted (UHD Blu-ray) review

[David Vaughn]

Studio: Sony
Release Date: May 110, 2022
Rating: PG-13
Film: 3/5
 
Plot
Street-smart thief Nathan Drake (Tom Holland) is recruited by seasoned treasure hunter Victor “Sully” Sullivan (Mark Wahlberg) to recover a fortune lost by Ferdinand Magellan 500 years ago. What starts as a heist job for the duo becomes a globe-trotting, white-knuckle race to reach the prize before the ruthless Moncada (Antonio Banderas), who believes he and his family are the rightful heirs. If Nate and Sully can decipher the clues and solve one of the world’s oldest mysteries, they stand to find $5 billion in treasure and perhaps even Nate’s long-lost brother...but only if they can learn to work together.
 
My Thoughts
Video game adaptations into movies don’t always work so well, so the bar is set pretty low for the film to be considered a success. I had never played the “Uncharted” game, so I didn’t really know what to expect. To summarize, the film is a blend of Indiana Jones / Tomb Raider / and National Treasure. While Indy and National Treasure offer a much superior experience, I found this franchise to be about on the level with Tomb Raider, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
 
Holland plays the central character, who like the movie itself, is a blend of the main characters from the aforementioned titles. He has the brains of Indy, the historical knowledge of Benjamin Franklin Gates (Nicholas Cage in NT), and the athletic abilities of Lara Kroft. He’s generally likable in the role, but it’s hard not to look at him and see Peter Parker—hopefully he isn’t typecast and can find some dramatic roles to play because I think he’s a better actor than he gets credit for.
 
Overall, it’s a fun experience but you really have to go in knowing a few things. First, it’s a movie based on a video game, so don’t expect real-life physics. In other words, check your brain at the door and sit back and have a good time. Second, the leading ladies don’t have much chemistry with their co-stars and after a while, they become more of a distraction. Wahlberg plays pretty much the same guy as he usually does, so if you’re a fan of his work, you won’t be disappointed.
 
The presentation is quite good but doesn’t quite reach the heights that it could have. The video quality is solid but when comparing it to the Blu-ray, it isn’t leaps and bounds different—mainly there’s a bit more color saturation and depth in the image, but I can’t say that the 4K brought out a ton more detail. The Atmos audio on the 4K is an improvement over the DTS-HD MA 5.1 found on the Blu-ray. The overhead effects are put to good use and I found the LFE to provide the occasional boom, but some of the action scenes could have had a bit more oomph.
     
Video 8.5/10 (AVC)
 
Audio 8.5/10 (Dolby Atmos)
 
Special Features:
 

• Deleted & Extended Scenes
• Never a Dull Moment: Stunts & Action
• Becoming Nathan Drake
• Audio Commentary
• Villains, Backstabbers & Accomplices
• Charting the Course: On Set with Ruben Fleischer
• The Buddy System
• Big Action Breakdown: C-17 Globemaster
• Music Video
• Theatrical Marketing
• Previews
• UHD + Blu-ray + Digital Copy

 
 

 
Conclusion
I wasn’t initially given a review copy of the film but thankfully a follow-up email to the PR agency allowed me to obtain a copy and it was worth the extra effort. While not a great movie, it does have some fun scenes and it was nice to see Holland outside of a Marvel film. I’m rooting for the kid to have a long career in Hollywood. If you like action/adventure films, then give this one a look but keep your expectations in check in order to have the best time.
 
Reference Review System:
JVC DLA-RS2000 4K Ultra High-Definition Front Projector
(Calibrated with Portrait Displays CalMAN color calibration software & C6-HDR Meter from Portrait Displays)
Stewart Filmscreen - Firehawk 88” 16x9 Fixed Screen
Trinnov Altitude 16 Audio/Video Processor
ATI AT527NC Powering Bed Channels
ATI AT524NC Powering Atmos Speakers
Panasonic DP-UB820 Ultra HD Blu-ray Player
System Controller: URC MX-990
M&K S-150 THX Ultra (R-C-L Speakers)
M&K SS-150 x4 (Surround Speakers)
Atlantic Technology IC6-OBA x 4 Overhead Speakers
SVS PC-Ultra Cylinder Subwoofer
HSU VTF-15H MK2 Subwoofer
M&K Sound X15+ Subwoofer
Dual JL Audio F-110 (stacked and treated as one sub)
Mini DSP HD controlling all subwoofers
Audioquest and Monoprice - Audio/Video/Speaker Cabling
PureAV PF60 Power Conditioner

[Ralph P.]

Greetings,

Glad you were able to obtain a copy. We are on the same page Dave. Nice job!


Regards,

[bmoney]

My son and I enjoyed it thoroughly:)

[David Vaughn]

Greetings,

Glad you were able to obtain a copy. We are on the same page Dave. Nice job!


Regards,

Thanks Ralph. I guess it pays to be the squeaky wheel....

[David Vaughn]

My son and I enjoyed it thoroughly:)

Glad you guys liked it. 

[bmoney]

Glad you guys liked it.

Also it def paid homage quite a bit with the video game(s) which are great games. Btw