Blu-ray Review: UNCHARTED

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May 11, 2022 Posted by Kyle Nolan in DVD/Blu-ray, Reviews | Comments

Nathan Drake (Tom Holland) grew up in an orphanage with his older brother. They always dreamed of going on a treasure hunt together, looking for Ferdinand Magellan’s lost treasure. But after Sam left the orphanage 15 years ago, the brothers haven’t seen each other. Sam had sent his brother postcards while off seeking the fortune, but those also stopped a couple years ago. Now Nate works as a bartender and small-time grifter in New York City.

Nate is approached by seasoned fortune hunter Victor “Sully” Sullivan (Mark Wahlberg), who had been seeking Magellan’s treasure, working with Sam before he mysteriously disappeared. Sully recruits Nate to help pick up where his brother left off. For Nate, this adventure is less about the money (though that helps) and more about the possibility of finding his brother again. However, he doesn’t fully trust Sully, and knows that he is probably just using him to get the information his brother knew about the treasure. The pair must also join forces with another former colleague of Sully’s, Australian treasure hunter Chloe Frazer (Sophia Ali), who literally holds one of the keys to finding the gold. Though, like Sully, she too, cannot be fully trusted. Each of them has his or her own motive for this quest and would turn on the others as soon as it becomes advantageous to do so.

There is also another party hunting down Magellan’s lost gold. The treasure was last seen 500 years ago, when it was entrusted to the House of Moncada. Santiago Moncada (Antonio Banderas), head of the Moncada Foundation, believes the treasure is his right and he is eager to get it back, and would kill anyone who gets in the way. He hires ruthless fortune seeker Jo Braddock (Tati Gabrielle), who also has a history with Sully. She and her henchman—the fast-talking Scotsman (Steven Waddington) and silent Hugo (Pingi Moli)—begin their own quest to hunt down Sully, Nate and Chloe to obtain their maps and keys and get their hands on the gold first. And so begins an epic globe-trotting adventure with lots of action, intrigue and adventure.

Uncharted is based on Sony’s popular video game series from developer Naughty Dog. It provides an origin story for a young Nathan Drake as he just embarks on his career as a treasure hunter. While there are lots of references and Easter Eggs thrown in for the video game fans, those who haven’t played the games can still fully enjoy the movie. The film is a fun, wild ride that takes viewers on a globe-trotting adventure that finds Nathan Drake underground, in the air, and everywhere in between. It’s filled with action, adventure, mystery, and humor—it’s like National Treasure meets Indiana Jones. It feels like you are part of the gang as they try to decipher the clues and put the pieces of the puzzle together to find this lost gold. At the same time, they don’t even know if they can trust one another. Plus, they are being hunted down by ruthless enemies who want to get their hands on the treasure first.

The film finds the treasure hunters in a non-stop race, from one big action set piece to the next. But also taking some time to explore the characters, their backstories, motivations and relationships with one another. There is this wonderful chemistry between the actors/characters. Sully is the seasoned adventurer who’s sort of mentoring Nathan, but Nate already has a great sense of street smarts of his own having grown up in an orphanage. There is also a bit of an age/generational gap between the guys, which Nate likes to constantly remind Sully of. Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg have excellent onscreen chemistry, and their characters’ bromance is so much fun to watch. Holland is also amazing with all the physical demands of the role, whether it’s fighting, running, jumping, or falling, he makes it look so effortless. Sophia Ali makes a fun third wheel to this duo. Nate, Chloe and Sully don’t really trust one another, but they know they need to work together in order to find the gold. However, that doesn’t prevent them from trying to get one over on each other if they get the chance. The casting of the villains is also well done. Antonio Banderas makes for a really intimidating businessman who would choose the gold over his own family, but even he is outdone by Tati Gabrielle—Braddock is a skilled martial artist and ruthless killer. And to balance her off, there’s also the more comedic sidekicks like Steven Waddington as the incoherent Scotsman.

Sony’s Blu-ray release looks and sounds excellent. The picture is clean and clear throughout, even in the darker sequences such as when Nate heads underground. The colors and lighting are really well done, from the glow of flashlights in a darkened museum, to the neon lights of the bar, to the bright blue sky as Nate floats outside the cargo plane. There is also a solid level of detail throughout, especially in closeup shots of faces. The visual effects are really well done—you really believe that Nate is high up in the air jumping between crates falling from a cargo plane, and there are also some cool, seamless transitions between scenes. The audio track is also quite impressive, providing clear dialogue, and making excellent use of the stereo and surround channels to provide a fully immersive experience. Whether it’s the music and crowd in bar, the creaking of a pirate ship, or just the general ambiance of the locations, you always feel like you are right there in the middle of the action.

The Blu-ray is loaded with bonus material, including a director commentary, 8 deleted/extended scenes, almost 30 minutes of behind-the-scenes featurettes, a music video, and some marketing material. The release includes both a Blu-ray disc and a DVD packed on either side of a standard HD keepcase, placed in a carboard slipcover. An insert provides instructions on how to redeem an HD digital copy of the film.

What’s Included:

Film: (1:55:50)

1080p / Widescreen 2.39:1
Audio: English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, English Descriptive Audio Service, French 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital
Subtitles: English, English SDH, French, Spanish

DVD:

480i / Anamorphic Widescreen 2.39:1
Audio: English 5.1 Dolby Digital, English Descriptive Audio Service, French 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital
Subtitles: English, English SDH, French, Spanish

Digital (Limited time offer):

HD digital copy of the film, redeemable via Movies Anywhere or Vudu

Extras:
The DVD disc only contains a subset of the material, which is noted with an *.

Deleted and Extended Scenes (10:23)
Play All, or select from:
- Museum Deleted Scene (1:17)
  A young Nate and Sam sneak into the museum at night and look at a model of a ship.
- Original Sully Intro (1:49)
  Sully meets Nate as he works behind the bar.
- Private Plane Extended Cut (1:34)
  Sully and Nate discuss their plans while traveling on a private plane.
- Alternate Barcelona Arrival (:37)
  Sully and Nate arrive in Barcelona and head to meet Chloe.
- Extended Safe House & Balcony (3:27)
  Chloe and Nate have a heart-to-heart discussion about their pasts on the balcony of the safe house.
- Braddock Finds Sully Outside The Antechamber (1:09)
  As Sully waits outside the Antechamber, Braddock and her men arrive.
- Inside the Car Trunk (:37)
  Sully and Nate hide in the trunk of a car aboard the cargo plane.
- Nate Finds Magellan’s Note (:33)
  Nate finds a wax-sealed note written by Ferdinand Magellan while searching below the deck of the ship.
Never a Dull Moment: Stunts & Action (5:55)
The cast and filmmakers talk about shooting the film’s action sequences, adding some humor and personality to the fight scenes, the filming locations, working with the other actors, the huge set pieces, and more. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with producers Charles Roven & Alex Gartner, director/executive producer Ruben Fleischer, stunt coordinator Stephen Dunlevy, and stars Tom Holland (“Nathan Drake”/executive producer), Sophia Ali (“Chloe Frazer”), Tati Gabrielle (“Braddock”) & Mark Wahlberg (“Victor Sullivan”).
Becoming Nathan Drake (4:00)
The cast and filmmakers talk about how Tom Holland embodies the character of Nathan Drake, incorporating elements of the games but also making the film its own thing, and more. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, video game/film side-by-side comparisons, and interviews with producers Alex Gartner & Charles Roven, director/executive producer Ruben Fleischer, executive producer Asad Qizilbash, and stars Mark Wahlberg, Tom Holland & Nolan North (“Hotel Guest”).
Director Commentary (1:55:50)
Director Ruben Fleischer provides an entertaining and informative commentary throughout the film. He shares lots of interesting behind-the-scenes stories about the production, discussing how different scenes were shot, the cast & crew, filming locations, sets, video game references, the challenges of shooting during the pandemic, and more.
Villains, Backstabbers & Accomplices (4:21)
The cast and filmmakers talk about the various antagonists and henchmen in the film and the actors behind them. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with producers Alex Gartner & Charles Roven, director/executive producer Ruben Fleischer, and stars Antonio Banderas (“Santiago Moncada”), Tati Gabrielle, Tom Holland, Pingi Moli (“Hugo”), Steven Waddington (“The Scotsman”), Sophia Ali & Mark Wahlberg.
Charting the Course: On Set with Ruben Fleischer (4:29)
The cast and filmmakers discuss what it was like working with director Ruben Fleischer and why he was the perfect person to helm this project. They also point out some of the Easter Eggs thrown in for the video game fans. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with producers Alex Gartner & Charles Roven, director/executive producer Ruben Fleischer, and stars Mark Wahlberg, Tom Holland, Antonio Banderas, Sophia Ali & Tati Gabrielle.
The Buddy System* (3:50)
The cast and filmmakers talk about the relationship between Nathan and Sully, the chemistry between the actors, and the use of improvisation. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with director/executive producer Ruben Fleischer, producers Alex Gartner & Charles Roven, and stars Tom Holland, Mark Wahlberg, Sophia Ali & Tati Gabrielle.
Big Action Breakdown: C-17 Globemaster (5:04)
The cast and filmmakers talk about constructing and filming the massive in-air action sequence that opens the film. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with director/executive producer Ruben Fleischer, producers Alex Gartner & Charles Roven, stunt coordinator Stephen Dunlevy, production designer Shepherd Frankel, special effects supervisor Uli Nefzer, and stars Sophia Ali & Tom Holland.
Music Video (2:39)
Lyric music video for “No Mind” by Milkblood.
Theatrical Marketing (4:12)
Collection of promotional featurettes used for the theatrical release of the film. Play All, or select from:
- Just a Little Charted (1:37)
  Fun behind-the-scenes promo for the film with stars Tom Holland & Mark Wahlberg.
- Bromantic (:59)
  Stars Tom Holland & Mark Wahlberg suggest that the film would make a great Valentine’s Day movie.
- Harry & Tom (1:07)
  Tom and his assistant/brother Harry go over his stunt lineup for the day.
- Stunts (:46)
  Tom Holland talks about some of the stunts in the film.
Previews* (10:43)
Trailers for Venom: Let There Be Carnage, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, Spider-Man: No Way Home, and Morbius play back-to-back.

Final Thoughts:

My Rating

Film:

Video:

Audio:

Extras:

Highly Recommended

Uncharted is a blast, with lots of action, adventure and humor. Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg make a wonderful buddy-action-film duo, and are joined by an equally-talented supporting cast. With an interesting story, well-rounded characters, and some excellent action set pieces, the film is one that I could easily watch over and over again. And for fans of the video game franchise, there are lots of fun references thrown in. Sony’s Blu-ray release looks and sounds great, and contains a solid assortment of bonus material. This release comes highly recommended for anyone looking for a really fun action-adventure film the whole family can enjoy.