Uncharted (2022) – Review and/or viewer comments – Christian Spotlight on the Movies – ChristianAnswers.Net

every explorer has a story. For Nathan Drake, his dream of being a treasure hunter began at a very young age. Nathan has always had a love of ancient history. He and his brother Sam sometimes found themselves in trouble breaking into places, even stealing historical artifacts. In fact, Nathan and Sam have set their sights on a museum that has the first drawn map of the world? why? Well, it turns out that it is a map of Magellan, the man who went around the world for the first time.

After a failed attempt to acquire the map, Sam and Nathan are arrested and taken back to the orphanage where they live. The officer says that this is Sam’s third strike and that he is going to jail. Sam refuses to go to jail and quietly escapes through his bedroom window, but not without promising Nathan that he’ll be back one day.

flash-forward many years later, nathan is working as part bartender and part shoplifter extraordinaire, when a strange man, victor “sully” sullivan, notices nathan’s “less than respectable” skills and offers him the opportunity to his life: help him. he finds the hidden treasure of magellan. Of course, Nathan jumps at the chance. although they are not the only ones looking for the treasure…

nathan and sully are about to embark on a truly “uncharted” adventure.

Because this is a movie that enjoys history so much, history hasn’t been kind to video games that have been turned into movies. off the top of my head “assassins creed” comes to mind followed by “warcraft” and then there are others that all you would have to do is google and you could find another 50 or so with rotten scores on review aggregator rotten tomatoes. Of course there are exceptions, like “pokemon: detective pikachu” and “sonic the hedgehog”, but the emphasis here is on the word exception.

However, for “uncharted”, the film falls into any category. it’s not spectacular or repulsive, it’s just there. For those of us who have played the uncharted games (I’ve played them all), characters and settings from previous games make their way into the “uncharted” movie, which makes me wonder, how much of this movie is original and how much was made with borrowed parts? (And yes, I know, some critics have stated that uncharted, itself, is a series that is a watered-down version of indiana jones).

Okay, please listen to me. yes this movie appeals to unknown video game fans like me and if you pay close attention there are some fun easter eggs hidden in the movie. however, if you’re creating a true prequel to the uncharted games, be sure to create a movie that appeals to all audiences: both fans and those who might be new to uncharted >. i> universe. speaking of attracting new audiences…

Tom Holland’s performance of Nathan Drake was relatively good. Nathan, in the games, had this adult nature, tough, but also charismatic. when i see tom holland as nathan, i still see him as the young spider-man from the marvel movies. I don’t think choosing it was the right choice. however, mark whalberg’s portrayal of sully was spot on (although he started out with a western accent at the beginning of the movie, then lost the accent about a quarter of the way through the movie, which made me scratch my head a bit). Antonio Banderas plays the film’s main character, Moncada, quite well, albeit with some awkward moments where it seemed like he was trying too hard. other elements like pacing, cinematography, and effects are quite strong in this film.

objectionable content

Violence: There are a lot of fight sequences in the movie (mostly bloodless) where people are killed or knocked unconscious. the scenes involve different types of guns, knives, swords, darts, and a cannon. the violent action scenes include a person having their throat slashed. people are shot and pushed from a flying ship. people are thrown from a helicopter. two characters are seen trapped underwater. a character is seen hanging from some boxes hanging from the back of an open cargo plane. the arrows almost hit a character. a character is thrown against a wall. a character is seen fighting some security guards. there are a couple of foot and car chase sequences. a character dies offscreen. a character has liquor bottles smashed over his head during a fight. someone is thrown through a glass box. a helicopter crashes with someone inside. a large object falls on someone and kills them.

vulgarity: f**k (1), sh*t (27), cr*p (3), p*ss off (1), s*ck (1), s*cks (2), son from b*tch (3), b*stards (1), a** (5), sapient-a** (1), “what are you, stoned?” (1), (hint?) “kitty got wet” is the bar name nathan tends

profanities: j*sus (3), jeez is also used once, oh my g*d (8), g*d (3), oh for god’s sake (1), h*ll ( 12), d *mn (3), h*l and sh*t (7)

sexual content/dialogue: there are some moments that involve sexual innuendo. two characters share a room (although we never see them sleep together or have sex, it’s clear that one of the characters is clearly in love with the other, so not much is left to the imagination). in sexual sarcasm when braddock (tati gabrielle) squeezes her thighs around a man’s neck, she asks if she misses that. a drink is called “sex on the beach”. someone mentions that someone else has the tinder app.

nudity: woman in bikini. there are women with necklines and dresses that reveal the back. a shirtless man is shown exercising, then we see the same man shirtless.

drugs: someone smokes a cigarette. someone takes a cigarette.

alcohol: Nate is a bartender and is seen serving drinks in a couple of scenes. he is seen drinking other characters in some other scenes.

other: sam and nate, at the beginning of the movie, break into a museum and get arrested (sam avoids going to jail by escaping through a window while gathering his stuff).

lessons

Throughout the adventure, Nate, Sully, and another accompanying character, Chloe, recognize that it’s hard to trust anyone these days, especially with how liars and deceitful people can be.

It sure is a sad lens to look at the world with. many times this lens is based on experience. Trust is something that can be easily earned, but when it’s lost, it’s so hard to get back.

It is comforting to know that we can always put our faith and trust in our Lord Jesus Christ to be there for his regenerated followers whenever we need him.

“make sure your way of life is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for he himself has said: ‘I will never forsake you, nor will I forsake you’” —Hebrews 13:5 lsb

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. acknowledge him in all your ways, and he will make straight your paths.” -proverbs 3:5-6

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. it is like a tree planted by the water, which puts down its roots by the stream, and does not fear when the heat comes, because its leaves remain green, and it is not distressed in the year of drought, because it does not cease to bear fruit.” —jeremiah 17:7-8

Trusting God, however, means finding peace in whatever his plans and decisions are, even if they go against our wishes.

“That is why I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? —Matthew 6:25

final thoughts

“uncharted” means well. it really tries to stand on its own as a movie in an attempt to revive a series that has been dormant for some time. there are moments in the film that are humorous, moments that are moving and moments that are shocking.

The moments that embarrass me are the ones that worry me, and it’s not just the violence. what also bothers me is the excessive amount of profanity, partial nudity, and some risque moments.

if we were to put content aside, “uncharted” would make a decent watch on a streaming service. however, as it stands, I do not recommend it for Christian viewing. definitely not for kids.

• Violence: Strong to Very Strong
• Clude/Crude Language: Very Strong
• Profane Language: Strong
• Gender: Moderate
• drugs/alcohol: moderate
• nudity: mild to moderate

see the list of relevant topics: questions and answers.