One of PlayStation’s most popular adventure games, Uncharted has extended its franchise from video games and to film. The hit movie, starring Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg, appeared on the big screen in early March, leaving critics and audiences to ask: can the movie live up to the video games’ hype?

In the Uncharted movie, street-smart Nathan Drake (Tom Holland) reluctantly embarks on an adventure with treasure hunter Sully (Mark Wahlberg) and Chloe Frazer (Sophia Ali) to find explorer Ferdinand Magellan’s lost fortune. The audience follows the pair as they decipher clues and narrowly escape death in search for the explorer’s treasure, and potentially, Nathan’s long-lost brother. 

“The vibe of it is a little bit of throwback,” FANDOM movie critic Eric Goldman said. “It feels like the sort of silly, fun action movie we got a lot of in the 90s” 

Although many enjoyed the film, there has been a notable amount of discontent within the gaming community, likely because of the discrepancy between the movie and the rest of the franchise. The Uncharted video game similarly follows Nathan Drake on his hunt for Magellan’s lost treasure, with clues and an adventure-packed storyline, but details such as the main character’s age caused some points of contention.

“Movies like National Treasure and the Indiana Jones series have done what Uncharted did a lot better and effectively,” one Rotten Tomatoes critic said. “The final produced version of the film is still an entertaining film that has some good set pieces, but if the movie is going to be a future franchise, hopefully the future sequels will try to be a little more original and inventive.”

Having an esteemed reputation in the gaming community, the Uncharted video game storyline runs over nine different titles. Its Indiana Jones-like style appeals to the adventurers and its complex plot, graphics, and fighting mechanics appeal to gaming zealots.

“You never have to think too hard about what you’re doing or why, and as long as you can surrender your will to the game – for there is little room for improvisation in these climbing puzzles, shootouts and well-acted story scenes – you’ll have a good time,” The Guardian writer Keza MacDonald said about the series.

Overall, the Uncharted movie is reported to be entertaining and action-packed, but to many, it has fallen short of the iconic video game narrative. The movie has many of the same elements as its source material, but it has been modified to appeal to a larger audience. If you are looking for a simple, action-packed movie to see in theaters, Uncharted is for you.

“It is not path-breaking,” Firstpost movie critic Poulomi Das said. “It is also not as cinematic as its source material. Once that is clear and the pressure on the film to be perfect is off, it becomes easier to see Uncharted for what it is: a harmless action movie that does its job.”