Action movies have never really been my thing. The rush I feel during high-intensity chase scenes or high stake moments of problem-solving can be described less as adrenaline and more as “I need to be doing anything else” stress. Nonetheless, I gave the film Uncharted a chance.

At first, I regretted my decision. 

The “backstory” scene at the beginning of the movie was severely overacted as it attempted to invoke emotion and intensity; this ended up making it seem cheesy and theatrical in an odd way. Although it lacked in helping me to create a connection to the plot, I thought it would make up for that shortcoming by providing relevancy or recall. Unfortunately, it didn’t seem to add that to the film.

Once that scene concluded, however, the movie started to feel more comfortable and cohesive. The characters got to the point quickly and didn’t leave time to get bored of the storyline. This pacing stayed consistent throughout; there didn’t seem to be any filler scenes and every moment of the film felt intentional. 

With this pace, however, it was difficult to feel a connection with the characters. There were most definitely places within the film where an attempt was made to incorporate heart-to-hearts or reveal hidden trauma, but it almost always felt rushed or like it was an afterthought. Connecting with characters is severely important in a film, and despite the defect in the script, the need for familiarity was made up for by actor Tom Holland.  

Holland’s performance as the main character, Nate, in the film was accomplished well. The character felt like a natural next step for Holland after his work as Spiderman; Nate felt exactly like a more grown-up Peter Parker. This of course ensured that Tom Holland performed to the absolute height of his abilities and allowed for a potentially static, troubled-hero character to be given more depth and intensity. 

Holland’s chemistry with co-star Mark Wahlberg was appreciated as well. Throughout the film, there’s a constant theme of discovering trust which often created room for Holland and Wahlberg’s characters to dispute. They smoothly portrayed a rocky relationship and easily managed to seem as though they were strangers for an appropriate amount of time—breaking a trend that some movies follow in which main characters spontaneously fit perfectly together.

With all that being said, I feel fairly indifferent about Uncharted. On Rotten Tomatoes, critics give the movie a 40%, while audiences score the film at a 90%. Neither score particularly ignites a response from me, and I could understand both ways. 

The film at many points does allude to a sequel; maybe that film will provide more intrigue if it allows for more female representation, character development, and still stays true to the things that this movie did right the first time. Overall, if you’re debating whether or not to go and see Uncharted, I would. You’re not going to have a bad time, and the necessary action and adrenaline will be there waiting. This movie simply just may not be the most life-altering film that you view—not every film is.