If there was ever a video game series that seemed perfectly suited to be turned into a movie, it was Uncharted. The whole point of those games was to capture the same quality of action, set pieces, humor, and storytelling found in only the very best of Hollywood blockbusters and present them in a playable format. Something they succeeded at marvelously. Evidently, the developers at Naughty Dog set the bar too high however, as this somewhat inevitable feeling film adaptation ironically fails to match the level of spectacle found in the source material or deliver the heartwarming character relationships that made its stories so beloved. While it's disappointing to see the brand not live up to the standards its fans expect when transferring into the very medium of entertainment it had been designed to ape for so long, it's more of an amusing paradox rather than an experience-ruining fault as the right assortment of elements are in place to still make for a pretty great, yet not as clever Indiana Jones knockoff. Honestly, its biggest issues are ones we've seen from Sony Pictures and the director before, most notably in their prior collaboration on Venom. Namely, SPE not being able to deliver the same graphical fidelity of the company's excellent PlayStation gaming consoles or even their animation studio, and Ruben Fleischer's inability to create truly thrilling action sequences. Ultimately, the film manages to coast by primarily on the charisma of its stars and the strength of their comedic interactions though. I actually loved the new, younger interpretations of these heroes as it lays some nice groundwork for the sequels to build upon. The only aspect about it that kind of bugged me is that there's no element of camaraderie between its leads, with them even constantly double-crossing and screwing each other over all throughout the running time, which looking back was such an enjoyable aspect of the narratives in the games. It makes sense however given that this is their first time meeting and working together, while also setting the foundation for their familial bonds to grow moving forward. So I can't really complain about it too much. Honestly, despite pointing out the areas where improvements need to be made (visuals, scale of exciting moments), I'm left with very little to complain about at all. Not just for the potential of what the franchise could achieve in theaters in the future, but for what it's offering right now at this very second. I laughed and had a blast with the globetrotting antics, while Tom Holland proved to be just as endearing outside of the Spider-Man tights as in them. They didn't bother including a pointless romance subplot with Chloe (it's Elena or no one, bub) either, managing to completely remove that uncomfortable womanizing streak I had come to associate with Nate in the past. This might not be the full cinematic representation Uncharted deserves or is capable of, but I'm clamoring for more regardless.