Antonio Banderas | Screenlife Reviews

An adaptation of Sony’s über popular Uncharted video-game franchise has been in the works since 2008. Since then we’ve had 4 main instalments, several spin-offs and a decade for original Nathan Drake actor Mark Wahlberg to completely age out of the role and step into the shoes of Drake’s mentor Sully. That’s a lot of pressure to throw on a film and expectations were understandably low as the film limped towards release after even more COVID-induced delays. I’m happy to report that Uncharted is a surprisingly fun, boisterous adventure that more often than not does right by its source material. Shoddy writing and some comically underwritten characters may dampen the experience, and it is hard to ignore the film’s obvious borrowings from other (better) action franchises, but if you can put those negatives out of your mind then you’ll likely wind up having a lot of fun with Drake and Sully.

Having been separated from his brother Sam (Rudy Pankow) as a child, Nathan Drake (Tom Holland) lives in his shadow, getting by as a bartender and pickpocket and yearning for the day his brother will finally reappear. When an apparent friend of Sam’s, Victor Sully (Wahlberg), offers Drake the chance to reunite with his brother if he helps him locate the fabled treasure of Ferdinand Magellan – a childhood dream of Sam and Nathan’s – Drake jumps at the chance, signing up for a mission to steal a relic believed to hold the secret to the location of the treasure. The pair soon learn, however, that they are not the only ones after Magellan’s treasure, with the ruthless and wealthy Santiago Moncada (Antonio Banderas) and former friend of Sully’s Chloe Frazer (Sophia Ali) hot on their heels.

The success of the Uncharted games came from their clever reworking of the tropes of adventure classics like Indiana Jones into globe-trotting epics that allowed the player to step into the hero’s shoes and control the outcome. By turning the series back to a cinematic medium, you inevitably lose that interactivity, leaving what amounts to a hodgepodge of different action films from Indy to National Treasure and Pirates of the Caribbean. That might sound unoriginal – and it is – but the combination is surprisingly effective. It isn’t often that we get a modern treasure hunting blockbuster and despite some clichéd over-the-top set-pieces (others are genuinely brilliant), Uncharted scratches that itch, doing none of those franchises better than them but together forming something strangely unique and enjoyable in its simplicity – just turn your brain off and enjoy.

A lot of the enjoyment from the film admittedly stems from Tom Holland. Coming off the back of Spider-Man: No Way Home – one of the biggest films in history – it is no surprise that Holland can carry a film of this scale with ease, portraying a slightly less intelligent but no less cocky and charming version of Drake than his video-game counterpart. It’s impossible to form the same kind of connection to Holland’s character from one film as opposed to spending 20 plus hours in a game with the character but the clever tweaks to the film’s story – borrowing pieces from different games rather than a straight adaptation of any one in particular – and seeing the beginnings of the bickering banter between Drake and Sully form sets the film apart from the games and carves out a niche for this interpretation of Nathan Drake.

For his part Mark Wahlberg is simply himself, bringing none of the mannerisms of the Sully from the games and relying on his usual endearingly combative schtick that was so successful in films like The Other Guys and Daddy’s Home. The chemistry with Holland is there at times, particularly when the duo first meet, but there is certainly room for improvement in the inevitable sequel in so far as defining the relationship between the pair. Antonio Banderas is woefully underused as a villain, rattling off his vaguely menacing lines in a vaguely menacing voice in the few scenes he is given, while Sophia Ali’s constantly shifting accent is a painful distraction from her constantly shifting allegiances as mistrusting fellow treasure hunter Chloe.

Uncharted isn’t the saving grace for video-game adaptations nor is it the new pinnacle of the action-adventure genre but it is effective in its judicial borrowing from all of the best action-adventure films, forming something familiar but always entertaining. Holland is surprisingly great as Nathan Drake, making the role his own rather than moulding himself to fit the character from the games and brings his usual charisma and physicality to every scene. The rest of the cast might not be able to keep up with him and the action becomes big blockbuster noise at times but, considering what could have been, there’s a lot more treasure in Uncharted than the map to it would have you believe.

Uncharted stars Tom Holland, Mark Wahlberg, Sophia Ali, Tati Gabrielle, Steven Waddington, Rudy Pankow, Tiernan Jones & Antonio Banderas – In cinemas now.

7/10

Do you remember the throwaway action flicks of the mid 2000’s? Films like Mr and Mrs Smith or Sahara that you immediately know by reputation or the poster but couldn’t remember a single scene of if pressed? That’s the category that Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard falls into: a truly unmemorable action flick that has a few funny scenes and is entertaining in the moment but one that you will never think about again after watching. That’s not necessarily a bad thing – there is a place for those kind of easy watches that don’t require much brainpower, but the Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard is such a mindless cash grab, completely wasting its all-star cast in a mess of a story that it is hard to recommend to even the most easily pleased audience members.

Following his successful thwarting of Belarussian dictator Vladislav Dukhovich (Gary Oldman) in the previous film, the now former AAA rated bodyguard Michael Bryce (Ryan Reynolds) has taken a sabbatical, retreating to an island resort in an attempt to clear his mind of the trauma he endured saving master criminal Darius Kincaid (Samuel L. Jackson). That peace is soon interrupted in spectacular fashion as Kincaid’s wife Sonia (Salma Hayek) bursts onto the scene, on the hunt for her husband who has been kidnapped by local gangsters. Once the trio is reunited the real story takes shape, as they are approached by Interpol and charged with taking down Aristotle Papadopolous, a corrupt billionaire who has taken it upon himself to save his beloved Greece by sabotaging the European Union’s power grid, essentially destroying Europe.

From here the film is non-stop bickering as Reynolds and Jackson are left to go at each other, with Reynolds given free reign to improvise and spew out jokes, some of them good, some of them not, none of them staying in your mind long enough to be processed before the next comes flying out. It’s easily the best aspect of the film, with a tongue-in-cheek tone that never takes itself too seriously (there’s even a hilarious call-out to Reynolds many well-known business ventures outside Hollywood). To call it a parody of other self-serious films in the action genre might be a step too far however, as director Patrick Hughes doesn’t seem to have any insightful commentary to make in that regard, rather falling on the conventions of the genre in the laziest way as a skeleton for the jokes to be built around. The only time that structure is ever changed is if it lends itself to a zany concept or intricate joke laid by Reynolds and those vary in their quality greatly.

The most divisive of these centres around the character played by Morgan Freeman. It’s an incredibly juvenile laugh that is plain to see as soon as it is announced, but Reynolds and Jackson dance around it for the next five to ten minutes, extending the joke to ridiculous proportions without ever introducing a new punchline. Reynolds acts as something of a double-edged sword in this regard. He is the heart of the film and carries almost every single scene with his madcap energy and constant quipping but in doing so prevents anyone else around him from having all that much to contribute. It’s a shame then that his character undergoes the least change, essentially ending the film as he started it where other characters with far more going for them are left with rushed arcs that don’t really allow for much emotional resonance. Salma Hayek tries her damn heart out with a truly over-the-top insane performance as the gun-toting, foul-mouthed assassin, constantly fighting with her hitman husband but desperate to have his baby. There are a couple of scenes where she tries to deliver some genuine emotion but these are quickly swept away in the wake of a Reynolds punchline. Jackson’s character is also overshadowed in this manner and proceeds on autopilot, while the great Antonio Banderas is barely even seen: a true waste.

Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard really doesn’t have much to offer its audience outside of acting as the Ryan Reynolds show. If you’re a fan of his public persona, full of subtle jabs and self-deprecating digs, then you will likely find some enjoyment in watching him do just that for 100 minutes. Unfortunately the film fails in every other aspect, with Reynolds overshadowing his talented cast in a clunky, rote adventure that likely landed its stars a lavish holiday whilst providing the audience little more than something to look at for a while. There is a reason these types of films died out in the 2010’s: for every solid little gem that offers true mindless escapism that audiences love there are twice as many hollow, pay-check makers that leave your consciousness as soon as they enter.

Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard stars Ryan Reynolds, Samuel L. Jackson, Salma Hayek, Antonio Banderas, Frank Grillo, Gary Oldman, Tom Hopper, Richard E. Grant & Morgan Freeman – In cinemas now.

7/10

3.5/10