Uncharted (2022) * *

Directed by:  Ruben Fleischer

Starring:  Tom Holland, Mark Wahlberg, Antonio Banderas, Sophia Ali, Tati Gabrielle

Uncharted wants to work in the Indiana Jones tradition, but Indiana Jones it isn't.  Indiana Jones never chased something as mundane as lost gold, but instead something with historic or religious implications and far more gravitas than lost treasure.    I find myself not growing all that excited about whether Nathan Drake (Holland) and his partner Sully (Wahlberg) find Magellan's lost ships which house billions in gold.   If they find it...great.   If not...great.   There isn't much at stake here.

We start in Boston fifteen years ago.   Nathan and his older, more adventurous brother Sam are orphanage residents until Sam flies the coop, promising to come back for his younger brother.   Fast forward to present day, Nathan is a New York bartender who lifts jewelry from unsuspecting patrons.   Nathan is approached by Victor "Sully" Sullivan with an offer to chase after Magellan's lost treasure which Sully and Nathan's brother Sam once pursued to no avail.   Nathan reluctantly goes along mostly in hopes of finding his brother who, depending on who you listen to, is either dead or just missing.   

Their search hinges on finding and gaining possession of two bejeweled crucifixes while eluding billionaire Santiago Moncada (Banderas) and his enforcer Jo Braddock (Gabrielle).   Another player enters the mix in Chloe Frazer (Ali), who could be Nathan's love interest in a different movie, but alas serves as a frenemy to Nathan and Sully.

Uncharted hops all over the world from New York to Barcelona to the Philippines with the usual litany of chases, fights, and near misses along the way.   Holland and Wahlberg are likable heroes, mostly because we rely on their screen personas to make up for what little characterization they are provided.   The villains aren't very villainous and we are left with aerial stunts and sets aided heavily by CGI.   All of this is sufficiently executed without much excitement for the viewer.   The end credits promise a sequel, but there was just barely enough energy to pull this off the first time.