Uncharted: 10 Game Elements That Should Be In The Film
4. Young Nate & Young Sully
Uncharted, at its heart, is all about the banter-filled relationship between Nate and Sully. Still, it took until Uncharted 3 for developer Naughty Dog to show us the roots of their decades-old bond, and it added more gravity their exchanges, and near-death escapes, for the rest of the series.
But the movie can't afford to wait for its second sequel to give us this context, and nor should it. The problem with so many modern action movies (and video-game adaptations) is that they're surface-level spectacle - Transformers, Warcraft, every single Resident Evil - full of flashy visuals but lacking a beating heart.
A big part of Uncharted is the spectacle, but it's also got that aforementioned heart propping everything up. The games always make time for the quieter moments; Nate sleeping on Elena's lap in Uncharted 3. Exploring Nate's house in Uncharted 4. And, of course, the flashback to Nate and Sully's first meeting in Cartagena, at the start of Uncharted 3.
We're assuming that Sully will be a big part of the movie, which is almost certain, and if he is, that heart at the centre of the games must be mirrored by the adaptation. Why not mix a handful of flashbacks into the film's first act, Man Of Steel-style, to show us exactly why these two guys care for each other so much in the first place?
Not only would the subsequent danger they will inevitably find themselves in carry more emotional weight, but we'd be given context as to why an old man and a young orphan are hunting down ancient treasures together. Which is inherently weird.