The ‘Adventures of TinTin’: Film Review
Paramount Pictures and Columbia Pictures’ The Adventures of Tintin will undoubtedly bring out the child in you. Based on the series of novels by Herge, The Adventures of Tintin is the seamless blend of action and humor that tells a story of loyalty, courage and friendship. The film follows Tintin, the curious young reporter (Jamie Bell) and his loyal dog Snowy as they learn a model ship they bought holds a fiery secret. His relentless pursuit of a good story plunges him into a world of escalating levels of excitement, as he travels half the world fleeing his enemies to find The Unicorn, a shipwreck that may hold the key to fortune.
The pure excitement that pours out of this film is said to be reminiscent of the Indiana Jones classic, Raiders of the Lost Ark. It is smart craftsmanship on the behalf of Steven Spielberg and his creative team in turning a screenplay by Steven Moffat and Edgar Wright & Joe Cornish into a heart-warming film for the holidays. The film starts out slow with just an abundance of dialogue between Tintin and an attentive Snowy, but then the mood quickly picks up with adrenaline-charged action sequences throughout the film. The story, with its variety and vibrant camerawork, is easy to follow, accompanied by John Williams' beautifully triumphant music that fits the essence of the film.
Although the novels by Herge that the film is based upon are popular overseas, but not well established in the United States, the international foundation may have even more of an impact on American audiences solely because of its unfamiliarity—and the fact that Steven Spielberg is the director surely doesn’t hurt. The brilliant and lively single-action scene of the chase within a Moroccan town is entertaining, yet educational for children and allows culture-seeking adults to travel into another part of the world. Although it was a very long scene that left you quite frazzled after, it was nonetheless extremely thrilling to watch.
Spielberg knows just how to create characters that enable us to see into their souls, while entertaining and teaching us along the way, as in this film. He makes us part of the story and produces an emotional connection between the audience and his characters. Spielberg has said that he tried to stay true to the comic heroes from Herge’s novels both in performance and appearance, which he achieved. Jamie Bell is magnificent as Tintin, from his similar look to his charming accent to his spot on parody. However, Tintin’s somewhat cold personality does not equate to the boisterous personalities of the secondary characters. Andy Serkis delivers a witty performance as the alcoholic Captain Haddock and Daniel Craig does a great impersonation of Sakharine/Red Rackham, intense and mildly malicious. The real-life comic team of Nick Frost and Simon Pegg happen to be the most entertaining as identical police officer brothers Thomson and Thompson. They are hilariously senseless, which brings more of that childish wonder to the film. But, nothing can top the animation and the remarkable use of performance capture.
The simplistic and bland features of Herge’s novel characters are transformed by Spielberg, generating such incredibly photo realistic characters that you forget they are not real-- even Tintin’s loyal pal Snowy. This is not only the best use of 3D and motion-capture animation, but it allows you to feel like you are enjoying the adventure with the characters. The difference between Spielberg’s characters and those from other 3D films is in their effortless movements, extravagant features and multifaceted expressions, but mostly it is in the eyes. It is so unique to watch a 3D film of this nature and feel an instant understanding of the characters—which also makes it exceptionally relatable to the audience.
The film may have a lot going on and be a bit drawn out at times, but it is never short of exhilarating. The persistent action and fast pace can seem rushed without enough dialogue, but being consistent is never a bad thing. Spielberg’s film-making style and the implausible 3D design ultimately make this film hard to resist. It is a striking story that Spielberg and his team have been invested in and working on for over twenty years since Herge’s death in 1983. It is truly an enjoyable, honorable and magical film for people of all ages who want to engage in curious fantasy.
The Adventures of Tintin is now in theaters and a sequel to the heroic journey is in the works.