12/18/11

The Adventures of Tintin

Director Steven Spielberg, a long-time fan of this series of Belgian children's comic books by Georges Remi under the pen name of Hergé, directs this PG-rated motion-capture film. Spielberg uses his long-time musical collaborator John Williams ("Indiana Jones"), who adds his signature sound to enhance the non-stop action which features our intrepid investigative reporter Tintin, and Snowy, his faithful fox terrier.

We hear the voices of:
  • Daniel Craig ("The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo"), the sinister Mr. Sakharine who tries to buy the Unicorn, a model ship that has a direct connection to the mystery of a lost treasure.
  • Jamie Bell ("Defiance") is the titular hero of this series. At first I thought he might be too old for the part, but the character lives alone and supports himself at the newspaper, so I guess 25-year- old Jamie is just right.
  • Simon Pegg ("Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol") and his sidekick Nick Frost ("Hot Fuzz") voice Inspectors Thompson and Thomson, a pair of stumble-bums who are trying to catch a pickpocket.
  • Andy Serkis ("Rise of the Planet of the Apes") plays Captain Haddock and his ancestor Sir Francis Haddock, whose family has first rights to the Unicorn.
...to name just a few....

My childhood was completely "Tintin"-less, so some of the affection others brought to the experience was lacking. I found the script to be too chaotic, too confusing, too crammed with fisticuffs, gunfights, chases, and general mayhem. I was surprised when our hero instantly resorted to a handgun in this politically correct day and age.

On the other hand, I was dazzled by the acting! Yes, I know, this is NOT live action, but the emotions and the animated speech were impressive. In addition, there was always authentic business going on behind, or off to the side of our principal characters. The dog behaved in a very dog- like manner and some of the people on the street were a hoot! Watch for that old woman whaling away at the fellow with her umbrella.

In addition, the artistry of the animators deserves special mention. Mirrored reflections viewed through glass have their own unique challenges; you will often see glare from a pretend camera lens that gives the impression that this movie was filmed instead of created digitally. Such finesse!

I appreciated the artistry but hit chaotic-action overload halfway through.
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Here is a link to a trailer:
http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi2415828505/
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