The Adventures of Tintin 2011
I went out for a movie night with some friends and we made a last minute change from the darker Young Adult to the more fun The Adventures of Tintin. Directed by Steven Spielberg and hoping for the best, we pulled out all the stops and went with the 3D version (well, I think there may be a 3D IMAX version, so not all the stops). We agreed that was a good call. This is just a big action movie, almost one continuous chase scene, so the 3D really works with all the close calls whizzing effects that are probably way easier with computer animation.
The movie is animated but uses motion capture, so it seems very realistic, sometimes a little disturbingly so, as people look very realistic with very cartoonish noses and features. It is the same technique used in 2004’s The Polar Express, though the format has definitely made strides since then. And despite the main character looking like he is about 14 years old, he actually seems to be 20-ish. He is a reporter, but really more of an adventurer who then writes about the crazy things that happen to him. Based on a series of French comic books, it isn’t hard to imagine a long series of movies with different settings and adventures for Tintin and his dog, Snowy.
The movie starts out as a mystery involving criminals, sea captains, and international police with Tintin falling into it by accident, not entirely unlike a Hitchcock movie. There is a good story with that mystery, interesting side characters, and relentless action that reminds me of Raiders of the Lost Ark, so who better to direct than Spielberg? Even if it were not a cartoon, this movie is pretty cartoonish, a little smarter than Saturday morning fare, but not too far removed. Still a fun ride and very well done for what it is. I’ll give this an A-.
Written: 31 Dec 2011