Tintin the boy reporter
I have always been a big fan of the Tintin series. Tintin, Snowy, Capt. Haddock, Prof. Calculus are all characters I have grown up with from my school days. The adventures of Tintin, the boy reporter are a treat for all fantasy lovers. Tintin’s world is one where he battles crime across the world from America to Tibet and India to Japan. Tintin’s adventures, the characters, the comic capers and dialogs are the highlights of this series.
The Tintin series is the brainchild of the late Herge, who conceptualised, wrote the story and also drew the pictures of all the comics. Originally, it was in French, but very soon adapted to almost all major languages.
There have been TV cartoon programs based on the Tintin series, but for the first time a full-length feature film was planned and that too by the legendary Steven Spielberg.
The adaptation and customisation
Usually movie adaptations of novels end up in a mess as directors try to change the story. But I was confident this problem wouldn’t occur here because of the way Spielberg brilliantly adapted Michael Crichton’s Jurassic Park series.
And as I hoped, the adaptation is absolutely brilliant. The essence of the original series, the story, the plot devices, the characters, the scenes have all been retained by Spielberg. So what is extra? The life Speilberg has filled into the cartoon character Tintin and brought him in wonderful 3D colour before our eyes.
The story of the ’The Secret of the Unicorn’ is the mainstay of this movie. Also ’The Crab with the Golden Claws’ has been blended well into the story.
The story
Tintin (along with his dog Snowy) comes across a beautiful model of a ship ’The Unicorn’ in a flea market and buys it. But there are many behind that model for some strange reasons. And the adventures that follows brings Tintin into contact with the eerie Ivan Sakharine. Tintin comes into contact with the never sober Captain Haddock. And together they set out to unravel the secret of the unicorn.
The actors and cartoons
The big question - is this a cartoon movie? The answer is both yes and no. Spielberg has used an innovative technique called motion capture, whereby real actors act out the roles in a studio and their movements are captured into a computer. Using special effects the actors looks are modified to make them look exactly like the characters from the Tintin movie.
Jamie Bell is the actor who has brought Tintin to life. He looks exactly like how Tintin would look if he was a real person. All the other characters are also well suited to their roles. The key role of the villian Sakharine is played by none other than 007 James Bond Daniel Craig.
The absence of Professor Calculus rankles!! But all the other Tintin characters - Thompson and Thomson, Allan, Bianca Castafiore make up for it.
The animation and special effects
The special effects is without doubt one of the most important highlights of the movie. The animation is done well as the pictures of Herge from his comics to brought to the screen exactly as the writer had imagined it and the reader has liked it. Animation is smooth and unlike the cartoons on TV, this animation is lifelike!!
The 3D effects are good. Some of the great scenes from the movie are:
a) The dog chase in the start
b) Tintin meeting Captain Haddock
c) The airplane ride to Morocco
d) The concert of the Milanese Nightingale
e) The breathtaking chase scene in the backdrops of an Arabian town
f) The absolutely awesome pirate scene and the fight between Capt. Francis and Red Rackham
g) The final confrontation at the docks.
The ending
Watch out for the crane fight in the dock at the ending, it is the only element in the movie which is not part of the book, it is Spielberg’s own creation and it is absolute awesome. The final climax too has some deviation from the original, . but it gives Spielberg occasion to plan a sequel based on Part II of this story Red Rackham’s Treasure.
The news is that Spielberg has planned minimum of 2 more movies in this series, which is a treat for Tintin fans.
Highlights of the movie
The concept of Tintin is such that it makes for clean entertainment. There is no ’sex element’ in the series and thankfully Spileberg hasn’t tried to change it. You can take your entire family and watch the movie happily without one single embarrassing (or for that matter boring) moment.
The 3D effects are great and you will enjoy them. Cinematography/Animation is just too good - as you keep getting transported from the streets of London to the turbulent seas, the dunes of the blazing desert to the Arabian Nights kind of palace. Truly brilliant.
Those who liked the Pirates of Carribeans series will love the pirate scenes in this movie, the effects are too good and the persona of Red Rackham is truly spinechilling. In one movie, Spielberg offers everything to fantasy lovers!! Great work indeed from the master.
My recommendation
I will rate this movie 9/10. I deduct 1 point for not including the second part of the Unicorn story in this movie itself. Otherwise, there is nothing at all to criticise in this movie.
I strongly recommend this movie for all Tintin fans and also for children, who will love the simple story and the effects.
Even if you are not a Tintin fan, this movie is worth a watch and is definitely value for money.
A clean entertainer that will bring a smile on your face.