Directed by: Steven Spielberg
Starring: Jamie Bell, Andy Serkis, Daniel Craig
Distributed by Paramount Pictures
Release date: March 13, 2012
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Running time: 107 minutes
Film: 4 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3.5 out of 5 stars
When I first saw “The Adventures of Tintin”, I wasn’t sure what to expect. The trailer looked “just-ok”. Let me tell you, once I saw it I was blown away. Steven Spielberg’s films have been hit and miss the last few years but this was a sure fire hit. I loved it so much and in fact was one of my favorites from 2011. The performance capture in the film was just so astounding. Some of the action scenes in the film were absolutely breathtaking. This film is not all action though it is also very funny as well. You can tell that a lot of time and effort when into making this film look amazing. I also originally saw it in 3D and I felt it really worked well with the film. If you have a chance to see the film in 3D, I would suggest you checking it out rather than this 2D version. The 2D version still works but the effects really get a lot of depth in 3D and just feels so much more exciting.
The film follows Tintin (Jamie Bell) a young reporter and his dog as they in pursuit for a mysterious model ship. The two travel from Europe to the Sahara and Morocco in hopes to solve the case. They meet up with drunken captain, Haddock (Andy Serkis), who aids them in their search. The team find that Ivan Ivanovitch Sakharine (Daniel Craig), has plans to also find this model ship since it holds the key to finding a long lost treasure. Due to the lack of interest in the US for this film, I am not sure if there will be future additions to the series but I really hope so because this could make such a great franchise.
The film looks perfect in video and really shines. It also looks the best with its performance capture, easily the best that I have seen to date. The audio is beyond amazing DTS-HD MA 7.1 track. This is becoming a tradition for Paramount who has also included 7.1 for “Hugo” and “Puss in Boots”. Besides the Blu-ray copy of the film, this release also includes a DVD Copy, an Ultraviolet digital copy and BD-Live. These are all great features and really gives many options for this film to watch.
The special features includes in this release are great but missing any commentary tracks from Steven Spielberg or Peter Jackson. There is a two part feature called “Toasting Tintin” which celebrates the beginning and the end of the film’s production. “The Journey to Tintin” is a short feature with director Steven Spielberg chatting about his road to bringing “Tintin” to the big screen. “The World of Tintin” is a look into the character of Tintin himself. “The Who’s Who of Tintin” focuses on the character and the performance capture in the film. “Tintin: Conceptual Design” focuses on how the film wanted to stay true to the original Hergé design. “Tintin: In the Volume” is a piece on shooting in 3D and focusing on the production. “Snowy: From Beginning to End” focuses on the dog from the page to the screen. “Animating Tintin” is an in depth look into the films animation. “Tintin: The Score” is a feature on composer John Williams Lastly “Collecting Tintin” is a short features on the films toys.
I agree that the trailers looked “just-ok” but I too was blown away by the sheer realistic imagery, crispness of the CGI and perfectly produced 7.1 Surround Sound on Blu-ray. The plot was okay, dialogue was very period, but the action was what made the flick even better. I wish the book would have had a lesson tied into the revenge part though. I highly recommend this movie for any family or single person with a child-like heart.