Film REVIEW The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn

Almost thirty years after Steven Spielberg first acquired the rights to Belgian artist Hergé’s classic comic books, boy reporter Tintin has finally made it to the big screen, complete with his blue jersey, quiff and trusty terrier Snowy. With the double-Oscar-winning director at the helm and Peter “Lord of the Rings” Jackson producing, there was far too much cinematic fire power here for the movie not to cause a very big splash.

Debbie Stowe

Generations of children have grown up reading, watching and listening to Tintin – who first appeared in the late 1920s – so the two titans had a weight of expectations to contend with. Perhaps wisely, then, they don’t take any risks. Patching together a plot from three of the original stories, Spielberg delivers a conventional Boy’s Own adventure, marrying the style and spirit of the Belgian source material with plenty of big-bucks Hollywood panache.

It works well. A maritime mystery which seems to nod to the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise is the narrative structure for some swashbuckling set pieces, as thrillingly fun as any on the screen in recent times. Spielberg knows his onions when it comes to special effects, and it shows. Best of all is a wonderfully imaginative and realized sequence set in Morocco that culminates in a chaotic chase scene.

The film is shot using mocap, or motion capture, a weird hybrid of live action and animation that is startling in its realism. However, it creates just enough “unreality” to soften some of the surprisingly violent episodes – an early shooting in particular may upset younger children. In general, though, this is fairly family-friendly fare.

It’s not a flawless film. Perhaps because the story is three comics melded together, at times it’s easy to lose track of what Tintin and chums are currently trying to do and why (though of course the same is true of other classic action films like Indiana Jones and North by Northwest, the latter getting a nod here while the former is heavily referenced – though as both are Spielberg’s it’s not exactly plagiarism). The hero is also somewhat bland (in keeping with the template), with humor, color and wisecracks instead provided by supporting characters such as the redeemable drunkard seaman Captain Haddock, Snowy the dog and bumbling British detectives Thompson and Thomson.

But The Adventures of Tintin remains rollicking fun, full of enthusiasm and brio, and the flick is worth seeing for the top-notch action sequences alone. With the makers already talking up the sequel, Tintin appears to be alchemizing into box office gold.

Directed by: Steven Spielberg
Starring: Jamie Bell, Andy Serkis, Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Daniel Craig
On at: Cinema City Cotroceni, Cinema City Sun Plaza, Cityplex, Corso, Grand Cinema Digiplex Baneasa, Hollywood Multiplex, Movieplex Cinema, Samsung Imax Cotroceni, The Light Cinema