The Adventures of Tintin

Who is Tintin? This might be the first question a teen may ask. Tintin may not be recognized by a generation who grew up watching Powerpuff Girls, Ben 10, Johnny Bravo and Naruto. But if you are a couch potato, you will know that Tintin can also be viewed in Cartoon Network back when they still have the Boomerang segment which is usually aired around midnight, but who are the target audience? Answer: Adults who grew up reading and watching the Herge masterpiece.

Tintin was first published in 1929 and ended in 1976 which explains why most of today's generation may not be familiar with the beloved reporter. With its success, it resulted to a cartoon which usually derived from the comic books that were released. Together with Tintin is his adorable dog, Snowy and the grumpy and alcoholic, Capt. Haddock. It took 80 years for Tintin to have his silver-screen debut and no one can do a better translation than Steven Spielberg himself.

The opening credits for Tintin is more like a tribute to the series as it features the original artwork which is best known for its clean and expressive drawings. If you were able to watch the opening credits of Catch Me If You Can, one of Spielberg's film, you may see the resemblance. This opening sets the tone of the movie and as every fan, one might feel nostalgic over it. The plot used in this movie is based from the book, "The Secret of Unicorn." This book also has an animated feature and can be viewed in Youtube. I saw the first part of the cartoon and I might say, Spielberg made a lot of improvements.

In the movie, Tintin is faced with the mystery that surrounds a miniature ship and as he uncovers the secret of the ship, Capt. Haddock also uncovers the family treasure which has been kept secret until now. It was the start of a daring adventure as they discover hidden clues and a bond that would seal the friendship of Tintin and Capt. Haddock. Each fan may be satisfied on how their beloved meddling reporter was translated into the big screen. The movie is filled with action, chases and mishaps that would test the ingenuity of Tintin and Snowy.

Tintin is shot with motion capture technology with the likes of King Kong and Gollum in the LOTR series. In this movie, it proves that Peter Jackson, who produced the movie, was able to perfect the said technology as compared during the technology's use in the movie "The Polar Express." The character movements were smooth. With this, Spielberg was able to do more with every frame. His ingenuity with camera shots was maximized especially during the action scenes. Hence, it provided a more heart-racing, pulsating adventure. One could compare the scenes and the pacing with that of Indiana Jones and that is Spielberg mark.

With the relaunch of the Tintin series, it will surely attract a new fanbase aside from those who grew up watching and reading the series. Tintin is also a reminder on how great Spielberg is as a director and with his collaboration with another meticulous director, Tintin soared high on this movie.Tintin is a movie where both adults and children will surely enjoy whether they know Tintin or they don't.


GRADE: A-

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