Review - The Adventures of Tintin

There has been a lot of apprehension surrounding director Steven Spielberg and producer Peter Jackson’s decision to employ mocap animation to bring Hergé’s renowned and widely adored comic series to the big screen. While figureheads from the film industry (such as Robert Zemeckis, James Cameron and of course, Andy Serkis) are hailing it as the next step in the evolution of cinema, purists and punters tend to dismiss it as a soulless publicity gimmick designed to get bums on seats.

Whether a sense of widespread apathy may damage The Adventures of Tintin’s chances at the box office remains to be seen. But as far as fidelity to source material and overall quality are concerned, Spielberg has hardly put a foot wrong, for his on-screen rendition of the intrepid boy reporter is a rollicking flick that successfully recaptures the zesty humour and adventurous spirit of the comics.

Combining the plots of The Crab With the Golden Claws, The Secret of the Unicorn and Red Rackham's Treasure, the plot sees young Belgian reporter Tintin (the age of Hergé’s protagonist still remains an unsolved mystery) investigate the whereabouts of a legendary pirate treasure. Coincidentally, malevolent collector Ivan Ivanovitch Sakharine and his gang of goons also have the same goal. Will Tintin beat them to the plunder with the help of faithful mutt Snowy and cantankerous drunk Captain Haddock?     

As with the comics, Spielberg’s adaptation is essentially a bromance between Tintin and Haddock, the former (Jamie Bell) being the straight man constantly trying to rein in the funny man (Serkis) from his alcoholic temptations so that he can live up to his ancestor’s name. But herein lays a problem: though noble and altruistic he may be, Tintin remains a rather one-dimensional character who is defined primarily by the cases he solves and the relations he keeps. By contrast, Captain Haddock may be riddled with flaws but inevitably emerges as a far more entertaining character. So it’s no surprise the director gradually shifts focus onto the loveable seadog towards the second half of the movie.

Where the film truly shines is in the action department. After the embarrassing misstep that was Crystal Skull, it is refreshing to see Spielberg deliver the kind of set-pieces that can both exhilarate and evoke his credentials as a filmmaker. An uncut, four-minute long chase sequence in a Moroccan town is without doubt the film’s highpoint, with the camera swooping through souks and buildings in a bid to follow our heroes as they chase after a fleeing Sakharine. Also worthy of mention is a flashback sequence featuring an epic, swashbuckling battle that would give Jack Sparrow a run for his doubloons. It is upon viewing these scenes that it becomes clear why animation was the better choice.

It may be flawed in places and the mocap debate will divide audiences, but in an age in which most movies tend to be overlong and convoluted, The Adventures of Tintin feels like a breath of fresh air, a film that harks back to an age in which blockbusters were all about fun and thrills for the whole family. Like Raiders of the Lost Ark, then.

4/5