The Adventures of Tintin

Special effects can be the curse of the modern movie, with everything being ploughed into the CGI aspect as a cover for the rest of the films shortcomings. It rarely works. It’s ironic then that The Adventures of Tintin (an all animated feature no less) suffers from the same problem. There are some great action sequences, but the script is bumpy and most of the characters drab. It’s even more ironic then that Tintin creater Herge was able to express more life in his characters with a few strokes of his pen then millions of dollars of computer trickery can. Much hullabaloo was made about this being a joint venture between director Steven Spielberg and producer Peter Jackson, though the recent output of the two men combined is hardly worth writing home about. I’m not one to knock The Beard (one word: Jaws) but it’s been a long time now since his last truly great film and the wounds suffered by those who endured Crystal Skull a few years back are still fresh for many. He hasn’t helped himself recently either by attaching his name as a producer to a number of very average flicks over the last few years as well. Has Spielberg started to lose that sharp mind that could sort the wheat out from the chaff? This is his first full length animated feature and it gets off to a promising start with a highly impressive opening credits sequence reminiscent of the cool style of Catch Me If You Can. The storyline then kicks in, that being of an amalgamation of three of the original comic books, in which Tintin (Jamie Bell), aided by Snowy and Captain Haddock (Andy Serkis) basically go on a treasure hunt. I mentioned earlier the impressive action sequences and there are some joyous moments here including a couple of scenes towards the end of the film (one a chase through a Moroccan port town and one a set-to in a port itself) that are some of the best animated moments of the year. The big problem with the film though is that none of the characters feel anything more than a load of pixels. Though cartoonish in their characterisations, these are meant to be “real” people, but they are a world away from the feelings we generate from watching a Wall-E or Buzz Lightyear. It’s a huge black mark against the idea of motion capture. Bell is fine as Tintin, but the script (in its pursuit of not hanging around) leaves a lot of things unanswered about its main character. Spielberg is (probably correctly) assuming that everyone knows Tintin already, but if you don't you may be wondering just who Tintin is? Is he really a reporter? A detective on the sly? Plus, is he just a smart young kid or a grown man who just looks like a teenager? Moot points perhaps, but they wouldn't have taken long to address. The other actors in the film don't fare well at all, though Daniel Craig tries his best but appears hamstrung by the script which doesn’t give him the chance to be menacing enough as the films token bad guy. Andy Serkis as Captain Haddock just sprouts a loud of gumph (and 'Bergs decision to make him a Scottish alcoholic is toe-curlingly awful the longer you think about it) and Simon Pegg and Nick Frost as twin detectives Thompson and Thompson fall very flat indeed. In fact the humour in the film is very smart in the first half with a number of cute jokes, so its quite a disappointment that it disappears as the film goes on. To sum up, this is one for all the family to enjoy (though a few more in-jokes for adults would help) but don't waste your money on the 3D version as the 30% reduction in picture quality and loss of sheen is the last thing this needs.

The OC Film Sting Final Verdict
Put it like this, it’s not brilliant, but it’s miles better than bloody Crystal Skull. Rating: 6/10.