Written by Markus Robinson, edited by Nicole I. Ashland
Markus Rating: 3 out of 5 Stars
Rated PG for adventure action violence, some drunkenness and brief smoking
As if an adventure monster had vomited all over the screen, “The Adventures of Tintin” is a non-stop adventure film adaptation from a beloved European adventurous comic series. But while it holds that Spielberg-ish Indiana Jones archetype and an all-star cast of voices (including the likes of Daniel Craig, Nick Frost, Simon Pegg and Toby Jones) it does get to a point where if you are not invested in the (over-excitable) Tintin character, you simply won’t care about the story itself (visuals aside). Directed and co-produced by the aforementioned Steven Spielberg (Saving Private Ryan, Catch Me If You Can) and co-produced by visual genius Peter Jackson (The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King) using the highest caliber stop-motion animation (maybe ever seen), “The Adventures of Tintin” exhibits the partnership of two great directors, in conjunction with a quirky, yet (at times) only slightly entertaining interpretation of what European children’s mysteries are all about. OK, so maybe the reason I am so lukewarm about this material isn’t because it didn’t look nice (because it does) or didn’t contain an adventurous story (because it does that too); but speaking as an admitted novice to the beloved tales of Tintin, the adventure and the characters all were such that I really felt no attachment to anything on-screen as the million dollar climax approached. In this reviewer’s opinion, “The Adventures of Tintin,” while visually stunning, may leave many American audiences with a storyline that they may inevitably become bored with.
The story follows an all-too-nosy boy named Tintin, who is (from the visual exposition) a part-time reporter, part-time amateur sleuth and part-time ambiguous teenage nuisance. Within the first two seconds of the film, he becomes involved in a storyline, centering around an obnoxiously alcoholic Sea-Captain, the sinister Mr. Sakharine (the bad guy) and their quest for a model ship, which is thought to lead to three sought after scrolls, which could lead to some sought after treasure. From there, Tintin’s adventure sends him and the Captain all over the world, as we soon find out that this young boy’s thirst for adventure is only rivaled by the Captain’s thirst for alcohol. With action sequences of a fairly high caliber and some of the most illustrious, wide scoping CGI generated landscapes, there is no question that Spielberg knows how to direct the hell out of a film; no matter what genre. Where this film falls apart though is with the actual story and its connection, or lack thereof, with audiences. Spielberg and Jackson assume that everyone going to see a movie about Tintin is familiar, if not a huge fan of the comic series; big mistake. The fact is, “The Adventures of Tintin” contains almost no back-story and simply hurls the audiences right into a mystery with no real rhyme or reason. And while this may work for the devoted followers of the comic series, for the rest of us, it may feel as if we came into this movie midpoint, thus losing many novice supporters right away. This leads me to the character development. The characters, do tend to get rather annoying, especially because with little set-up it is hard to build connections with any of them. In fact the only character I cared about was the dog, who constantly held a Disney-esque animal lovability throughout. As for Tintin, audiences will either love or hate his personality almost immediately, and the Captain, brilliantly performed by Andy Serkis (or as I like to call him, the future of Hollywood) is a character so dumb and buffoonish that he is, for the most part, unlikable. Long story short, “The Adventures of Tintin” is not a movie one walks into disinterested in the Tintincharacter and walks out interested in Tintin’s plight.
Final Thought: “The Adventures of Tintin” may not hold the funniest storyline (with tons of Euro humor), but is clearly, on a purely technical level, one of the best animated films of the year (even though some critics will whine about their love for the forgettable “Rango”). Why this movie was snubbed from an Academy Awards nomination for Best Animated Film may serve to be the biggest snub of the season. In saying that, on a purely entertainment level, allow me to reiterate that “The Adventures of Tintin” is just ok. And if me saying that has angered you to the point that you decide to leave me a drawn-out comment on how I am just a stupid American or about how you loved reading the Tintin comics as a child, thus if I would have read them then I would have understood the film better, I will have to stop you there because I am only here to review the content of the film itself, not the comic. Thank you very much!