Amazing adaptation

WHEN I first heard they were making a movie based on the seminal comic strip that influenced my decision to become a journalist, I was worried.

Even though legendary director Steven Spielberg was at the helm I kept thinking ‘what if they butchered the character and strayed from the notoriously clever and amusing plots that left a trail of adulation in the 1980s’?

Thankfully, none of that happened and I was blown away with how well this amazing adaptation has transitioned to the big-screen.

For those who are unfamiliar with the character – presumably because you are not European – Tintin is a comic book character created by Georges Rémi, who wrote under the pen name Hegre.

Tintin is a young reporter who becomes involved in dangerous cases in which he takes heroic action to save the day. Almost every adventure features Tintin hard at work as an investigative journalist, but he is rarely seen turning in a story without first getting caught up in misadventure.

The film combines state-of-the-art 3D motion capture techniques with a tightly-written script that Hegre himself would no doubt be proud of.

To set the scene Tintin (Bell) and his trusty dog Snowy are wandering around a market somewhere in Europe when he comes across an old model ship, The Unicorn. After striking a great bargain Tintin is pleased with his purchase but moments later he is accosted by Mr Sakerine (Craig), a strange guy who shows great interest in the ship.

Despite several attempts to buy it off him, Tintin tells Mr Sakerine he’s not interested in selling it and heads home. However, once he gets home Snowy gets involved in a scuffle with the neighbour’s cat, resulting in the model breaking.

Once Tintin realises the model contains clues to the whereabouts of missing treasure, his journalistic curiosity kicks in and he begins his quest for answers in the hope of unraveling the mystery … and getting a great story for the paper.

Not long after, Tintin is kidnapped by some thugs working for Mr Sakerine and is taken prisoner aboard a cargo ship. Here he meets the inebriated, foul-mouthed yet colourful Captain Haddock (Serkis) who is blissfully unaware of what’s going on under his nose.

As the plot progresses we learn that Haddock is the descendant of an old naval commander who lost his ship, The Unicorn, in a battle with pirates in the 17th Century.
 
Tintin persuades Haddock to help him escape so they can solve the mystery together. Once they make it off the ship, they join forces with two incompetent policemen, Thomson and Thompson (expertly portrayed by comedic genius double-act Simon Pegg and Nick Frost) and then the gang sets off trying to solve the mystery.

The film is well-paced and thanks to the breathtaking 3D graphics the action literally jumps off the screen.

Thankfully the characters all have a chance to shine and the relationships all reflect the original comics well.

I loved the dynamic between Tintin and the captain because they’re essentially polar opposites, Tintin is the clean-cut and wholesome one, while the captain is often shadier than Marshal Matthers.

When the audience meets Captain Haddock, he’s self-pitying, chaotic and a total shipwreck of a human being but you get the impression that underneath he’s got a heart of gold.
 
Serkis was great in his role and why wouldn’t he be, this is his medium after all. He has played several CGI characters including Cesar (Rise of the Planet of the Apes) Gollum (Lord of the Rings) and King Kong (King Kong).

Bell also did a fantastic job and really brought the boy reporter to life, expertly embodying the spirit of the tenacious character.

The real surprise comes from Craig who simply shines as a villain. I didn’t like his portrayal of James Bond in Casino Royal but maybe that’s because he would have been better suited as terrorist financer Le Chiffre.

The Adventures of Tintin is this year’s ‘must see’ movie and I guarantee that adults and children alike will love it. If you don’t love it, you’re dead inside and I don’t want to be your friend.

Showing in Dana Cineplex