Climbing Higher Pictures

When adventure calls… you get, a kid with a red tuft of hair? Apparently Tintin, a character created by the late Herge, is an icon in those mystical lands across the ocean, a la Europe. In America, however, he’s never really caught on, and so the studio decided to debut their expensive performance capture gamble internationally. Riding the wave of some sizeable foreign box office, does The Adventures of Tintin have enough of a draw to enchant domestic audiences alike?

The Adventures of Tintin Review

By Ryan Hamelin

Movie Grade: A-

At long last, Weta has attempted full screen motion capture human beings, albiet stylized, and takes their first major steps into the infamous uncanny valley. What was the death of Robert Zemeckis‘s work with The Polar Express and Beowulf has finally reached a level of technical sophistication that it rivals the audience’s suspension of disbelief with Gollum or Caeser (Rise of the Planet of the Apes). Since we look at human beings every day, we’re predisposed to know what a living, breathing human moves like, and even the greatest examples of visual effect wizardry rely on our inability to compare what we see to reality. In Avatar, we believed in the Navi because we don’t know what an 8 ft tall blue cat creature would look like. Even James Cameron knew better than to try to integrate photo-real CG humans into the film, so it’s important to recognize just how much of an achievement Tintin, Captain Haddock, and the rest of the characters truly are.

This is also the return of a master to the genre he’s partially responsible for creating. Since Raiders of the Lost Ark, Steven Spielberg has dabbled in many other types of films, but it’s a joy to see him back in the adventure genre, and for something that isn’t Indy 5. Getting the chance to build the cinematic language of this beloved character from scratch has freed his imagination in a way we haven’t seen in many years. This feels like a movie he’s been building up to for his entire career, allowing him to craft off-the-wall set piece action sequences that take full advantage of the computer generated landscape to deliver something that wouldn’t have been possible in the past. One sequence in particular, a seemingly endless one shot that takes place in Morocco, feels reminiscent of the joy I associate with many of his best films, and it’s times like these when the full potential of The Adventures of Tintin is undeniable.

Unfortunately, this isn’t going to be anyone’s most satisfying film of the year. The third act in particular feels weak, and though it ends exactly as Herge wrote it, we’re left anxiously awaiting the sequel for any real sense of closure. The sequel, to be directed by Peter Jackson, will go into production as soon as he finishes The Hobbit, with a potential 2014 release date being actively discussed. It’ll be interesting to see how the filmmakers look when positioned back to back with the same source material, but until we get to see a little more of the world, it’s hard to really evaluate the tale as a whole. Jamie Bell and Andy Serkis each acquit themselves wonderfully, despite the grey scale surroundings they had to play against, and the geniuses at Weta bring their performances to life. Snowy, Tintin’s dog, steals most of the movie anyway, often playing around in the background of intense expositional moments and keeping us entertained throughout. He’s just one of the wonderfully realized components that make up a truly breathtaking world, and the 3D is both natural and immersive, bringing you so far into the lives of the characters that you’ll forget you’re even wearing glasses.

The Adventures of Tintin feels like the first act in what could be a very promising trilogy. Because the filmmakers know this movie doesn’t have to stand alone forever, it loses some of its emotional punch in the final act, leaving us wanting more, but not necessarily in a bad way. There was an awful lot of fun to be had throughout, and I’d recommend it even on the grounds of an escapist afternoon adventure. The film is already a smash hit internationally, and it’d be foolish to expect anything less on the domestic front, particularly with Spielberg’s name headlining the production for a change. Equal credit goes to Joe Letteri and the impressive effects crew at Weta who have pulled off yet another visual masterpiece. They’ll get more recognition for Caeser in Rise of the Planet of the Apes this awards season, but they’ve yet to face a challenge they couldn’t handle, and handle wonderfully. In a crowded holiday season, this one is certainly worth checking out.