Legendary director Steven Spielberg‘s first foray into the 3D animated world The Adventures of Tintin proves that he’s still got it. Tintin is a magical adventure film that is reminiscent of classic Spielberg films like Indiana Jones. It’s both a family-fun adventure and an action-packed experience that will please just about anyone. Jamie Bell, Andy Serkis and Daniel Craig lend their voices for the film, making the star-heavy production all the better.
Young journalist Tintin (Jamie Bell) stumbles into a mystery, full of treasure and secrecy. After innocently purchasing a model ship, he’s thrown into an age-old grudge that involves a drunken Captain Haddock (Andy Serkis) and a slimy man named Sakharine (Daniel Craig). Tintin and his trusty companion Snowy must help Haddock discover a long-lost treasure left behind by a great ancestor. They must do so before Sakharine gets his hands on it first.
The Adventures of Tintin has the basic plot of an adventure tale, but given the lengthy history of the source material and the talent involved with the production of the film, most weren’t sure what to expect. Steven Spielberg has never done an animated film, let alone a full-fledged 3D picture, but none of that shows in Tintin. It’s an absolute marvel to look at. Spielberg captures shots that are most likely impossible if filmed traditionally, and keeps the tone light and always fun.
But a good film doesn’t come just from the director and his ability to adapt and continue to grow as a filmmaker. The film works wonders because of the voice work by talent such as Jamie Bell, Andy Serkis, Daniel Craig and even Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. Bell injects a fresh batch of fun into the character of Tintin. He’s energetic and always excited for the next clue to be discovered.
Andy Serkis adds another role to his lengthy belt of voice work. Captain Haddock is a charming idiot that just can’t seem to put down the bottle. His character’s transformation in the film is satisfying and enjoyable, thanks to Serkis and his constant dedication to his craft.
Daniel Craig plays more of a typical villain, but that isn’t to say his work isn’t as good as Bell or Serkis, but it’s just not as memorable.
All in all, Tintin works wonders and achieves that rare feeling of simply being an adventure film. It’s a traditional globe-trotting film that takes its characters to various locations. Action is around every corner and the mood is light, for the most part. And while the mood is light, the film itself is surprisingly violent, especially with its PG rating. There are guns, fist-fights and tons of explosions that will please kids and adults.
The Adventures of Tintin is the return of true Spielberg. I thought we’d lost him for a minute, with garbage films like Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull or even the more recent War Horse, but luckily he just took a few missteps, unlike his buddy George Lucas. Spielberg is back in full-swing and I can’t wait to see what he and Peter Jackson do with the next entry in the proposed series.
Paramount’s 1080p video transfer is nearly flawless. This is the kind of film that must be seen on a proper setup. Colors range from dusty browns to deep ocean blues, with detail extremely present and not a spot of grain. Animated films tend to look even better on Blu-Ray and Tintin fully utilizes that mindset. The film looks a lot nicer than most animated films, because of its use of lightening and eye for more realistic detail. There are still a few brief scenes that suffer from banding, but it’s so close to being perfect.
The 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track on the other hand is perfect. There’s not a dull second in the movie. The action-heavy scenes are full of scattered detail on every channel, while John Williams‘ musical score helps fill some of the softer scenes. Dialogue is clean and easy to understand on the front channels. Tintin is demo-worthy material.
The special features focus on the process of making the film, from animation steps to sticking to the source material. There’s a lot of good material here, but nothing is as extensive as you’d hope for. Here’s a full list below:
- Toasting Tintin: Part 1 (HD)
- The Journey to Tintin (HD)
- The World of Tintin (HD)
- The Who’s Who of Tintin (HD)
- Tintin: Conceptual Design (HD)
- Tintin: In the Volume (HD)
- Snowy: From Beginning to End (HD)
- Animating Tintin (HD)
- Tintin: The Score (HD)
- Collecting Tintin (HD)
- Toasting Tintin: Part 2 (HD)
- 3D & 2D versions of the film
- DVD Copy
- UltraViolet Digital Copy
- Digital Copy
Those looking for an action-packed adventure that is fun for all members of the family will want to snatch up the combo pack of The Adventures of Tintin pronto. Steven Spielberg‘s film is a blast to watch, in both 2D and 3D. The 3D transfer adds depth to the film, but in doing so it mutes the transfer slightly, hurting some detail and vividness of the colors. The 2D transfer on the other hand is nearly perfect, with slight banding issues. The audio track is perfect, another flawless track courtesy of Paramount.
The disc is packed with extras that detail every aspect of the production, including music, animation, the characters history and much more. To make things even better, the combo pack comes with a DVD copy of the film, an UltraViolet digital copy of the film and a basic digital copy of the film. So you can take the fun with you anywhere.
