Not even a wee bit conventional

Rating: 9/10 (16 March 2012)

In elementary school, The Adventures of Tintin graphic novels were the only thing I would read. I have read a majority of the books, which came in a large, hardcover format boasting three adventures in one book. That's what they were. They weren't stories, comics, or even vignettes; they were adventures. Involving, consuming, and utterly motivating adventures about a young journalist named Tintin who would go on mysteries and solve cases with his loyal companion, Snowy, an intelligent white dog.
Too bad I haven't read a Tintin adventure in a blue moon, so comparing it to the original works by the Belgian author, Hergé is simply out of the question. My memory has faded and time is greatly limited. With that being said, I can say that from the vague details that I remember, the film adaptation of the comics is true to its original, breathtaking source material. The story centers around Tintin (Bell) and his dog Snowy, who are caught up in a whirlwind of trouble after purchasing an antique model ship at a European flea market. It turns out, the ship contains an ancient scroll that, when put together with two others, reveals a message. Tintin teams up with the rum-guzzling Captain Haddock (Serkis), and gets assistance from the simple and dense Thomson and Thompson (Pegg and Frost) to discover the truth about the ships and what powers the scrolls might possess.
The film has a very good sense of action, and in today's world, that's one of the highest compliments I can pay to a film. We see beautifully recreated European cities, which is a break from the droning, ordinary cityscapes we are victim to so much today. I am also known to grow weary of special effects and chase scenes, but here, I was simply amused and in awe, especially by one that takes place in a skimmer plane that eventually ends up in the Sahara desert. I dare not spoil it for the viewers-to-be, but I can't remember the last time I had so much fun watching an action scene unfold.
Some scenes are so tricky and complex, we wonder how Spielberg could've possibly held onto coherency while directing them. But he does. And that's the beauty of the man himself. I recently watched his underrated drama The Terminal, and noticed two things I never saw in Spielberg's work before. One, he has an uncanny sense of detail and an intricate focus on the little things in the background. He also never becomes pictorial, meaning he doesn't rely on background distractions and unnecessary supporting characters to unintentionally muddy the meaning. He's smart, attentive, and very, very crafty. The second thing I noticed is how well he directs films in condensed, claustrophobic spaces. An airport, where The Terminal took place, is not the easiest place to shoot at. Neither is deep in a cave like in Raiders of the Lost Ark, but Spielberg always does it and does it well. Some shots in Tintin are so complex, multifarious, and alive that we wonder how one man could've directed them without going mad or over-the-top. Just watch the film, then search up clips from an incoherent, maddening visual spectacle like Transformers: Dark of the Moon and you'll get two gleaming examples of art and junk.
I mentioned the film is animated. That it is. I've noticed some have mistaken it for live action online. Seeing the poster in the theater, I thought it was live action as well. The film utilizes the motion capture animation I haven't been so fond of recently. After seeing the dreadful Mars Needs Moms, I thought I'd be content if I never saw the tactic used again in my life. For that film, it was absolutely needless. There was no reason to go through the extra time, money, trouble, and agony to fit actors for suits and make them act out the motions of their characters just for a lame, forgettable space cartoon. Here, it's extraordinary. It seems Peter Jackson (producer on the film) and Spielberg have discovered a way to iron out the kinks in the procedure (even though the eyes still look a bit unnatural). Some scenes, like when the three are lost at sea, are absolutely breathtaking and you may even be amazed what you're watching is animation.
I fear that too many parents will rob their kids of the joyous experience The Adventures of Tintin will likely bring them. The film is filled with life, action, fun, and colors for the kids, and there's enough wit, interest, and grandiose ideas to share with the adults. It's an experience, whether you're a fan or not. Like many detective stories, it has substance in its story, but the true adventures are with the characters. Spielberg has had one of his most productive and successful years, directing a period epic, finally awarding a graphic novel with a film adaptation, and producing Real Steel, Super 8, and Transformers: Dark of the Moon. But the great thing about a film like Tintin is it knows its characters, setting, and plan inside and out, while other action films continue to "play it by ear" to see where the next missile will land.
Starring: Jamie Bell, Andy Serkis, Daniel Craig, Simon Pegg, and Nick Frost. Directed by: Steve Spielberg.