The Adventures of Tintin (2011)

☆ ☆ ☆ ½

The Adventures of Tintin (2011) – S. Spielberg

After reading a couple of Hergé’s Tintin comics from Ayako’s collection, Amon chose this Spielberg film from amongst those available to stream from the university library.  We did not see it in 3D and, to be honest, I didn’t notice that it was designed for that format until close to the end when some giant cranes seemed to be rather obviously pointing right at the screen.  Although the plot is somewhat complicated (having to do with three model ships and the hidden parchments inside them that combine to offer the coordinates for hidden treasure when held up to the sun), this did not quite matter to Amon who declared the film “action-packed!” Indeed, given that it is animated (despite the use of motion capture for the many characters), the physical limitations of reality are not always honoured – the characters do seem to careen and carom pell-mell on land, air, and sea.  This is the adventure where Tintin first meets Captain Haddock who is an unrepentant drunk (somewhat weird for a kid’s movie) and they end up fast friends as they solve the mystery together – not sure if Tintin ever writes the story (he’s a journalist) but the bad guys (also chasing the model ships in an echo of Raiders of the Lost Ark) do end up in jail.  Thumbs up from Amon!