Tintin: An American's Review
>> Friday, December 23, 2011
"Funny and entertaining with some emotion thrown in, but the pacing was off and there was no tension. It should have been an amazing movie--it had all the ingredients--but it just fell flat."
Also, why would it have been so horrible for the villain to win? I'm not sure.
The Adventures of Tintin
Rated PG for adventure action violence, some drunkenness and brief smoking.
Tintin has done very well in Europe, mostly because it's home turf for the beloved comic hero. The real question critics kept asking prior to its American release was, How will Americans like it?
Well, let me tell you.
I wouldn't call myself a fan, though I did read two of the books before seeing the film. My small knowledge of the Tintin universe allowed me to grin every time one of the characters said "Great snakes!" or "Blisterin' barnacles!"
But that was almost it.
The movie was really good. Lots of action (oh boy was there a lot of action) and the animation was astounding! I kept forgetting that it wasn't real. The plot was excellent and the characters 3-dimensional. I loved the Thom(p)sons, who were hysterical.
And I loved Haddock as well. In fact, most of the emotion in the movie centered around Haddock. (Also, is it wrong to think he was at his funniest when drunk?)
And even Snowy--the dog--was fantastic! All throughout the movie I kept thinking, "Goodness, I want this dog!" And I'm sure everyone else in the theater thought the same.
The most satisfying scenes in the movies happened near the end and at the end, mostly as they traveled Morocco. As a plus, the plot was quite unpredictable and I found myself wondering once or twice, "How are they going to get out of this?"
Another thing I liked was the scene where Haddock related the story of Red Rackham. Like I said, I was able to read "The Secret of the Unicorn" and the scene was exactly how I pictured it and more.
I also liked how they added Hergé (the author) into the beginning of the movie.
That aside, there was one thing that it lacked. Actually, all the way home from the theater we puzzled over what it was. We felt something was missing. We finally realized that it was pacing. Though I was on the edge of my seat at one point, there was no real build-up of the tension. There were no slow, reflective moments to catch your breath before being launched into another action-packed scene. That's not to say that it was plotless or dull--far from it! The pacing was just off.
And I know that an intro isn't even technically part of the movie, but may I just say that it would have been nicer to see all those cool animations over cast-members names at the end of the movie? I had kinda hoped that we had left long, credit-filled intros in the 50's.
So--Tintin was a great, fun-filled adventure and, despite a few flaws, it was good watching.
Strangely, not something I'd rave about, but a good film nonetheless.
However, the ending hinted at a sequel and to be honest, when it comes out I'll definitely go see it.
Tintin has done very well in Europe, mostly because it's home turf for the beloved comic hero. The real question critics kept asking prior to its American release was, How will Americans like it?
Well, let me tell you.
I wouldn't call myself a fan, though I did read two of the books before seeing the film. My small knowledge of the Tintin universe allowed me to grin every time one of the characters said "Great snakes!" or "Blisterin' barnacles!"
But that was almost it.
The movie was really good. Lots of action (oh boy was there a lot of action) and the animation was astounding! I kept forgetting that it wasn't real. The plot was excellent and the characters 3-dimensional. I loved the Thom(p)sons, who were hysterical.
And I loved Haddock as well. In fact, most of the emotion in the movie centered around Haddock. (Also, is it wrong to think he was at his funniest when drunk?)
And even Snowy--the dog--was fantastic! All throughout the movie I kept thinking, "Goodness, I want this dog!" And I'm sure everyone else in the theater thought the same.
The most satisfying scenes in the movies happened near the end and at the end, mostly as they traveled Morocco. As a plus, the plot was quite unpredictable and I found myself wondering once or twice, "How are they going to get out of this?"
Another thing I liked was the scene where Haddock related the story of Red Rackham. Like I said, I was able to read "The Secret of the Unicorn" and the scene was exactly how I pictured it and more.
I also liked how they added Hergé (the author) into the beginning of the movie.
That aside, there was one thing that it lacked. Actually, all the way home from the theater we puzzled over what it was. We felt something was missing. We finally realized that it was pacing. Though I was on the edge of my seat at one point, there was no real build-up of the tension. There were no slow, reflective moments to catch your breath before being launched into another action-packed scene. That's not to say that it was plotless or dull--far from it! The pacing was just off.
And I know that an intro isn't even technically part of the movie, but may I just say that it would have been nicer to see all those cool animations over cast-members names at the end of the movie? I had kinda hoped that we had left long, credit-filled intros in the 50's.
So--Tintin was a great, fun-filled adventure and, despite a few flaws, it was good watching.
Strangely, not something I'd rave about, but a good film nonetheless.
However, the ending hinted at a sequel and to be honest, when it comes out I'll definitely go see it.
Favorite Line:
Tintin: Mrs. Finch, a man has just been shot on our doorstep!
Mrs. Finch: Not again!
Verdict: Go see it if you can.
Grey Travel Rating: 3/5
Animation: 6/5
Plot: 4/5
Characters: 5/5
Acting: 4/5
Objectionable Content: Haddock is drunk. A lot. Blood is shown briefly.
2 Comments:
Love this movie! I saw it at the midnight showing :)
Everyone else who reads this post-- seriously! Please go see Tintin. It's great :D
Your review says it all! One of the most captivating and spellbinding films ever!
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