I just watched the new Tintin film at the cinema. It wasn’t great.
It’s a shame because other than this film I’m a big fan of the Tintin Franchise, I love the comics, animated series and the 1960′s live action adaptation. This felt more like Indiana Jones, if Indiana Jones was acted out by people wearing over-sized life-like rubber masks.
Tintin always had a continental feel to it, but that was gone, partly due to the use of standard action music and loss of Hergé’s character design.
The best moments of the film were when they shot the characters from a far, but then every few seconds they’d cut to a close up of the dead lifeless faces and I was out of the film again.
There was a point where they hold up a Herge drawing of Tintin next to the CGI Tintin. I wanted to point at the Herge drawing and say, YES MORE OF THAT PLEASE.
Oh… shame.
I’m probably going to have to see it anyway, but this is pretty much what I feared. Still, at least it’s given high street stores a reason to stock up on the comics again. And the DVD boxset’s £15!
That’s true, i’ve got the DVD’s of the animated series and love them.
The first time I saw those CGI heads in one of the movie trailers I found them repulsive. As I watch the trailers over and over again I’m sort of getting used to them. So I ‘ll go see the film anyway.
I was too distracted by the irritating 3D nonsense to be that bothered by the uncanny valley, which might explain why I enjoyed it more than I thought I would.
Wow. I couldn’t disagree more. I am a lifelong Tintin fan and have all of Hergé’s work, including the unrevised ealry Tintin books. I’ve always thought the animated TV series was an admirably faithful if not particularly exciting adaptation, and I would have been hugely disappointed if this movie had been the same thing with a bigger budget. I felt this film captured the spirit of the original, while also fulfilling the expectations of a big-budget Hollywood action movie. I had a BLAST, from start to finish. The film is absolutely riddled with visual references to every Tintin album, and the attention to detail is mind boggling. I will certainly buy the DVD when it comes out.
Matt, I’m glad you enjoyed it. I wish I had.