The Adventures of TinTin - (December 21, 2011): PG
Distributor: Paramount and Colombia Pictures
Opening Weekend Box Office: #5 with $9,720,993
Domestic Box Office Gross to-date: $54,254,328
Gross Revenue: $314,754,328
Production Budget: $135 million
Director: Steven Spielberg
Since the late 1920s, Belgian artist Herge’s classic comic, The Adventures of TinTin, has charmed European readers, making it one of the most popular European comics of the 20th Century, but to-date, no real blockbuster film adaptation had ever been attempted. Now, I was vaguely familiar with the character, given a short-lived cartoon series that ran in the early 90s, but I wasn’t anywhere-near convinced that mass audiences would respond to a performance capture 3D film. You do have to give credit to Paramount and Columbia Pictures, because if there was one way to pique the interest of North American audiences, it was leveraging the fact that this animated feature would be helmed by Steven Spielberg and include the input of another veteran cinematic powerhouse, none other than Peter Jackson. Marketing promotions were in no way subtle about trying to catch the attention of audiences, my personal favorite being the Purina Dog Chow cross promotion, but there was one significant element missing from this campaign. Andy Serkis is the undoubted king of motion capture, lending his talents to The Lord of the Rings trilogy, King Kong, and Rise of the Planet of the Apes, but there was little-to-no indication that he was again working alongside Jackson on this project…talk about missed opportunity. Needless to say, early critical praise was strong, but there was still a significant chance that The Adventures of TinTin would not resonate during the crowded and undeniably strong Holiday Movie Season.
The Adventures of TinTin opens as young journalist TinTin (Jamie Bell) and his loyal dog Snowy browse an outdoor market, where TinTin buys a model sailing ship, the Unicorn. TinTin is immediately accosted by Ivan Ivanovitch Sakharine (Daniel Craig), a sinister businessman who tries to buy the ship back, to no avail. Soon after returning home, TinTin discovers a hidden parchment in the ship that points to a hidden treasure, should the two other missing parts of the parchment (also contained in other model ships) be found…this revelation comes at a price, as TinTin is soon kidnapped by Sakharine’s men and imprisoned on a ship that Sakharine has commandeered. With the help of Snowy, TinTin escapes and meets the ship’s true captain, the drunkenly good-natured Haddock (Andy Serkis), and together, the two make a pact to reach the other model ships of the Unicorn, gather the three scrolls, and find the treasure before the villainous Sakharine. Embarking on a global adventure, TinTin, Snowy, and Haddock, with some help from bumbling detectives Thomson (Simon Pegg) and Thompson (Nick Frost), uncover the deep mystery surround the true Unicorn ship that has been buried for centuries.
The above plot synopsis may sound slightly predictable and formulaic for an adventure film, but few recent entries have been able to execute that formula correctly, and in this regard The Adventures of TinTin absolutely shines. The wonder and mystery that TinTin and Haddock face is peppered with just enough action to strongly echo both the fun and the chaos of the original Indiana Jones films, while the narrative subject matter more than plays off the swashbuckling lightheartedness of the first Pirates of the Caribbean…reminding moviegoers on any level of such strong past films is a testament to the storytelling prowess of Spielberg and Jackson. In terms of the voice and motion-capture talent, the clear standout, once again, is Andy Serkis, who brings the mischievous Haddock to life with memorable humor and a distinctly likable everyman personality; you cannot help but watch his every movement intently and in high anticipation. And of course, the other side of that equation involves the downright gorgeous animation…TinTin has got one hell of an animated upgrade, and watching the richly detailed environments or the close-ups of the character’s faces is more than enough to make anyone say: “wow.” With all of these elements combining for an energetic and enjoyable adventure, The Adventures of TinTin is near-perfect, and the criticisms I do have serve more as warnings to potential audiences as opposed to blatant shortcomings.
For perhaps the first twenty minutes of the film, I had feared that I made a mistake in choosing to see The Adventures of TinTin, as I found myself annoyed by the titular character and less-than-thrilled by the potential story. Thankfully, momentum eventually builds and TinTin finally tones-down once he meets Haddock…this quick save is welcome, but takes a little too long to present itself, meaning that some moviegoers may lose interest. Another slightly troubling development involves the character of Haddock himself, who, true to source material, is a stumbling, raving, black-out drunk; I’m not sure what the rules are concerning portraying drinking in animation, but some parents can’t be thrilled that a hopeless alcoholic is portrayed in a humorous way. Other than these quick qualifications, there is not much to criticize concerning The Adventures of TinTin, which represents a simple testament to classic adventures that you cannot help but enjoy. The ending leaves an opening for a sequel, and I can now say with confidence that I will have no problem purchasing my ticket…Spielberg definitely earned some redemption in my eyes, let’s just hope that this renewed focus keeps going strong.
From a box office perspective, you might be tempted to think that The Adventures of TinTin has underperformed considering its lukewarm opening, but as expected, the film has made its mark on the international market. This newest motion capture powerhouse opened in the United Kingdom in late October, and since then, the film has earned $260.5 million, nearly 83% of its total revenue, bringing the total worldwide haul to over $314 million. In light of a $135 million production budget, a $54 million domestic haul would be a nightmare, but studio decision makers cannot be too upset when international moviegoers are responding in droves. It is a little disappointing that American audiences have thus far failed to give The Adventures of TinTin a chance, and I can only hope that positive word of mouth does its job. Plain and simple, if you in any way enjoy adventure films, than this brainchild of Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson can simply not be missed.
Overall Recommendation: Very High
