The Adventures Of Tintin: The Secret Of The Unicorn Review

Director: Steven Spielberg

Cast: Jamie Bell, Daniel Craig, Andy Serkis, Nick Frost, Simon Pegg, Toby Jones,

Running Time: 107mins

Certificate: PG

Synopsis: An adventurous journalist, Tintin (Jamie Bell), with his trusty dog, Snowy, are sucked into a mystery involving sunken treasure, pirates, opera singers and a generations-old vendetta. Along the way he meets Captain Haddock (Andy Serkis), a drunk who holds the key to uncovering the treasure…

It’s surprising that a such a hugely-popular character like Tintin has only been adapted a handful of times over his 82 years, including two odd films in the 1960s, a couple of stage plays and the infamous 1990s cartoon. But with the help of motion capture techniques and the combined efforts of Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson, Tintin is thrown squarely into the 3D limelight for this entertaining adaptation of ‘The Secret of the Unicorn’.

After growing up reading the books and watching the great Channel 4 cartoon, this film had some big boots to fill and it doesn’t disappoint. THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN: THE SECRET OF THE UNICORN starts slowly, with Tintin buying a model ship. This act leads to a Hitchcock-type story in that everyone who’s anyone tries to get their hands on the ship and in doing so, attracts the attention of the curious young chap. It takes ten minutes or so and then really grabs your attention with the introduction of the Thompson Twins, perfectly voiced by Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. This is the first comedy success in the film, but the laughs continue when Captain Haddock drunkenly staggers into the story. Haddock is the heart of the story which sees him and Tintin try to stop Daniel Craig’s Ivanovich Sakharine from uncovering a sunken treasure captained by Haddock’s ancestor. Haddock also tries to battle his family’s curse – which sees to all of his bloodline become no-hopers – and his alcohol dependency.

Spielberg seems to have great fun in the animation department, using a number of swooping and craning shots which would have been improbable on a live set. Serkis, as the drunken sea captain, is where the majority of comedy comes from, although upon first hearing his accent you may wonder if he attended the Mike Myers Academy of Scottish Accents. Daniel Craig is convincing as the slimy and conniving villain, but there is nothing hugely memorable about the character and could also be said about the lead, Tintin, who can become lost amongst the adventures. Whereas Haddock has an inner struggle with alcohol and his lineage, Tintin has little substance to help him stand out to the audience. However this issue isn’t a major issue as the high points of the film (Haddock, the Thompson Twins and the chase sequences…) outweigh the problem of the principle character. It is a wonder though as the writers behind THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN, Steven Moffat, Edgar Wright and Joe Cornish are known for their defining characters.

Spielberg has really hit something with his debut animated feature, doing all the things it seems he has always wanted to do but has been held back due to real sets/environment (and George Lucas if you’ve seen the last Indiana Jones film). Spielberg has repeatedly stated that the best ever car chase in cinema history is in Hayao Miyazaki’s LUPIN THE 3^RD: THE CASTLE OF CAGLISTRO, and you can see the influence in the film’s best scene, which involves a massive cat and mouse chase down a mountain side.

Already counting their chickens,  Spielberg and Jackson have already announced, while filming SECRET OF THE UNICORN, that there will be at least two sequels (which might have already been filmed and making their way through the lengthy post-production process), with PRISONERS OF THE SUN and a yet-to-be titled film to round it off. Thank God they did though as THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN is Spielberg’s best film in a decade and it being a great film for all ages even if it does contain a large amount of violence and death for a PG.

THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN is out in the UK on 26^th October 2011