The Adventures of Tintin Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.5

The Adventures of Tintin Blu-ray Movie Review

Who needs live action? Not Steven Spielberg.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman March 2, 2012

You're about to walk into a whole mess of danger.

If Tintin wore a Fedora, carried a whip, and took up archaeology rather than journalism, he could very well be Indiana Jones. Director Steven Spielberg's The Adventures of Tintin looks and feels an awful lot like Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Last Crusade and mimics the spirit and style of all of the Indiana Jones adventures, capturing with uncanny similarity the styles, the era, the action, and the music, all resembling the director's high adventure series with darn near every scene. Indeed, The Adventures of Tintin, though based on the comics of Hergé they may be, plays as if a modern day digital creation of an Indiana Jones-worthy adventure. Yet no matter how closely it resembles Spielberg's famed quartet of pictures, there's no denying that The Adventures of Tintin works very well on its own; there's just enough difference in the stories and styles -- the digital motion capture versus pure live action, the absence of a love story, the slightly toned-down violence and the somewhat more family-friendly vibe, the emphasis on playful mystery rather than hard action and adventure -- that Tintin succeeds as its own entity and not just a companion to or curiosity for fans of Raiders, Temple, Crusade, and Skull. The Adventures of Tintin is a fun, rollicking adventure to say the least; it's breathtakingly exciting, structurally captivating, and an amazing achievement of digital filmmaking that's on the cutting edge of moviemaking technology with every frame.

Here comes trouble.

A young investigative reporter named Tintin (Jamie Bell) and his trusty dog Snowy stumble across a prize that Tintin just has to have: a replica of the famed vessel Unicorn, a triple-masted, double-decked ship with no less than fifty guns at her disposal. The real Unicorn set sail in 1776, was lost under mysterious circumstances, and may have been carrying secret cargo. As for its model, it's choice, one Tintin acquires for the bargain price of a single Pound. As soon as the money exchanges hands and the product is officially under the auspices of a new owner, others come-a-calling for it, including Ivan Ivanovitch Sakharine (Daniel Craig), a devious mystery man with long-held ties to the real Unicorn, a man familiar with the secrets this model holds. Of course, Tintin isn't selling for any price. Misfortune -- or perhaps a stroke of fate -- strikes; an altercation between Snowy and a stray cat destroys the ship, but out slips a secret cylinder which rolls underneath Tintin's cabinet. He heads to that local library to learn more about the Unicorn but comes home to find the ship missing. He's able to track it -- or rather another replica -- down at Marlinspike Hall, leading him to another confrontation with Sakharine and the revelation of parts of the mystery these models hold. Tintin returns home to a ransacked flat, but he does manage to discover the lost cylinder and find inside of it one of three clues necessary to piece together the greater puzzle. He places the slip of paper inside his wallet, which is pinched by a local pickpocket; to get it back, Tintin will have to rely on the investigative skills -- or lack thereof -- of a pair of bumbling detectives known collectively as "The Thompsons" (Nck Frost and Simon Pegg). Moments after losing his wallet, Tintin is kidnapped and imprisoned aboard the Karaboudjan, a vessel commandeered by none other than Sakharine. There, he meets up with that ship's imprisoned skipper, Haddock (Andy Serkis), with whom Tintin and Snowy escape and begin a race against Sakharine to uncover the secrets of the Unicorn while dodging numerous attempts on their lives along their way towards destiny.

In essence, there are two readily-evident elements that work the hardest in making The Adventures of Tintin a successful 21st century movie. The most obvious are the digital renderings, and what a sight to behold they are. The Adventures of Tintin makes use of what is fundamentally the same technology utilized in the creation of Robert Zemeckis' The Polar Express, but here with appreciably superior results. The picture is absolutely sublime, the digital captures and environments perhaps the most photorealistic ever to appear in a picture, certainly of the performance capture variety and arguably even when comparing it against more "traditional" digital renderings (and what a world to live in when digital filmmaking can now be referenced as "traditional"). Though the movie won't be mistaken for live action, it passes itself off as such at least at-a-glance, and it's clear that the line between the real and the artificial is already blurred and will be erased out completely in a matter of years, not decades. The Adventures of Tintin dazzles with the veritable ease by which it creates an entire world -- buildings, roadways, vegetation, water -- with such convincing attention to absolute realism, right down to the most subtle little texture, the most minuscule detail that allows the environments to pass off as about 98% real. And it's the way water gently rolls with appreciable body and texture, the way clothing naturally wrinkles and shifts with character movement, the way human and canine hair blow in the breeze that make this so convincing. Every character is detailed right down to the smallest crease in skin, freckle, or stubble of facial hair. It's truly a sight to behold, even as it carries a certain style reflective of a flat, two-dimensional, decades-old comic. Yet The Adventures of Tintin proves far greater than the sum of its visual excellence; there's a nifty, action-packed story populated with quality characters to be enjoyed, too.

At its core, and beyond the superficialities of the animation, lies an entertaining high adventure romp that's clean and family-friendly, perhaps a bit dark and violent at times, but generally safe for younger audiences. The movie hearkens back to the comic and serial high adventures of its era, again like Indiana Jones, this movie serving up a fairly simple but rather physically-involved mystery, supported by well-conceived and superbly-executed action and a light comic underbelly. There's some exemplary action scenes, some things which would prove a bit more challenging in a straight live-action film -- a character hanging by his collar off the barrel of a rolling tank encased in the shell of a building -- but here even the most outrageous stunt fits seamlessly into the whole. The picture is extra-daring but still family-friendly. Better, the characters are very well put together. Tintin, like Indiana Jones, is something more of a brain but with the physical capacity to pull off some nifty tricks in the midst of action when the adrenaline is pumping, using a combination of quick wit, physical skill, and an understanding of how things work to his advantage. The Captain Haddock character boozes his way through the movie, usually to high comic effect and, generally, to the necessity of the plot. Though by far the elder character, he represents the bumbling sidekick to the mature-for-his-age Tintin. The tandem works very well, even if the good Captain is often more along for the ride though critical to the plot he may be.

The Adventures of Tintin Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

It's already been established that The Adventures of Tintin is a marvel of newfangled digital/performance capture hybrid filmmaking, and no surprise, it translates exceptionally well to Blu-ray. This is truly one of those "breathless" 1080p transfers; detail and definition are so strong, the digital world and characters so finely rendered, that even today it's a marvel and a real treat for even those eyes most accustomed to the excellence of a pristine 1080p transfer. Indeed, the image reveals impeccable clarity and a strong sense of depth, both evident even in the most challenging of scenes, such as on a foggy morning on city streets or on the high seas in relative darkness. Every object is marvelously detailed and looks straight off the Paramount computers. The transfer offers up an endless array of eye candy, whether in bright or dark locales, in the city or out on the sea, out in the desert or within the bowels of a dark and dingy vessel. Facial details are superb, and the way clothes are both textured and move with such natural ease will dazzle even the most hardened of viewers. Likewise, the color palette proves mesmerizingly vibrant in every scene. Tintin's red hair, Snowy's white fur, the photorealistic color of ocean water, any number of hues adorning clothes, desert sands, or whatever happens to be in-frame are all presented with the utmost attention to lifelike coloring. Better, black levels are superb in every scene. The only downside is occasional light banding and aliasing, just enough to warrant a knock on the overall score, but suffice it to say, this is otherwise a pristine transfer and one of the very first Blu-ray fans should pull from the shelf for demonstration purposes.

The Adventures of Tintin Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Adventures of Tintin splashes onto Blu-ray with a dazzling, balanced, and ever-effective DTS-HD MA 7.1 lossless soundtrack. It seems Paramount is embracing 7.1 audio for all of its major new release titles (see Hugo and Puss in Boots). They're all excellent, and this one is no different. The track delivers fantastic clarity in all situations and with all elements on the track: music, dialogue, and sound effects. John Williams' score plays with remarkably natural presence; it's seamlessly spaced and enjoys crisp definition throughout the entire range, solidified by a positive low end that ties it all together. It does play as rather dominant up front, any surround support not immediately evident though certainly not to the detriment of the overall sense of pleasant immersion the music delivers. Sound effects play with tremendous clarity, attention to detail, and space. Chaotic action scenes deliver moving and location-specific elements with ease and unflappable clarity, whether swerving cars, gunfire, or chaotic thunderstorms. Supporting elements prove equally superb. Light city ambience, gently rolling waters, or the hum of a large boat engine are faultlessly executed and help a great deal in delivering a sense of true, total immersion into the film. Dialogue is consistently clear and focused up the middle of the soundstage and never lost to surrounding elements. This is another first-class, reference-quality new release soundtrack from Paramount.

The Adventures of Tintin Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The Adventures of Tintin contains a number of features that chronicle the many processes involved in the making of the movie.

• Toasting Tintin: Part 1 (1080p, 1:24): A cast and crew celebration, including a Spielberg toast, for the beginning of the performance capture elements on January 23, 2009.
• The Journey to Tintin (1080p, 8:54): Director Steven Spielberg discusses his first exposure to the character during the reading of a French review for Raiders of the Lost Ark. The piece looks back at the character and his adventures, Peter Jackson's memory of and take on Tintin, Hergé's ability to draw his comic in cinematic terms, Spielberg's first efforts to communicate with Hergé before his death, his long history with the project, the digital elements that were necessary to the making of the film, and the importance of using motion capture technology to give the movie the specific look necessary to translate the comic into a film.
• The World of Tintin (1080p, 10:46): A fun piece that looks back at the history of the character, the cast and crew's memory of their exposures to the character, the comic's basics which are reflected in the film, the story and rhythm of the film, the role of Captain Haddock in the film and the series, the combining of two Tintin adventures for this film, and Steven Moffat and Joe Cornish's work as film's screenwriters.
• The Who's Who of Tintin (1080p, 14:18): A close look at the intersection of the human actors and the Hergé characters from the Tintin universe, with a sprinkling of performance capture animation work.
• Tintin: Conceptual Design (1080p, 8:38): Crew members share the process of designing the film, translating the comic world into a cinematic world, keeping character design true to the original Hergé, and location construction.
• Tintin: In the Volume (1080p, 17:54): A detailed look inside "The Volume," a 3D box in which the human performances were captured. The piece also examines the similarities and differences in shooting within The Volume and via more traditional methods for live action, Steven Spielberg's work with the technology, the props with which the actors interact, the performances of the human actors, the challenges of the process, and more.
• Snowy: From Beginning to End (1080p, 10:11): Cast and crew discuss the canine character, speaking on the name change, the practical models used during the performance captures, animating the final character, and giving it a "voice."
• Animating Tintin (1080p, 11:00): Even after the performance captures, there's still the process of animating the movie. This supplement looks at the incredibly detailed and in-depth work required to bring the final product to vivid, complex life.
• Tintin: The Score (1080p, 7:01): An introduction to John Williams' work on the film, composing various pieces even before much of the film had been made.
• Collecting Tintin (1080p, 3:58): A look at the design of Tintin figurines.
• Toasting Tintin: Part 2 (1080p, 3:12): A toast to celebrate the completion of the film on September 15, 2011.
• BD-Live.
• DVD Copy.
• UV Digital Copy.
• Digital Copy.

The Adventures of Tintin Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Adventures of Tintin defines light, family-appropriate cinema action and adventure on the grandest of scales. The movie's photorealistic animation, quality story, and good characters come together with little effort. The Spielberg magic is evident even without a single natural life form to be seen in the end product, and John Williams' score is as rousing, playful, and full of adventurous spirit as always. Certainly, The Adventures of Tintin may only be a digital and re-imagined take on the world of Indiana Jones, but it works well enough on its own merits, with its own characters, its own ideas, and its own rhythm, though certainly the connections -- all the way to the setting and the names appearing under "director" and "composer" on the billing block -- are impossible to miss. The Adventures of Tintin brings back the classic goodhearted, safe Adventure film, made by people who love movies and care as much about heart, plot, and characters as they do sensationalism, all of which this movie offers in abundance. Paramount's Blu-ray release of The Adventures of Tintin features standout video, reference-quality audio, and a good assortment of extras. Very highly recommended!