by Tami Katzoff
Sometimes, a dedicated filmgoer must make sacrifices. For example, to see “The Adventures of Tintin,” I journeyed from New York City all the way to the UK. Alright, confession time: I didn’t fly to the UK just to see “Tintin.” But since the movie won’t hit US theaters until December 21st, I took the opportunity my overseas vacation afforded me and got a head start on my American peers. It was ?11.20 (plus ?1 for 3D glasses) well spent.
Here are five reasons why you should see “The Adventures of Tintin” when it finally washes up on US shores next month.
» It Looks Good: When it’s done right, motion capture filmmaking takes the best of what live action and animation have to offer and combines it all to make something extraordinary. Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson have managed to do just that – “Tintin” is vivid, colorful and wonderfully detailed. The wow factor is definitely there.
» It Sounds Good: As “Tintin’s” director and co-producer, Spielberg brought with him his long-time collaborator (and one of my all-time heroes), composer John Williams. Nobody does it better than Williams, and his playful, thrilling score perfectly accompanies Tintin’s globe-crossing adventures.
» It's Fun: Sure, kids will love following the fearless young reporter and his faithful dog Snowy as they navigate through heart-pumping peril to uncover the truth and foil the bad guy. But I’m not a kid and I enjoyed every exhilarating minute of the movie.
» It's Funny: Like the Indiana Jones flicks to which it’s being compared, “The Adventures of Tintin” has plenty of laughs sprinkled in with the action. Many of these are provided by Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, who portray the bumbling detectives Thompson & Thomson.
» It Has James Bond: The entire cast of “The Adventures of Tintin”– including Jamie Bell as Tintin and Andy Serkis as Captain Haddock – performs admirably. But it’s especially amusing to hear Daniel Craig as the villain, Ivan Ivanovitch Sakharine. This menacing meanie couldn’t be more different from the cool-as-ice Double-Oh-Seven, but Craig nails it. If he ever tires of being in front of the camera (heaven forbid), there’s a solid future for him in voice work if he chooses it.
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