Tintin has always been special to me. My dad was this BIG fan of the Boy Wonder and had got the whole set of his escapades. Watching him escape near-death situations was one of the most endearing phases of my life! He was the master of escape artists always accompanied by his loyal companion “Snowy”(epitome of Man’s best friend).
When Spielberg took up the challenge of making the film, I firmly believed that there was no better man to bring this Legend alive and my belief was ratified yesterday. Spielberg has brought the comic book to life, like never before. It is true to the novel in all regards and our hero escapes near death situations every 5 minutes, but alas, by sticking to the true essence, Spielberg has lost some of its charm.
So, Tintin during one of his shopping trips finds a beautiful Ship model “Unicorn”. As soon as he buys the same, all hell breaks loose. He gets involved in a battle of revenge and along the way meets Captain Haddock. Their adventure involves action sequences in a boat, in a ship, on a plane, in a desert, on an island and finally, they stumble upon the secret of the Unicorn and Red Rackham’s treasure.
First of all, the movie is spectacular. The intricacy of the story-boarding is phenomenal. But that is what you expect from Spielberg, edge of the scene action sequences with WIT. This is where the movie scores BIG time. Unfortunately, the useless 3D experience in India spoils half the fun. Tintin, like in the comic, is the serious guy surrounded by buffoons! So, Snowy and Captain Haddock provide the much needed comic relief. The comedy is situational and not forced.
Alas, there is a problem with the movie. If you haven’t read the book and are not connected to the characters, there is very little emotion in the film to really bridge that gap. Tompson and Thompson disappoint the most, as their buffoonery does not come alive. It’s just a good, old-fashioned, HOLD-ON-TO-YOUR-SEAT fun ride and that’s it. So go on, coz “Billions of Blue Blistering Barnacles”, it’s almost there!
Rating: 6.5 / 10
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