For me, this live action Tintin yarn from 1960 is an amiable antidote to the supercharged Steven Spielberg-Peter Jackson animated epic of 2011. My stepson and I read all the Tintin comics of Hergé and enjoyed them hugely, but we didn't find Spielberg's film much fun at all (and we're Spielberg fans for the most part). The unrelenting, frenetic action and spectacular animation was for us more exhausting than entertaining.
But this movie really captures the atmosphere of the comic books. There's Captain Haddock's cartoon beard, Tintin's cowlick and insouciant ultra-competence (mirrored by his delightful dog Milou/Snowy), the choreographed idiocy of the Thompson twins, Professor Cuthbert Calculus with his long goatee, green outfit and daffy inventions, crayola-bright color schemes that reflect Hergé's comic book panels, a hidden treasure with a mysterious backstory, a cast of dastardly villains-you name it!
As a bonus, this movie was shot entirely on location in Turkey and Greece, with street scenes that effortlessly incorporate landmarks like the Hagia Sofia and the Parthenon, plus seemingly casual passers-by who lend a nice flavor of verisimilitude to the proceedings. There's even a sort of musical interlude in a Greek village with an excellent folk ensemble providing the entertainment.
Story, direction and acting are just fine, especially Georges Wilson as the blustering Captain Haddock and mild-mannered Jean-Pierre Talbot as the "reporter" Tintin.
A masterpiece?-well, no. A lot of fun?-You bet!
But this movie really captures the atmosphere of the comic books. There's Captain Haddock's cartoon beard, Tintin's cowlick and insouciant ultra-competence (mirrored by his delightful dog Milou/Snowy), the choreographed idiocy of the Thompson twins, Professor Cuthbert Calculus with his long goatee, green outfit and daffy inventions, crayola-bright color schemes that reflect Hergé's comic book panels, a hidden treasure with a mysterious backstory, a cast of dastardly villains-you name it!
As a bonus, this movie was shot entirely on location in Turkey and Greece, with street scenes that effortlessly incorporate landmarks like the Hagia Sofia and the Parthenon, plus seemingly casual passers-by who lend a nice flavor of verisimilitude to the proceedings. There's even a sort of musical interlude in a Greek village with an excellent folk ensemble providing the entertainment.
Story, direction and acting are just fine, especially Georges Wilson as the blustering Captain Haddock and mild-mannered Jean-Pierre Talbot as the "reporter" Tintin.
A masterpiece?-well, no. A lot of fun?-You bet!