The Adventures of Tin Tin

The Adventures of Tin Tin: The Secret of the Unicorn, see's the intrepid boy reporter/detective seeking the answers of the long sunken pirate ship the Unicorn. The ship carried untold treasures, but to find it Tin Tin and his faithful dog Snowy must find all of the secret scrolls. With the help of the drunken Captain Haddock, they set off on a wild adventure to beat the evil Mr. Sakharine to the prize.

It's fair to say, that Tin Tin is one of the most recognizable European cartoon character creations of the 20th Century. The Belgian cartoonist Georges Remi had his first publication of the character in 1929. Always published under the name of Hergé, the Tin Tin stories have gone on to sell well over two hundred million copies globally. What is clear, generations have had their minds and hearts captured by the rich character-based adventure stories produced from Hergé studios.

Now, how do you bring such an iconic and much-loved character to the big screen and keep the fans happy? Well, you make sure that you have the best people involved, that's always a good start. So, how does Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson teaming up sound? I know, sounds too good to be true, doesn't it? But it turns out that the French media compared the Indiana Jones stories to Tin Tin. This grabbed Spielberg's attention and he was hooked. Plus Peter Jackson has been a lifelong fan of the Tin Tin cartoons.

As you would expect, the result is an outstanding visual treat. That stays respectfully faithful to the original creative style by Hergé. Spielberg takes the credit as Director and Jackson is listed as producer, but clearly influences the Direction too. The animation is exceptional, so much so that, it becomes a bit of a distraction to start with. However, the rich characters, brilliant story, none stop action and excellent soundscore. Makes sure that The Adventures of Tin Tin keeps romping along at an amazing pace.

It goes without saying, these award-winning film directors have a talented list of people they have worked with. So, this movie clearly hand picks the best from their list. For instance, the music is provided by the same composer that won an academy awards for E.T, Star Wars, Jaws, Schindlers List. John Williams is one of the greatest cinematic composers of all time. But has developed a strong working relationship with Steven Spielberg, spanning many years. Needless to say, he did receive another nomination for Best Original Score for his exceptional work on The Adventures of Tin Tin.

It does not stop there though, Peter Jacksons Weta Digital has won six Academy Awards for visual effects. One of the greatest creations was Golem in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. So, as they were using the same techniques it was a clear and obvious choice to use the same actor. I'm sure that when Andy Serkis received the call, he didn't think twice. This is great because, for me, Serkis playing Captain Haddock is a stroke of genius as he totally steals the show. That's not to say the rest of the cast is poor. Let's be fair here, we have Jamie Bell, Daniel Craig, Nick Frost and Simon Pegg picking up the other lead roles. Now, I'm sure you would agree, that is not a bad turn out.

The best part is, The Adventures of Tin Tin is a fantastic action-packed film that is super fun for all the family. This is just a great harmless piece of cinema. Yes, Captain Haddock does drink far too much, but that is staying true to the character. Plus his character provides some genuine comedy moments that all ages can laugh at for different reasons. I have to say, I loved every single frame of this film for many many reasons. So, if you are looking for a none stop showpiece of a movie that's heaps of fun. You could do a lot worse than The Adventures of Tin Tin.