Review by Gary Tooze

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Play all (1:36:20)

• Toasting Tintin: Part 1 (1:24)
• The Journey to Tintin (8:54)
• The World of Tintin (10:46)
• The Who's Who of Tintin (14:18)
• Tintin: Conceptual Design (8:38)
• Tintin: In the Volume (17:54)
• Snowy: From beginning to End (10:11)
• Animating Tintin (11:00)
• Tintin: The Score (7:01)
• Collecting Tintin (3:58)
• Toasting Tintin: Part 2 (3:12)

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Description: From Academy Award-winning filmmakers Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson comes the epic adventures of Tintin. Racing to uncover the secrets of a sunken ship that may hold a vast fortune -- but also an ancient curse -- Tintin and his loyal dog Snowy embark on an action-packed journey around the world that critics are calling “fun for the whole family.”

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Tintin is on the trail of a big story which leads him into a world of high adventure. When he and his friends find the... directions to a sunken ship, they go off to find the treasure it contained and Tintin must face the notorious Red Rackham.

 

 

The Film:

Before Indiana Jones cracked his bullwhip for some old-fashioned Hollywood fun, Tintin circled the globe in the name of European divertissement. The pen-and-ink creation of the Belgian cartoonist Georges Remi (1907-83), known better as Hergé, Tintin is the charming boy reporter and adventurer who, with his white fox terrier Snowy close at heel, has traveled the world since 1929 in action-packed yarns with titles like “Cigars of the Pharaoh.” It was only a matter of time before Tintin went Hollywood. And, yowza, has he hit it big and hard in “The Adventures of Tintin,” a marvel of gee-wizardry and a night’s entertainment that can feel like a lifetime.

What took him so long? Certainly Tintin comes with many of the prerequisites for big-screen exploits, including pluck, ingenuity, derring-do, exotic locales, and a ready-made team of friends and foes. Many of these are busily at play in “The Adventures of Tintin,” an animated boy’s own adventure directed by Steven Spielberg, that eternal Hollywood boy wonder. Almost wholly cooked up in a computer and using motion-capture technology, it turns on a riddle that takes the story from sea to desert and other landlubbing destinations, including an imaginary Moroccan city, Bagghar (a play on a French word for brawl, bagarre), which looks as canned as a sand-strewn set for a Bob Hope and Bing Crosby road movie if tidier and pricier.

Excerpt from ManohLa Dargis at the NY Times located HERE

Many questioned director Steven Spielberg and producer Peter Jackson’s decision to render Hergé’s classic series of comic-book Boy’s Own-style adventures in performance-capture animation. But it’s hard to imagine that either live action or traditional animation would have been capable of producing the thrilling blend of high drama, physical authenticity and visual invention found here. Ending a three-year hiatus following his disappointing ‘Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull’, ‘Tintin’ finds a re-energised Spielberg atoning for that misstep with a film which, in both its rip-roaring, globe-trotting narrative and its visceral dedication to pure white-knuckle thrills, is the true successor to his original ‘Indy’ trilogy.

Excerpt from TimeOut Film Guide located HERE

Image :    NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

The animation/CGI process used for The Adventures of Tintin makes the viewing experience... mesmerizing. This is fully evident via the Blu-ray from Paramount. The motion-capture animation is similar to that of Polar Express. But this is far superior. The image quality is astounding and seems fully supported by the strong dual-layered 1080P transfer. I didn't see this theatrically but was told by many friends that I missed sampling some of the most powerful 3D to-date. I can't really find a flaw excepting some very minor noise (or what looks like noise). The image is so detailed you are squinting to verify it is not actually live-action. I found no 'jaggies' or motion-haze produced - even when the action is at its most kinetic. There is very impressive depth and contrast exhibits healthy, rich black levels. I can see this being the start of a revolution of this manner of entertainment - especially at the 'Family' level. I will be using this Blu-ray as a demo to friends who venture to my Home Theater. You really have trouble taking your eyes away from the screen when The Adventures of Tintin is playing on Blu-ray. This is one of the most impressive visual screenings that I have had on my system. Yes - it's that good.

CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The audio - a DTS-HD Master 7.1 at 4912 kbps is equally as unreal as the amazing video. Separations are subtle and crisp and there are plenty of aggressive deep bass action sequences. Sound bounces around the Home Theater space like a pinball. It alone is incredibly impressive. John Williams does the score and it's an expected winner - perfectly blending with the Tintin 'style'. There are optional subtitles and my Momitsu has identified it as being a region FREE disc playable on Blu-ray machines worldwide.

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BOTTOM LINE:
I loved The Adventures of Tintin and am thrilled to share it with my kids and friends. What a ride. The best thing about Tintin may be that Spielberg/Jackson and co. adhered to the original 'Boys own' appeal in appearance, style and aura. Fans of the original comic will be highly appreciative... and blown away. This is an amazing project - and I can hardly wait for the sequel. The Paramount Blu-ray is extremely impressive. This will provide multiple hours of pure enjoyment and its a package we can strongly recommend! 

Gary Tooze

March 2nd, 2012

 

Also in 3D Blu-ray version: