The trailer for Steven Spielberg's motion-capture version of the Belgian comic Tintin is out, and while I must admit that Peter Jackson's WETA studios seems to have overcome the creepy dead-eyes issue that has plagued Robert Zemeckis' motion-capture movies, I just can't seem to work up any enthusiasm for this movie.
As a kid, I knew Tintin existed because we had to read it in French class, but I couldn't really get into the series. I think I was put off my his weird pointy hair. Tintin was a young reporter, going off on adventures only Belgian kids (and Spielberg) could truly appreciate.
Tintin was joined by his fox terrier, Milou (Snowy) and a series of weird companions like Captain Haddock (sounds fishy to me)*; the hearing-impaired Professor Tournesol ("Sunflower" in French, but "Calculus" in the American versions) and opera singer Bianca Castafiore.
The first teaser trailer has hit the web, and it looks as though Spielberg may very well have the tone that creator Herge' intended, while infusing a bit of Indiana Jones style adventure, something missing from the rather talky comics I remember reading as a young teen. Take a look (via) and tell me what you think:
Interesting? Only time will tell.
More, anon.
Prospero
*I make no apologies for that terrible joke, BTW...
As a québécois, i grew up reading Tintin over and over. It's really a big part of my childhood. It's hard to tell from the trailer since we barely see anything at all.
ReplyDeleteLooks like Spielberg has kept a very cartoonish effect.
I also remember all the fuss that was made about copyright after Hergé's death... there was lots of "fishy" things going on.
It's sure going to be different than the movie made in 1961 "Le mystère de la Toison d'or" with cutie Jean-Pierre Talbot as Tintin.
I'll go see Spielberg spin off of this european icon without too much expectation thus giving room for a possible nice surprise!
That is if I go! ;)
In the end, it's all about business and money, and then, yes, maybe a little bit about art.