Adventures of Tintin, The (3/13/2012)

Rated PG for adventure action violence, some drunkenness and brief smoking.

Starring Andy Serkis, Daniel Craig, Jamie Bell…

Directed by Steven Spielberg

We both went in to this movie with some big expectations, after all, it was directed by Steven Spielberg and produced by Peter Jackson. We wondered if Tintin would live up to similar films by these two filmmaking giants.

Our reactions differed. Jay loved it. I… well… it will be worth renting.

Like the comic book, the story of Tintin follows a young reporter, Tintin, who is well known for solving mysteries and catching criminals in his pursuit of the truth. When Tintin buys a model of a boat called The Unicorn, he draws the attention of a mysterious man named Sakharine (Daniel Craig), who is also interested in the boat. After his apartment is ransacked and the model is stolen, Tintin and his dog, Snowy, resolve to uncover the mystery behind the ship. In their travels, they meet a drunken ship captain named Haddock (Andy Serkis) whose ancestor was captain of the real-life Unicorn, a ship that reportedly sank while carrying a hoard of treasure. Together, Tintin, Snowy, and Haddock race across the globe to find the clues to the sunken treasure, while piecing together the truth about the Unicorn and unraveling the plot of the sinister Sakharine.

Jay’s Word: I loved it. This film didn’t disappoint in any way!

Jonathan’s Word: For me that really depends what elements you’re talking about. If we’re talking about the animation, it’s probably the best I’ve ever seen. It was truly amazing. But if you’re talking about the film as a whole… the story really didn’t hold me.

Jay’s Word: Wow. I couldn’t disagree more. Put simply, The Adventures of Tintin is a blast. There are so many things this film did right; I don’t know where to start. The scope of the settings is impressive; in just over an hour and a half, Tintin and co. travel through cities, across oceans and over deserts and yet the plot never feels rushed.

Jonathan’s Word: I agree with you there. I felt it was a little slow at times.

Jay’s Word: The mystery aspect of the movie is great; simple enough for any kids in the audience to keep up, but intriguing enough to keep the adults wanting more.

Jonathan’s Word: I wanted more… more popcorn!

Jay’s Word: Sigh. I’m ignoring you at the moment. While the comedy in the film did lean more to the childish side, there were moments of absolute absurdity and genuine wit that had me cackling in my seat.

But where Tintin really shines is in the action sequences. You get the feeling that Spielberg really enjoyed making an animated film; he was completely free to have his characters do things that real actors would not have been able to do and he took advantage of it. Thanks to that, we have chases and fights that are creative, breathtaking, and completely ludicrous. Rest assured, you have never seen action scenes like the ones in Tintin.

Jonathan’s Word: Okay, let me be fair. I wholeheartedly agree with you about the action sequences. They were amazing. I probably haven’t felt this feeling of admiration for what I was watching since the scene in King Kong where Kong fought the three T-rexes. Tintin took new steps in action. It was like Indiana Jones with no cinematic limits. Really good stuff.

I just found myself a little bored in between the action scenes. It would have helped if I would have liked the character Tintin. He didn’t really grow on me. I loved Captain Haddock (no doubt, acted by the very talented Andy Serkis), but none of the other characters gripped me.

Jay’s Word: I really enjoyed the characters. At one moment the film makes great use of light-hearted fun and ridiculousness, in the next moment the film provides a realness that grounds the characters. Spielberg balances the serious and the absurd so precisely that it is no wonder that he is one of the greatest filmmakers of our time.

Jonathan’s Word: I take that back. I also liked Snowy, the dog. He was probably my favorite character. Definitely one of the smarter characters on the screen.

Jay’s Word: In short, The Adventures of Tintin is a remarkably fun movie that has more in common with Indiana Jones than it has with any recent animated film.

Jonathan’s Word: It’s amazing visually, kids will probably enjoy it, it’s definitely worth the rent.

SHOULD KIDS SEE IT?
Tintin is rated PG for violence and drunkenness. There are a lot of gunfights in the movie, and a good number of people get shot, but the violence is never graphic and blood is only shown once.

Haddock is drunk for the first half of the film, but his antics aren’t any worse than Captain Jack Sparrow’s.

Conversation Starter
Three Simple Questons (with Answers You May Be Looking for):

Q: What’s the message/theme of this movie?
A: Early in the film, Tintin states that, because he is a reporter, his goal is to find the truth. Even though the thought of uncovering treasure becomes a part of his motivation later, Tintin was ready to put himself in danger, travel across the world, and face overwhelming odds for the sake of finding the truth.

Q: How do you suppose we—as serious Christ-followers—should react to this movie?
A: While watching Tintin go through various dangers and hardships in search of truth, I was reminded of Paul in the book of Acts.

Acts 20:22-24
And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.

Paul realized that following Christ might not always be easy, but it’s worth it!

• What are some of the hardships that might be facing us?
• What do you think Paul meant when he considered his “life worth nothing”?
• What was Paul’s aim in these verses?
• What is your “aim”?

The only thing more important than finding God’s truth is spreading God’s truth. And while God doesn’t claim that following his Son will be easy, we—like Tintin—can be sure that if we follow the path to the end, we will have treasure beyond our wildest dreams.

Q: How can we move from healthy, Bible-based opinions about this movie to actually living out those opinions?
A: Finding the truth about God is the most important thing we will do in our lives. And that isn’t just limited to reading and studying God’s word. God can be found in every aspect of our lives; He wants to be a part of everything we do. The Bible is as much of an action story as Tintin is. The reason? God wants us to live out our faith!