The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn

[squints]

haha, i came here to post that. Keep it up entire Youtube community!

[Just Withnail]

For some reason this is already playing in Oslo. Saw it yesterday in 3D and loved it. First time since Coraline I've really enjoyed the 3D.

I'm glad Spielberg has found a place to vent his adventurous spirit, where George isn't breaking ideas so badly there's no self-respect left in them and anyone would say "fuck it, nuke the fridge." (Or maybe he's nuking them all the time in Tintin, but since it's animated it fits the universe better.)

I've never read the comics, so can't really comment on the faithfulness to the material, but there are some interesting tonal oddities I can imagine being attempts at capturing their spirit.

Set pieces are extraordinary, the centerpiece being a five-minute (at least) one-take that gives some of the best sense-of-location in an action sequence I've seen in a long time.

I'm almost completely sold on mo-cap. Faces look great now (though it was a bit distracting recognizing Andy Serkis' digital mouth), but there's something really weird about the hands. They never seem to be gripping anything properly, and when all other movement seems incredibly human, everyone just seems to have retarded hands.

Pace is really fast – except when it really isn't and cuts away to a completely unexpectedly long digression, which works because it's fresh, weird and wonderful.

Both score and visuals have plenty of nods to Indy.

tl;dr: retard-hands but great set-pices.

[polkablues]

retard-hands but great set-pices.

That's the headline of my eHarmony profile.

[Sleepless]

This is already out in the UK. My parents and sister saw it last week in IMAX 3D. They really, really liked it.

[Ravi]

Why did this open so much earlier in Europe than in the US?

[MacGuffin]

Why did this open so much earlier in Europe than in the US?

Spielberg's 'Tintin' off to a solid start at European box office
Source:Los Angeles Times

"The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn" doesn't open in U.S. theaters for nearly two months, but the Steven Spielberg-directed film already has the makings of a hit overseas.

This weekend, the animated 3-D film opened in 19 foreign markets and collected $55.8 million, according to an estimate from international distributors Sony Pictures and Paramount Pictures.

The studios decided to launch the Peter Jackson-produced film so far ahead of its U.S. debut on Dec. 21 in part to boost ticket sales in Europe, where the 82-year-old Belgian comic book series is a beloved part of the cultural history. If the film is successful abroad, the studios are hopeful that it will fare well domestically, where the cartoon character is foreign to most moviegoers.

This weekend, the film about a young reporter seeking hidden treasure was No. 1 in 17 of the 19 markets in which it opened. The movie had the strongest debut in France, where it grossed $21.5 million, marking the second biggest debut of the year behind the eighth and final "Harry Potter" film. It also did solid business in Britain, Spain and "Tintin's" native Belgium, where the movie grossed $2.1 million.

Despite its respectable start abroad, the movie still has a long way to go before it can be considered a success. The picture cost its financial backers between $150 million and $175 million after tax credits, according to people close to the production. The studios will also spend more than $100 million to market and release the movie worldwide, and about 30% of "Tintin" revenue will go directly to Spielberg and Jackson.

[Pubrick]

it's kind of obvious why they are releasing it in countries that have actually heard of Tintin before they release it in their riskiest market.

they're going to make a killing on this. releasing it in countries that are salivating at the mouf to see it will generate very good global word of mouth. they are recreating the phenomenon that has already existed for generations, that Tintin is loved around the world, but that americans never noticed because at best it would only make them buy the comics for their kids. this way they will think "hey the whole world loves this movie.. which must be some kind of new craze.. lets watch it!"

also the risk of bootlegging is minimal because even if a good 2D version was released, avatar and especially tim burtons biggest piece of shit proved audiences will pay a pretty penny to watch something in 3D if it has enough hype. and that is what this very smart release schedule is going to generate.

if it were to open in the US first, or even at the same time as everywhere else, it would overwhelmingly skew the figures by showing a disappointing return domestically and then treating the international success as an afterthought. isn't that what happened with Knight and Day? everyone acted like it flopped and then it made like 200 million internationally.. who knows why, something to do with scientology i'm sure, but you flip the perspective and the movie is a huge hit that the US just didn't get onboard with.

also it's kinda typically american to need an explanation for why a film was not released there FIRST, just as a matter of principle.

[ElPandaRoyal]

A few notes on this:

- Visually, it's amazing. The best motion capture animation I've ever seen, which also works great in 3D.
- Narrative wise, it gets kind of boring at a certain point, and it ends up feeling overlong, also because of...
- The action sequences, which are very Peter Jackson-esque, in the sense that they usually start great, but then go on and on and on, in endless battles/chases/etc...
- The tone is more childish than the books.
- Spielberg takes his obsession with reflections (in mirrors, water, lenses...) to a whole new level here.

In the end, it's a somewhat entertaining, great to look at but ultimately forgetable movie.

[Ravi]

also it's kinda typically american to need an explanation for why a film was not released there FIRST, just as a matter of principle.

AMERICA, FUCK YEAH!

[diggler]

I really enjoyed this, it felt like the Indiana Jones movie Spielberg wanted to make. The tone is a little strange, as it is very childlike in mood but very adult things happen. I was at a matinee screening filled with kids and parents and the biggest gasp of the film came when Tintin brandished a gun in the beginning of the film (mostly from the parents, kids ate it up). The action scenes are inspired and memorable though, with the aforementioned "long take" chase scene taking the cake. I know it's a mo-cap film so a long take sequence isn't really that impressive, but it was a well imagined chase nonetheless.

Serkis steals the show, again.

[samsong]

the most fun i've had at the movies all year.  the action/adventure is incessant and thrilling, and spielberg finally goes for pure kinetic momentum and showmanship, and it pays off.  a delightful cinematic confection that offers nothing more than showy thrills, and as long as you don't expect more than that it's a lot of fucking fun.

[Pubrick]

samsong did you see it in 3D or peasant?

Also were you sambong our regular samsong during the screening.

[samsong]

sambong is no more.  and i saw it in 3d. 

[polkablues]

Fingers crossed I'll be seeing this in real IMAX next weekend with my folks.  I've tempered my expectations over the past four years, but I'm still psyched for it.  A couple years ago I was with a friend when he was getting a tattoo, and I came very close to getting a Tintin tattoo on impulse.  Then I looked at the example books of the guy's other tattoos and thought better of it.  If I had wanted a flaming Stratocaster with bat wings, he would have been my man, though.

[polkablues]

So I've seen this twice now.  I have a handful of reservations, but overall it's as good as I could have reasonably hoped it to be.

I never thought I would say this, but motion capture has officially been validated as a legitimate cinematic tool.