Random Reviews: The Adventures of Tintin

Many are cynical about motion-capture animation being used to make full-length movies (after that brief "Yellow Submarine" fiasco, many downright dread it), and even more people are cynical about the action-adventure genre. Yet all that cynicism seems to be dead in the wake of "The Adventures of Tintin", the Belgian comic-hero's biggest big-screen adventure ever. Maybe its the names involved that are breaking down any doubts about this movie: Steven Spielberg directing, Peter Jackson producing, and Andy Serkis starring as the drunk captain to end all drunk captains (which is quite an accomplishment when you look at the candidates), Captain Haddock.

The expectations from the international Tintin-fan community are heavy, but Spielberg and Jackson have come packed with ammo. The movie is action-packed, well-written, and well-casted,and it's impossible not to get involved in the adventure, which starts almost immediately after the credits.

This film's plot, first written by "Doctor Who" writer Steven Moffat and finished by Edgar Wright and Joe Cornish, puts together three of Tintin's best graphic novels: "The Crab with the Golden Claws", "The Secret of the Unicorn", and "Red Rackham's Treasure". When our cowlick-headed hero (played by Jamie Bell) finds a beautiful antique ship, he immediately falls into a dangerous treasure hunt for the pirate booty of a Haddock ancestor, joining up with the last-living Haddock in a race against the evil Sacharine (an unrecognizable performance from Daniel Craig).

The movie has so much going on in every frame, it's impossible to take in all the richly-detailed CGI world in one sitting. The animation is truly realistic, and most importantly, it isn't creepy! We truly become connected with the digital Tintin and Haddock, as well as the very funny Thompson and Thompson, who are compeletely alive and characterized as if they were real. The actors are truly to thank for bringing each character out of the books with their inventiveness and uniqueness intact. In fact, the director is to thank for taking the ENTIRE WORLD out of the books with it's uniqueness intact. The locations are realistic, but the action scenes are amazing and fantastical.

The only problem with the movie is, despite a 107-minute running time, I still felt a little unsatisfied by the end. You might be exhausted by the near two hours of adventure, but I thought that there was still lots of room for more Tintin. Fortunately, the ending is so open with its hopes for a sequel that it's impossible not to miss. And just like a certain fedora-hatted college professor we all still love despite a lackluster fourth installment, this is a hero we're not going to get tired of anytime soon.

Awesome Alert! Epic trailers for Christmas

The hype for next year is massive; we have "The Dark Knight Rises", "The Hobbit Part 1", and the ever-mysterious "Prometheus" all coming out in 2012, making every fanboy hope that those messed-up Mayans were wrong. Thanks to three new trailers, our curiousities have been peaked, and we now hold endless speculation as to what on Earth will these films hold in store:

"The Dark Knight Rises": By now, we all have this one memorized. Alfred is sad, Gordon's gonna get pink-slipped, Anne Hathaway is warning Bruce about "a storm", Bane blows-up a football game, and the guy from "Inception" is DOING SOMETHING. What is easy to tell is that Bane is planning a massive "Occupy Gotham" movement, except more violent and revolution-like. What is not easy to tell is whether or not Selina Kyle is on Batman's side, since she doesn't really warn Bruce so much as reveal to him what 's coming up for all of Gotham. She's probably not evil, but she's definitely involved in the "Occupy Gotham" plan one way or another. That still leaves us with a number of questions: Why exactly is Bane trying to destroy the city? Will Alfred die Rachel Dawes-style? And what is Joseph Gordon-Levitt DOING?

"The Hobbit:An Unexpected Journey": This one is so minimalistic that it makes the "DKR" trailer look like it's giving away every secret it has. While "TH" is supposed to get us excited, it's purpose is more of a introductory one. We meet Young Bilbo, who's life is very comfortable at the moment, just as he is meeting Gandalf the Grey for the first time. We meet every last Dwarf, in quick succession, as well as, surprisingly, the ancient Galadriel, who seems to be much more intimate with Gandalf than she was even with Frodo. The main feel of this trailer, as it should be, is adventure; an adventure which is far more dangerous and significant than ever before.

"Prometheus": Now if you REALLY want to see what "paranoic secrecy" looks like, check out the preview for Ridley Scott's new "Alien"-universe film. We know that we are going to finally learn what the heck those giant Space Jockeys from the original space-chiller were for, but we will also learn that these Jockeys hae something to do with our origins as a species (there is no idea creepier than that). And whatever galaxy-sized secret that is, it's got Noomi Rapace and Charlize Theron scared out of their wits. Attention all Ripley-fans, get those animatronic chest-bursters ready.

The Doctor's Dillemma

Before "Battlestar Galactica", before "Star Wars", even before "Star Trek", there was the Doctor. Started on Nov. 23rd, 1963 (17:16:20 to be exact), "Doctor Who" is the most successful and long-lasting science-fiction TV show in history, thanks partly to the Doctor's ability to regenerate, allowing numerous different actors to play him and keep the show going. Speaking of the Doctor, I guess I should introduce him.

The Doctor is a Time Lord, an almost-immortal humanoid alien who is the last of his kind. He travels through all of time and space (and I do mean ALL of time and space, he even went to the end of the universe in the episode "Utopia") in a time machine called the TARDIS (permanently disguised as a 1960's Police-box), combatting evil and saving lives without guns or thank yous. Since he's insanely lonely (having your whole species wiped out will do that to you), he comes to Earth every now and then to pick a brave or open-minded human as his companion to travel in the TARDIS (usually it's a VERY attractive young British woman who can, fortunately, act). The Doctor, in short terms, is an ancient and well-known character that terrifies some entire alien worlds with the mere mention of his name. In long terms, I will quote a little British boy from the episode "The Family of Blood" when he talks about him:

He's like fire and ice and rage. He's like the night, and the storm in the heart of the sun. He's ancient and forever. He burns at the centre of time and he can see the turn of the universe. And...he's wonderful.

And now he's getting a movie.

At least, that's the rumour that has begun circulating in the last litle while. This Whovian storm includes such theories as David Yates (director of my favourite Harry Potter movie, "Deathly Hallows Part 1") helping to bring the Doctor to the screen, and the movie starting from scratch with a new Doctor (not the current TV Doctor). David was actually the one to start this whole thing with some "off-the-cuff" remarks on the Red Carpet. Steven Moffat (the head writer and executive producer of the present show), on the other hand, is putting his foot down and saying NO (See Twitter post above left). Since Steve is closer to the Doctor than Mr. Yates, I'm siding with him. While an accessible (and AMAZING) international film would be good for proppelling the show forward, we don't want to rush into this (remember the first "Twilight"?). If the Doctor were to ever make a new movie, he must have his Brit-ness intact and his weirdness too. Doctor Who should never be dumbed down.

For any people new to the show, or who doubt some obscure(!!!) British kiddie's TV show could make a great movie, I have included my set of favourite, and most cinematic, Doctor episodes to show the kind of awesomeness the Doctor could wreak on the Big Screen (For any Whovians reading, I apologize if I'm one of those newbies who only knows the 10th and 11th Doctors):

"Human Nature/Family of Blood", (May-June 2007)

This brief, but powerful two-parter explores what would happen if the Doctor were to become human, deciding to disguise himself in order to hide from the alien Family of Blood-not because of fear, but out of mercy for the pathetic villains. Doc's brief vision of a wonderful human life, his final epic decision, a genuinely powerful war-veteran moment...it's all too much to leave a dry eye anywhere. Great acting as well.

"Utopia"/"Sound of Drums"/"Last of the Time Lords" (June 2007)

While some fans were dissapointed with the third part, this is now probably one of the best-known of all the story arcs. The Doctor's archenemy, the Master, returns and holds nothing back in his victory over the Doctor and conquering of Earth using victims from the future. One of the defining moments for the Doctor, his companions (especially the lovely Freema Argyeman, who must uphold much of this story), and of course, the delightfully psychotic Master.

"Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead" (May 2008)

Possibly my two favourite episodes of the entire series, this brilliant duet concerns the Doctor and his new comp Donna visiting a planet-wide library, which turns out to be deserted save for a small group of archeologists and some very dangerous creatures in the shadows. Highly imaginative, highly intense, highly recommended.

"Turn Left" (June 2008)

Dead Doctor, Dead Martha, Dead Sarah Jane Smith, Dead Britain, Concentration Camps, A Life-Sucking Beetle...one the great "Doctor-lite" episodes, and a highly moving experience.

"The Beast Below" (April 2010)

One of the most imaginative and fairy-tale like episodes, and woefully underrated. The Doctor and the pretty Amy Pond travel to a future Space Station Britain where the current Queen (the amazing Sophie Okenedo) is trying to uncover a creepy conspiracy. Shows what real Sci-fi should be.

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