The Adventures of Tintin is a film about a dog and a reporter who chase treasure across the world, and it mostly works. Steven Spielberg directs, and he treats the material with the same care he brings to any story about a man in pursuit of something he cannot explain. The result is a movie that is clever, funny, and occasionally dull, all at once.
Based on the comic series by Hergé, the film follows Tintin, voiced by Jamie Bell, as he buys a model ship in a Brussels market and unwittingly sets off a chain of events that leads him into a fight against a criminal named Sakharine, played by Daniel Craig. The chase takes Tintin to the Mediterranean, through a desert, and finally to the ruins of a lost city, where the treasure he seeks waits at the bottom of a cliff. Along the way, he is joined by his friend Snowy, a white fox terrier, and by Captain Haddock, voiced by Andy Serkis, a drunkard sailor who speaks in a stream of curses.
Trailer, via Sony Pictures Entertainment.
Motion Capture in Practice
The film is made entirely with motion capture, a technique that records the movements of actors and transfers them to digital characters. That means there is no live action here, no cameras following real people through real rooms. Instead, the performances exist only as recorded motion, mapped onto models that move through a digital world. The effect is strange at first, and it takes some getting used to.
The animation itself is excellent. The city streets are crowded and busy, the ships sail with weight, and the desert sand moves like real dust. The action scenes are fast and clear, and the chase sequences, especially the ones involving vehicles, are thrilling. The film also makes good use of scale, showing vast deserts and towering cliffs that dwarf the characters, giving the adventure a sense of danger and wonder.
But the motion-capture process shows its limits too. The characters can look stiff, especially when they sit still or talk directly to the camera. Their faces are readable, but the expressions often feel flat, as though the actors’ emotions were recorded without being fully translated into the final picture. This is a problem that has plagued motion-capture films for years, and The Adventures of Tintin does not escape it.
The Voice Cast
The voice cast is strong, even if the performance style is uneven. Jamie Bell plays Tintin with a quiet intensity that suits the character’s earnest nature. He sounds young and curious, and he sells the moments when Tintin is surprised or determined. Andy Serkis voices Captain Haddock with a growl that is both menacing and affectionate, making the sailor’s rages feel like a performance rather than a character flaw. Daniel Craig brings a cold intelligence to Sakharine, the villain who drives the plot, and his scenes carry real menace.
The supporting cast is smaller but effective. Mackenzie Crook plays Thomson and Thompson, the bumbling detectives who follow Tintin everywhere, and he captures their nervous energy well. Simon Pegg voices Ivan Ivanovitch Sakharine, a rival collector, and his performance adds a layer of comedy to a role that could have been dull. The film also includes cameos from other familiar faces from the comics, though their roles are small.
“You are the last descendant of the great explorer Sir Francis Haddock.”
That line, spoken by Sakharine to Tintin near the start of the film, is the key to the plot. It explains why Tintin is being hunted, and it gives the story a personal stake. Without it, the chase would be random. With it, the whole adventure feels like a family matter, which makes the stakes higher than they might otherwise be.
The Plot Moves Fast
The plot of The Adventures of Tintin is a simple one, but it moves quickly. Tintin buys a model ship, finds a clue, and follows it to a map that leads to the Mediterranean. There he meets Sakharine, who is looking for the same treasure. The chase then moves to a desert, where Tintin and Haddock are chased by soldiers and forced to flee across the sand. The final act takes them to the ruins of a lost city, where the treasure is found at the bottom of a cliff.
The pacing is generally good, though the middle section drags slightly. The desert chase is exciting, but the scenes that follow it are slower, and the film loses some of its momentum. The final act picks back up, and the climax is satisfying, even if the setup takes longer than it should.
The film also includes a subplot involving Tintin’s friend, a girl named Sophie, voiced by Emily Coxon. Her scenes add a touch of romance to the adventure, but they are not central to the main plot. They work best as a humanizing element, showing that Tintin is more than just a reporter chasing treasure.
The Music and Sound
The music, composed by Patrick Doyle, is a mix of orchestral pieces and electronic scores. It is energetic during the action scenes and softer during the quieter moments. The sound design is also strong, with realistic effects that make the chase scenes feel dangerous. The score does not overwhelm the dialogue, which is a relief, since the voice acting carries most of the emotional weight.
The film’s use of music is restrained, which is appropriate given the visual style. A loud score would have felt out of place in a world built entirely from motion-capture data. The music supports the images without competing with them, which is a mark of good craftsmanship.
What Works Best
What works best in The Adventures of Tintin is the sense of adventure. The film is genuinely thrilling, especially in the action sequences, and it never talks down to its audience. The humor is smart, and the characters are well-drawn, even if the animation sometimes fails to do them justice. The chase through the desert is a highlight, and the final reveal of the treasure is satisfying.
The film also respects its source material. It draws on the comics by Hergé, and it pays homage to the original stories without feeling like a copy. The characters speak in a way that feels consistent with the books, and the setting is rendered with a fidelity that shows the filmmakers cared about the material.
What Falls Short
What falls short is the animation itself. The motion-capture process is not perfect, and the stiffness of the characters is noticeable, especially in close-ups. The film also leans heavily on exposition, explaining things that could have been shown visually. Some of the dialogue feels mechanical, as though the actors are reading lines rather than performing them.
The middle section is also weaker than the rest of the film. The chase through the desert is exciting, but the scenes that follow it are slower, and the film loses some of its momentum. The plot is not complex enough to sustain a long stretch of slow storytelling, and the film suffers for it.
The Final Act
The final act of The Adventures of Tintin picks back up, and the climax is satisfying. The reveal of the treasure is well done, and the resolution ties the story together neatly. The film ends on a note of triumph, which is fitting for a story about a reporter who solves a mystery and finds a fortune.
The performance by Daniel Craig as Sakharine also stands out in the final scenes. His cold demeanor makes the confrontation with Tintin feel tense, and his final lines carry real weight. The scene between the two characters is one of the best in the film, and it shows what the motion-capture process can achieve when the direction is confident.
A Solid Adventure
The Adventures of Tintin is a solid adventure film, marred by technical limitations. The motion-capture animation is excellent in places but flawed in others, and the pacing drags in the middle. Despite these flaws, the film is entertaining, clever, and emotionally satisfying. It respects its source material and delivers a chase that is genuinely thrilling.
It is not a masterpiece, but it is a good film. The strengths outweigh the weaknesses, and the final product is a worthy adaptation of a beloved story. The film is worth seeing for fans of the comics and for anyone who enjoys a well-told adventure.
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