The Adventures of Tintin

I'm an unashamed Spielberg and Jackson Fan, when its a rainy day or I'm feeling Low its Jaws or Raiders that go into the DVD player. Of Jackson's films its The Frighteners, or Braindead. So to see a film that is a marriage of these two cinematic titans and to see it at the close of the old year I was excited to say the least.
     Tintin being European is part of my youth, summer holidays were marked by morning programming geared to entertain kids on those rainy days that prohibited playing outside. Herge's adventures of Tintin was s regular staple. For me as a kid it wasn't Tintin that kept me glued to the screen more it was the Thompson twins and Captain Haddock. With a Blistering barnacles you knew fun was on the cards.
     Prior to the films release back in October my wife had treated me to the purchase of the Art of book, yet another brilliant Weta publication which not only allows you in on the creative process but in such a way that does not give too much away about the films story.
     So I went in with high expectations and came away with one great big smile on my face. This film from the opening titles quickly propels you into the almost photo realistic world of Herge"s creation. Weta have once again thrown us a game changer, the play of light , their skillful character designs which capture Tintin's  essence and world without any sense of artificiality.
     Stephen Moffat, Joe Cornish and Edgar Wright bring a European sensibility to the tale, it starts off slowly quickly establishing the main plot then propels you at pace through action and plot. All this with an emphasis on fun and once Captain Haddock arrives on screen the real fun begins. This is a film with Spielberg firing on all cylinders and his joy comes across on the screen with infectious enthusiasm and outrageous action setpieces concluding with a breathtaking crane battle. This is a joy to watch and family friendly fare and I hope there are more tales to come.
      In closing a special mention for the excellant use of 3D, animation of course lends itself well to the medium and in this film its use just shines, so if you get the chanced this would be my preferred viewing option.

Happy New Year 2012

A new cinematic year arrives and the old one gently fades out. Actually not so gently as my cinema going for 2011 concluded with two great movies, one from a cinematic hero Mr Spielberg and another a new addition from the Mission Impossible Franchise which left me shaken and very stirred. A brilliant way to end the old year. So I will be posting my reviews shortly but suffice to say The Adventures of Tintin left me grinning like a loon and Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol hit the cinematic motherlode.
Now newspaper columns and cinematic websites post their top ten lists and attempt postmortems of the also rans of the year.
   For me personally 2011 was a lacklustre year , the superhero conveyor belt continued to belt them out with mixed results for every Thor, there was a Greenlantern or Green hornet. So close and yet so far. Leading lights of film were celebrated and genre classics revisited again with mixed results. The Thing merely proved that recycling ideas and adding a CGI sheen only cheapend a great original.
  2011 was also the year that critics critised the cost cutting efforts of the multiplexes specifically with those screens that projected films in both 3D and 2D with 2D presentations looking as dim as their 3D counterparts. As a footnote, I saw Tintin at our local boutique cinema in Pauatanhui Light house and it was clear bright and wonderfully dimensional in its presentation. A direct contrast to other 3D presentations and not only that I got to see the Hobbit trailer in all its big screen glory. WONDERFUL, and I offically cant wait. The idea of seeing a 48fps projection of the movie fills me with anticipation. Its not a new concept high frame rates. Doug Trumbull was one of the first to attempt mainstream acceptance of the idea with his film Brainstorm back in the early 80's but at that time it was a costly excercise.
  2012 therefore promises much, Mr Nolan will deliver the final part of his Dark Knight trilogy , Bond will return with Skyfall, and Hobbits will once again roam Middle Earth. But for me the one film that stands out for me is Prometheus and the return of Ridley Scott to the Science Fiction arena. This prequel which from the trailer most deffinately holds the Alien DNA will either be yet another outstanding addition to the saga or a dramatic misfire. I eagerly await after the disapointment with the Thing prequel.
    So happy new year, lets hope its a blinder. Hopefully for me this will be the week I get to see a film at the Roxy before my return to work. If this pans out I will have crossed another item of my personal cinematic bucket list.