The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret Of The Unicorn - Triple Play (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy) [2012]

As a devotee of the original Tintin books, I approached this film version with a mixture of excitement and trepidation. Would it be Americanised for the U.S. Market? Would Spielberg add a layer of cloying sentiment? How could any film, even an animated one, emulate the character and life of Hergé's original drawings?As it turns out, I needn't have worried. While it is true that the digital environment falls slightly short of the original illustrations, in all other respects this is a fantastic retelling of Tintin. The suspense & excitement of the original translates perfectly back to the screen, making a film that works perfectly as a family action/adventure without in any way destroying the original charm.The way that two of the original adventures have been combined is very clever, and Bianca Castafiore is ingeniously given perhaps the most important role of her entire career. Fans of the books are more likely to be impressed than appalled by the alterations when they come, and there are a few "in jokes" for those determined to evaluate this as an adaptation rather than a standalone movie.One particular strength is Snowy, Tintin's pet dog, who lights up the screen every time he is given some work to do. Tintin and Haddock are, to my tastes, not quite as good, with Jamie Bell turning Tintin into too much of a toff and Andy Serkis inexplicably playing Haddock as Shrek: most viewers won't be troubled by either of these problems. Acting performances are a subsidiary consideration with a film like this, but Daniel Craig, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost all do fine.The action sequences are very well managed. They become a little fanciful in the big set-pieces towards the end of the film - Hergé wouldn't have stepped quite so far away from the bounds of possibility - but that's permissible in a film aimed at a young audience. John Williams's score is one of his best of recent years. Oh, and (here's something I wouldn't usually comment on!) the opening titles are superb.The Blu-ray comes with the DVD and a digital copy downloadable from iTunes for mobile devices. The picture and sound quality are both, of course, very good, and there are some reasonably generous extras in terms of making-of featurettes. The Blu-Ray medium is not fully exploited in terms of extras but ... that's just something we're getting used to with the generally sloppy feature releases of the last few years. There's no commentary and, bizarrely, while you get several oriental language soundtracks, you don't get a soundtrack in French!Overall, this should be great fun for young viewers with enough action to delight an older audience. Better than I could have hoped for and a clear five-star movie.

Very.Good dvd

Great movie for children and it kept them intrigued to the end

I was never in to Tintin as a child, so can't really comment on whether this film is an accurate representation of the stories, but who cares? I mean really, either the film is good in it's own right, or it isn't..... for those complaining that it isn't faithful to the original stories, you have my sympathy - but that's all - personally I could care less!I'm pleased to say that it is an excellent advert for 3D movies and what they are capable of. The storyline is there, far better than many adventure films; indeed, it felt like an Indiana Jones movie; hardly a surprise, given that Spielberg is at the helm.A bright, lavish animated 3d film, which, at times, was difficult to distinguish from 'real-life' - plenty of humour, for both adults and children alike kept me and my 10 year old boy laughing out loud.I've watched quite a few 3D films on our Samsung 55" tele, waiting for one that would inspire me to say yes, 3D works! - Well, now I've found it! The 3D effects aren't overdone like some that try too hard - and yet aren't so subtle that you're left asking whether you'd inserted the right disc in the player! The musical score was un-noticable, but didn't detract from the movie, and the sound effects are really well done; accurate positioning of surround effects helped to keep the feel of actually being within a 3D world.I didn't see this at the cinema, I simply ordered it 'pre-release' from Amazon, and watched it last night. If you have a home cinema setup, with 3D and surround sound etc., this film will show it off well - a worthy addition to your collection.I haven't watched it in 2D yet, but I would imagine it'll provide a pretty good evening's entertainment, particularly if you have kids (I'd suggest 9 or 10 years plus - just so they get the jokes!)One of the few 3D titles that I'll actually watch again!

Tintin was something of a folk hero to many of the boys at school, although we did'nt know much about him and the books were hard to find. So this film is like a dream come true for me , especially as I enjoy animations and this one is as good as it gets. Tintin seems so real that his personality shines through and he must be the best looking animated character ever! He is honest, dependable, intelligent and courageous, just as he was in the original storybooks. The mutual trust between Tintin and his dog, Snowy, is also faithfully reproduced. The realism and attention to detail is mindblowing. In some of the close-up shots you can see individual eyelashes and tiny hairs on arms and hands! How cool is that for an animation? This is a rollercoaster ride of a movie with never a dull moment.It is also the perfect family film with its potent mixture of action, intrigue and humour.There are some very dramatic scenes - the flight through the thunderstorm, the battle of the cranes on the dockside, the frantic chase through the streets in Morocco and many more. Jamie Bell, Andy Serkis, Daniel Craig and others have done an excellent job giving the characters their voices and movement.My one regret is that Tintin's creator, Belgian artist Georges Remi, did'nt live to see his prodigy brought so magnificently to life. As for me, I can't wait for the anticipated sequel. Bon chance, Monsieur Tintin!