Movie Review: THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN

THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN

2011
PG


"You care about something, you fight for it. You hit a wall, you push through it. There's something you need to know about failure, Tintin. You can never let it defeat you."
-- Captain Haddock

The Adventures of Tintin is a 2011 animated adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg that utilizes motion capture technology. After purchasing a model of a history-laden ship called the Unicorn, well-known reporter Tintin (voiced by Jamie Bell) learns that the demand for the model is rather high. He starts to search for the story behind the ship, but he soon finds himself wrapped up in a more nefarious plot. Tintin is kidnapped by a man named Sakharine (voiced by Daniel Craig), who plans to find the secret behind the story of the Unicorn, which is only held by a descendant of the ship's captain, Sir Francis Haddock. Fortunately for Sakharine, he has found the last remaining member of the Haddock lineage, Captain Haddock (voiced by Andy Serkis), and plans to use him to find the answer he seeks. Wanting to learn the truth before Sakharine, Tintin teams with Haddock to keep Sakharine from finding the secret of the Unicorn, chasing him to the ends of the earth in order to stop him.

When I first heard about this film, I recognized the Tintin namesake despite having not been at all familiar with the original Belgian comic books. The biggest reason behind my desire to see the film was the collaboration between Hollywood legends Spielberg and Peter Jackson, as well as the fact that this would serve as the former's first animated feature film. Jackson, having been well-versed with the concept of motion capture, surely helped ease Spielberg into the filming technique. Their teamwork made this an almost must-see for me, but as with any movie, it had to be seen to be potentially enjoyed. It earned generally favorable reviews - it currently holds a 75% approval rating on Rottentomatoes.com - but it hasn't had the overwhelming success I thought it might. And after having watched it, I think it should easily have those rave reviews.

I want to start with the animation, which was stunningly beautiful. I've heard a couple of critics knock the motion-capture style that Tintin uses, citing that it takes away from the even-handed style of cartooning that the original comic books pioneered. While this style is referenced by a joke early in the film, I still think that the animation in this film does quite a bit of justice. It gave the filmmakers quite a wide range with which to work. But there's something absolutely beautiful about this film's animation. Aside from the motion-capture techniques used to create Gollum in the Lord of the Rings franchise, I personally think this is the best I've ever seen motion capture work. It's utterly stunning. I can't even begin to describe it.

I'm a little torn about how to talk about the acting in the film. Because the performances are technically motion capture performances, we do have the actors giving the live performances in front of a camera. It's only after the filming is done that the animation is laid over their acting. The Internet Movie Database (IMDb) claims that the performances are vocal ones, and seeing as the actual actors aren't really seen on-screen, I suppose that's how they have to be reviewed. In that sense, the vocal acting is simply stunning. Bell is great, but I think that Serkis and Craig deserve a lot of mention. We also get some comic relief from the likes of Simon Pegg and Nick Frost.

The real shining moment of this film, however, is in its screenplay. Spielberg steals a page from his own playbook by bringing us a very Raiders of the Lost Ark-esque film, and it plays out almost as wonderfully. The story's scope is enormous, and the action and adventure run non-stop from start to finish. At the same time, however, we're getting a lot of comedy along the way, just like in the Indiana Jones franchise of old. I also thought the characters were written incredibly well, even if some of their relationships - mostly the one between Tintin and Haddock - echoed some former relationships from the Indy franchise (i.e., Indiana and Henry Jones Sr.). The story also offers just the right amount of twists and turns, and it's enough to keep the audience guessing until the very last scene. The screenwriters did a fantastic job with this one.

I also want to applaud the film's musical score, which was composed by the always-great John Williams. Last year, I heard Williams comment that his score for this film would be just as iconic as the scores he composed for Jaws and Star Wars, and although this one will probably never reach that particular echelon, I do have to say that it proved to be fantastic and fit the film's tone incredibly well. Here's a snippet for your listening pleasure:

At the end of the day, The Adventures of Tintin met and surpassed my every expectation. I have to say that I think Spielberg and Jackson have made quite the combination and have produced a fantastic film, and I wouldn't be surprised were they to collaborate again and craft a sequel to this one. They've left the possibility open, so if this film's success can translate to box office gross, then we should be seeing another Tintin adventure somewhere on the distant horizon. If you haven't had a chance to see this film, I think you need to do yourself a favor and get a theater as quickly as possible.

Movie Review Summary
Grade: A
2 Thumbs Up

Movie Review: ATTACK THE BLOCK

ATTACK THE BLOCK

R
2011


"This is too much madness to fit into one text!"
-- Jerome

Attack the Block is a 2011 action thriller directed by Joe Cornish that centers around an apparent alien invasion in a South London project. When a gang of teenage hoodlums led by a boy named Moses (John Boyega) attempt to mug a young woman named Sam (Jodie Whittaker) walking home from work, they're interrupted when something crashes into a nearby car. Upon investigation, Moses finds a creature inside, and the boys proceed to kill it. Happy with their victory, the boys take it back to their apartment complex - affectionately referred to as the "Block" - and leave it in Ron's (Nick Frost) weed room. After a little while, however, larger creatures start to appear all over the area, and their ferocious violence puts the lives of anyone in their path in extreme amounts of danger. For some reason, they appear to be drawn toward Moses and his gang, who attempt to fight the creatures before they can pick them off one by one.

I first heard about this film a few months ago when one of my readers from the U.K. posted his own review of the film on my Facebook page. When I watched the trailer for the film, I was immediately drawn by the fact that Frost was making an appearance, even if it didn't seem like it would be too large of a role. Aside from that, however, we're basically getting a cast of no-name individuals (at least, names I don't recognize from here in the States). That being said, I watched the trailer a few more times and thought that we might be in for a fresh take on the alien invasion story. It's always interesting to see out-of-the-way demographics take on aliens, and pitting them against hardened teenagers in a downtrodden section of London seemed to be a clever fit. And so I waited anxiously for the film to receive a U.S. release date, which it finally did in limited fashion.

I think that the film is very well-written considering the type of movie we're being given. You can't really expect anything over-the-top brilliant about an alien invasion movie, but we're given a solid screenplay for Attack the Block. The success lies in the believability of the characters, and that derives from the attention to detail when it comes to dialogue. As with any adolescent film, the teenage characters are going to have a dialect of their own, one that is drastically different from the adults around them. And that's the case with this film, with dialogue that ranges from the hilarious to the utterly confusing, but it crafts the characters so well that it's entirely forgivable. On top of that, we're given a number of twists and turns that bring out the best - and the worst, in some cases - in each of the characters. In a way, you can almost call this movie character-driven. Sure, there's enough plot points to keep the story moving along, but a lot of the drama of the film stems from character realizations and the like.

Fortunately, this no-name cast delivers on nearly every cylinder, crafting a rather fantastic ensemble. I can't begin to say enough about the aforementioned Boyega. He takes a character that you start the film hating and turns him into a semi-reluctant hero by film's end. He's the main reason I slightly view the film as character-driven, even though some of the other characters do have smaller arcs throughout the story. The rest of his gang - which includes Pest (Alex Esmail), Dennis (Franz Drameh), Jerome (Leeon Jones) and Biggz (Simon Howard) - provide ample amounts of comedy during their time on-screen. Whittaker does well as our main female lead, even if she's a little overshadowed by the teenagers running and racing around her. Frost is good for a few lines, but he has a smaller role than I had originally expected (to be fair, the movie only runs for eighty-eight minutes, so it's not like there's enough time to delve into any supporting character's story for too long). Still, the cast fills out quite nicely, bringing a very believable and comedic ensemble to the screen.

Overall, I found Attack the Block to be a fun-filled action thriller chalk full of laughs and a couple of jump-out-of-your-seat moments. The aliens themselves are unlike anything you've ever seen before, but I'm a little bit on the fence as to whether I like them. Still, they're an incredibly effective foe throughout the film, and their presence is always known and always felt. Give credit to the film's writers as well for crafting a story with great dialogue and sufficient twists and turns. If you're in the mood for a semi-violent flick that's quality entertainment, then find your nearest theater playing Attack the Block. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Movie Review Summary
Grade: B+
1.5 Thumbs Up

DVD Challenge #17: SHAUN OF THE DEAD

Shaun of the Dead
2004
R
Run-time: 1 hour, 39 minutes

Directed by: Edgar Wright
Starring: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Kate Ashfield, Lucy Davis, Dylan Moran, Penelope Wilton, Bill Nighy



When I first heard about Shaun of the Dead back in 2004, I honestly wasn't quite sure exactly what I should be expecting. The trailers made the film seem like a straight-out comedy, and with a tagline like, "A romantic comedy. With zombies," I didn't think there'd be too much in terms of actual horror. And while the film doesn't offer much in terms of scares, it definitely brings quite a bit in terms of gore. I remember seeing the film for the first time in theaters with my mother and younger sister, who wanted to see the movie because the titular character spelled his name the same way that I do, and I remember their aghast reaction at some of the events on-screen. I, however, found the film to be fantastic, and it quickly earned a special place in my list of favorite films.

Shaun of the Dead was the first real introduction I, as well as much of the rest of the public, had to the comedic stylings of Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, who have gone on to craft two more films together (2007's Hot Fuzz and 2011's Paul). Of the three films, it's not much of a stretch to say that Shaun of the Dead is the best, and that's saying quite a bit considering I review the other films rather favorably as well.

As some of you may know, I'm a bit of a sucker for films that are able to come full circle. Writers Pegg and Wright manage to do this extremely well with Shaun of the Dead, even down to bringing minute and fleeting jokes from the first act back to the climactic moments. The comedy they bring is also a bit fresher than your standard comedy nowadays, and I'm not sure whether it's the British inclinations or just the way that craft and deliver the lines. A lot has to be said about the acting in the film because the cast is able to deliver the dialogue in near-perfect fashion. Each individual inhabits their character and remains with that personality throughout the entire film, making everything completely believable. Obviously, Pegg and Frost steal the show, but if you're paying attention, there's some great performances and fantastic one-liners from the likes of Dylan Moran and Bill Nighy in his limited role.

One of the things I didn't really notice the first time I saw the film was the use of music. It's shown that Shaun and Ed - Pegg and Frost's characters, respectively - use music as a form of stress relief from time to time, and those scenes add a bit of comedy to the film. However, the music is so well-placed that it's almost unfair how clever it all works within the constructs of the movie. I think many would agree that the best use of music in the film has to be the inclusion of Queen's "Don't Stop Me Now." I've included the clip below, so maybe you'll see what I mean:

At the end of the day, Shaun of the Dead is one of the freshest, most entertaining comedies you're likely to see, and it only gets better with additional viewings. While it's not the goriest film I've ever seen, the highly-squeamish may want to avoid it or cover their eyes from time to time, but even then, I still suggest you give this one a chance. It has a fantastic staying power, and I think that people will be talking about and loving this film for quite a long time. It set Pegg and Frost as legitimate forces on the silver screen, and because of this film, I always eagerly await their next endeavor.

Rankings
Best All-Time: #91
Best Comedy: #13

2004 Awards
Wins: Best Comedy; Best Horror/Thriller
Nominations: Best Picture; Best Cast, Comedy; Best Screenplay, Comedy; Best Actor, Comedy; Best Supporting Actor, Comedy; Best Supporting Actress, Comedy

Previous DVD Challenge: ZOMBIELAND (2009)

Movie Review: PAUL

PAUL

2011
R

Paul is a 2011 sci-fi comedy directed by Greg Mottola. It follows two nerdy Brits - Clive (Nick Frost) and Graeme (Simon Pegg) - as they travel the United States in search of famous locations of alien encounter after spending time at Comic-Con in San Diego. As they're making their way across the American Southwest in their rented RV, they watch as a smaller car spins out of control in front of them in the middle of the highway in the middle of the night. When the two get out to investigate, they meet Paul (voiced by Seth Rogen), an human-savvy extra-terrestrial who claims to be on the lam from some sort of government agency. The two men reluctantly agree to help Paul in reaching his final destination, which he only says lies somewhere north of their present location. The trio starts their quest for this place, encountering opposition from a special agent named Zoil (Jason Bateman) while befriending a lonely, intelligent design-ist named Ruth Buggs (Kristen Wiig). The group slowly makes their way towards their final destination where Paul hopes to leave Earth for good.

I've known about Paul for quite a while, mostly because of my slight obsession with the past endeavors of Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. They smashed onto the movie scene with 2004's Shaun of the Dead and upped the ante with 2007's Hot Fuzz. In both films, they turned a certain film type (zombie/romantic comedy and buddy cop flick, respectively) on their ears, and with Paul, they were trying to do the same with the sci-fi adventure. And while it's not quite at the level of their previous two films, Pegg and Frost definitely do enough with this one to make it an enjoyable venture.

The storyline really isn't much to applaud. We've basically got your standard road trip flick infused with some teenage-oriented raunchy comedy to fill our appetites. I'm sure that alone doesn't sound entirely appealing, but for this group of people, it finds a way to work. However, the real strength with the screenplay is the references to classic films past. Like Rango, Paul pays rather often homage to the great films that have come before it. Here's a short list of the films that I definitely found reference to: Raiders of the Lost Ark, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Star Wars, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Jaws, Lorenzo's Oil, The Karate Kid, and Back to the Future. Some of the references are larger than others - Star Wars and Close Encounters get their respectful due - but this proves to be a movie that will appeal to those geeks (like me!) who have seen films like the ones listed above.

The level of acting also isn't quite up to the standards that Pegg/Frost films have set in the past, but it's good enough for you to care about the characters on-screen. Pegg and Frost may deliver characters most like their actual personalities in this one, making this one really seem like a labor of love. Wiig is good for a few hilarious scenes as she gets over her obsession with intelligent design. And Rogen is actually very good as the titular character. I think he works best as a voice actor - we get that distinctive voice without actually having to see him act. In addition to the aforementioned actors, be on the lookout for the following actors: Jeffrey Tambor, Jane Lynch, David Koechner, Sigourney Weaver, Bill Hader, Joe Lo Truglio, Blythe Danner, and even a voiced cameo from Steven Spielberg.

All in all, Paul is a fine addition to the Pegg/Frost partnership despite not being quite up to snuff with its predecessors. It's still a fun watch, especially if you're a fan of these two clowns. And if you're a fan of the classic sci-fi films from years past, you should probably do yourself a favor and take in Paul while you can before he blasts off and leaves Earth for good.

Movie Review Summary:

Grade: B
2 Thumbs Up