I have my friend Alex Keto to thank for introducing Tintin to my family. Like so many of you Alex mailed my boys books after our house burned and the books he sent were some of the many Adventures of Tintin.
Right away my boys took to the the books and over the last several years they have read each one countless times. If I'm honest the books didn't do a whole lot for me. Sure they were amusing tales but I've never been a huge comic book or graphic novel kind of guy so I read them only so as to discuss them with my boys.
But any book or series that gets them to read is top notch on my eyes so when we heard there was a movie coming out I pledged to take them on opening night.
Our adventure to see Tintin the movie turned into quite the caravan as along with my wife and I and our two boys (age 9 and 11) we had my niece (10) and nephew (5), a young seminarian poet (23), and a young lady (18). Before I go on in detail about the movie let me say ALL 8 of us enjoyed the movie.
A month or so back I read an article that some religious group (twas either Southern Baptists or a Evangelical Christian group but despite internet searches I can not find the article) was urging a boycott of the film. The group claimed that the Tintin works were both racist and promoted alcoholism. The article explained that the issue wasn't with the movie but the collection of books.
Given that I am a contrary sort of guy the protests did nothing more than make me more eager to see the film. I hate being told not to do something based on the personal opinions of someone else.
The animation in the movie was stunning. As good as I've ever seen.
And I found the rum loving sea captain quite entertaining. He is kind of the anti-Popeye and I admire a fella who gets a bit of life saving strength from a good stiff drink rather than a can of evil green spinach.But I suppose of you are a teetotaling fun-hater Captain Haddocks drinking might bother you. Then again if you are a fun-hater you probably are not going to like the high speed chases, the gun battles, the sword fighting, treasure hunting adventure that makes up the movie.
The writers of the movie did a great job of capturing the spirit of the characters literary persona and yes the hijinks are outlandish in an Indiana Jones sort of way but my entire gang, found the film to me a very entertaining family adventure worthy of the price of admission.
Now where did I put that bottle of rum?
9 comments:
I've never been enamored of Tintin either but to be so, I think you have to be just at the right age when you encounter the books. Clearly your boys were at the right age and that's great! Glad to hear you all enjoyed the movie!
P.S. I'm halfway through your book and it is laugh out loud funny!
I only recently became aware of Tintin and am looking forward to seeing the movie. Maybe I'll take all ten grandkids with me. Yea right... that probably won't happen. Thanks for the review.
Merry Christmas to you and your family!
It must be an age thing. I loved the Tintin books when I was a kid, but as an adult, the magic just isn't there for me anymore. (And yeah, some of them are racist. Captain Haddock--boozer extraordinaire--never bothered me, however.)
Nope never liked Tintin - but as for rum.. well! Rum is a true classic!
:-)
Take care
x
I read an excellent story about the movie a week or so ago in USA Today and this will be the first YA movie that I'm actually looking forward to seeing.
I remember watching the cartoon series on HBO some years ago and it was really good.
All right Travis, this is about enough.
First you dis Beowulf, which I can understand since it is a bad poem with a lot gaps in the story line written in an incomprehensible language, but hell, not all writing is perfect.
But now you dis Tintin, the holy of holies of my childhood. But worse, like the piedpiper you lead your unsuspecting and wholly ingenuous but innocent flock on One Rung Etc into following your footsteps into sacrilege.
Well, just see it this way...
You have the your past. I have your kids' attention right now, so who's going to have the future?
I bet one day one of your sons when they are in high school says, "You know, Dad, I'm really into Beowulf" That would be poetic justice, pardon the pun.
And you know who's going to be at the door handing them a copy of my book?
My last word on this is you ought to keep that one-toothed, old goat handy.
He's going to get a well deserved work out one of these days.
I never read these but the movie looks kind of interesting. I will have to get one and give it a try. I still read kid's stuff. I'm not mentally much older than a kid anyway.
Have a great holiday, Travis. Have never read Tintin but it sounds great.
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