Billions of blue blistering barnacles!!!

My first Tintin comic was happened to be “The Secret of the Unicorn”, when my aunt passed her legacy of Tintin collection to me back in the early 90's. As a huge fan of Tintin, too bad she will no be able to see it in the big picture (she passed away this year, may she rests in peace). Since that first experience with Herge comic series, I became hooked up and starting collecting them all. I remember I read the Unicorn continuation, “Red Rackham Treasure" years after, since I was not able to find it anywhere (by then, I managed to complete my Tintin set).

And it was a very exciting news to see this legacy and one of the world most celebrated character (outside US of course) to be transferred into the big screen. The names involved are no small feat, Spielberg and Jackson, (they'll take turns on directing) along with WETA and a bunch of great writers ranging from Steven Moffats ("Sherlock" TV series), Edgar Wright ("Shaun of the Dead", "Hot Fuzz", "Scott Pilgrim"), and Joe Cornish ("Attack the Block"). To use live actors and animation has always been a conundrum into how to appropriately put Tintin in the big screen, although previous attempts was made (and it was awful). Seeing the trailers was already giving me some worries, especially in the CGI and story department. Firstly, I was afraid this will turn to be another "Polar Express" or "Beowulf" catastrophy, where they missed out the inhuman facial and eye emotion. Secondly, how they can make Unicorn to be a great and exciting movie and won't end up be a total boring and flat storytelling still remains a big question from me. Lastly, most important thing, how they will be able to design and put 'personality' into all the virtual/3D cast, plus a white dog.

Fortunately, it turns out that Spielberg and the team did a truly great and satisfactory job! The CGI (using famous motion capture technique ala "Avatar") was splendid, awesomely rendered, flawlessly and sharply animated, even Snowy is believable and you'll like him a lot (too smart in many several scenes, and easily lost control because of a cat and sandwich). Spielberg geniously opens the movie with 2D silhouette (remember "Catch Me If You Can"?) with amusing John Williams' piano music background introduction to transfer the viewers from the comic into his animated world. Then, the most clever part was revealed (I won't spoil it here) when he seamlessly changed the 2D into 3D. Tintin and Snowy, in almost 'real' life condition. Well done, Steven, I fell in love with the movie already. 

Now onto the next part, story telling. I must tell you upfront, this Tintin is a combination of at least 3 stories, Unicorn and Red Rackham Treasure for the main plots, and the injunction of Crab with Golden Claws as a mean to properly hook up Tintin and Haddock. Tintin loyalist might be well dissapointed, but for others, I think it turns out to be decent, especially with he very fast pace of story telling, these different plots were placed one into another appropriately. You'll get lots of action, crazy chasing scenes, awesome ship battles (way much better than "Pirates of Carribean"), and not to mention Bianca Castafiore tries to rip off both Haddock and Snowy eardrums (yes, she is in the package).

From casting point of view, Jamie Bell and Andy Serkis did a marvelous job on portraying the main characters, especially Serkis, where he made Haddock is the main star and scene stealers, as in the comics, complete with all the swearing and drinking issues. Serkis is truly an expert on making virtual characters into a 'personality', and with memorable and strong performances from Gollum, King Kong, Caesar, and Haddock, he should have an Oscar already!

Daniel Craig is a good addition as the main villain, while I have some dissapointments with the world most bizzare Interpol twins. No offense for Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, they are both talented and super funny comedians. It's just that the jokes and slapstick acts from Thomson and Thompson have only 50% hit rate, leaving only few memorable funny lines. Calculus, a more bizzare persona, is absent on this one, a sign which Jackson will attempt to exploit him for the next installment.

“Secret of the Unicorn” does no wrong as a family and entertaining flick, especially for the fans. Some parts were a bit bland, and common viewers might expect more action and explosions. Yet, this is Tintin, no superhero, no superpower, no hot chicks, no gadgets, just a young fella with common sense and thirst of adventures. A fairly good role model for kids, don't you think? This one also boasts technical innovation in animation, yet still lack of better storytelling. Nevertheless, Spielberg and Jackson will have no trouble on selling out the sequels, since they have done a marvelous job on capturing our Tintin imagination into the big screen. 


My Review: 8.5/10

Super 8 is Superbly Good...

Plot:

Joe Lamb (Joel Courtney) and his sci-fi gang freak are making an amateur zombie movie. Since they need a female character for the movie love interest, they recruited Alice (Elle Fanning), whose father was involved in a freak accident costing the life of Joe’s mother. Thus, this band of kids were shooting a scene in a railway station, when a train had suddenly derailed and causing havoc in the neighbourhood. Apparently, there is ‘something’ in the cargo which belongs to the military, and it was set loose in Joe’s small town. Accidentally recorded the whole train crash thing, these kids notice strange happenings going around, and begin to investigate it. Local deputy, Jackson who happens to be Joe’s father (Kyle Chandler) has to deal with the town anxiety and uncover the creepy truth behind all this catastrophe, after people starting to went missing.

Review:

It’s been a full year since that incredible train-crash trailer hit up the screens, left many people with imaginations on the new J.J. Abram’s project. Fear no more sci-fi and movie geeks! Super 8 is here, the waiting time is over! And believe me, it’s totally worth every damn penny and your time. Go to the cinema and catch it!

Foreword, J.J. Abrams is a truly gifted director and writer. I happen to follow some of his previous works, from TV (Alias and Lost), and his big screen flicks (M:I 3, Cloverfield – as producer, and most notably, Star Trek reboot), and I must say, he has a bright future ahead. Abrams seems like creates this thing from the heart, as if it’s a personal project from his childhood dream. Backed up by the maestro Spielberg, Super 8 is an emotional movie about friendship and characters dealt with love and loss, all wrapped up with the secretive creature as the backdrop story. Master of story-teller and quite comfortable with big special effects, Abrams is also capable of displaying the heart and arousing the audience with his ‘wow’ factor.

Watching Super 8 brings out the sci-fi memories of 80’s flick such as E.T, Close Encounter of the Third Kind, and the Goonies (one of Spielberg’s triumphant period). Using the children (unknown stars except Fanning) as the main character reminds me of the classic Stand By Me. The whole monster/alien character and the train crash is the engine for a greater emotional plot. There are many relationships between characters which are explored by Abrams, 2 single fathers with their children, a circle of besties, and not to mention a triangle crush affair between the kids. If you watched the incredible Korean The Host, I can probably say Super 8 got some influences from it, since The Host also focusing on the family issues, and even the monster didn’t show up early.

Abrams and Spielberg are people who are able to maintain the secrecy surrounding the whole movie. Even we don’t have a clear picture of what’s really happening on the trailer. I guess their objective is to gain people interest not just by showing off the monster/creature, but also they try to sell the story simultaneously. In the end, I got more than what I’ve expected, and trust me, Abrams still has lots of thing hidden in this flick to throw into your amazement.

One of his great skill is to bring out the unknown actors. Courtney, the lead kid, truly shines in all scenes (mind you, this kid has all the burden in order this movie to be successful). What even makes it better, the chemistry of Courtney and the so talented (and gorgeous) Elle Fanning is so spot on and astounding. I mean, after watching this, who does not love Elle Fanning? The scene when she faked the zombie thing toward Courtney was so cute. Who’s Dakota again? Another great cast must be the Joe friends of amateur movie maker team. The hilarious Riley Griffiths as the director and not to mention Ryan Lee as the pyromaniac/fake zombie kicks me out for lots of laughter. Probably the best kids’ movie since Stand By Me, I really amazed on how these kids acting look so real, natural, and so bound together despite the insanity of the situation they are trapped within. All I can say, it’s been rare since Hollywood is able to produce a mature movie with a bunch of kids with it.

On the technical side, I gave my thumbs up on how a $50 million movie can come up with a fantastic, net, and efficient CGI usage. The train crash is probably one of the craziest scenes due to its level of insanity. And Abrams’ trademark is back with his signature lens flare and shaky camera techniques. He uses them a lot, but don’t worry, you won’t be left nauseating or having glare issues. They worked perfectly and adequately well.

However, I mentioned above that Super 8 is kind of homage of 80’s flick. The lowdown, there’s nothing new from Abrams here, feels like he’s making a some kind of tribute (a proper one, of course) for Spielberg’s magnificent movies back on that 80’s era. All those emotions and experience of watching Jaws, E.T, or Close Encounters are brought back by Abrams. Suffice to say, if there’s anyone who is capable to fit in Spielberg’s shoes, look no more, Abrams is the perfect guy for it.

Super 8 perhaps is not a movie for all viewers, the first half-hour may bore some, and the weak ending may leave you a bit disappointed (like me for one). Abrams successfully builds up the tension and suspense, but pity the paying off doesn’t go well. But for me who have lived through 80’s movies, reminiscing the old era in this modern flick brings some excitement which I haven’t felt in recent Hollywood movies. It’s fresh, something different, and not your ordinary monster movie. Last but not least (not trying to be paedophile), I gotta say, I have a crush on Elle Fanning.

My Review: 8.5/10