Review - The Adventures of Tintin

In the past, I have been critical of 3D films.
I don't like the glasses; and the worst part is, they make the picture darker - the colours aren't as vibrant and the lighting is dull.  I commented on this when I saw Captain America, and I noticed it again yesterday.

Don't get me wrong; The Adventures of Tintin is a remarkable film.  I love anything by Steven Spielberg; and he has captured this perfectly.

The use of motion-capture technology, to record the movements of real actors, and then transform them on-screen, is really starting to make its mark.  I'm not going to pretend I know anything about the wonders of this computer wizardry; but I will say it is certainly effective.

Why oh why, then, did they then have to go and add the 3D aspect?  Why not just make the film in good old traditional 2D and allow us to see the colours and images as intended.

Indeed, when this makes the transition to DVD; as of course it will; then that release will not be in 3D.

I digress, of course.   The story of Tintin is The Secret of the Unicorn; and the race against Ivanovich Sakharine to the fortunes of the Haddock family; which lie deep beneath the ocean.

Daniel Craig plays the 'baddie' Ivanovich Sakharine, with Andy Serkis as Captain Haddock. (When was the last time we actually saw Andy Serkis on screen?  King Kong; Lord of the Rings, and now this - we only ever see his virtual being!)
Nick Frost and Simon Pegg are terrific as the bumbling Interpol policemen, Thomson and Thompson.
Jamie Bell is great as the titular Belgian journalist.  The story moves at a great pace and the set pieces are well performed (even simulating Indiana Jones for one sequence!)

I have to admit; when the ending was in sight; I was prepared to sit there and carry on - it certainly finished with the door open to the next part of the adventure; I just hope we don't have to wait too long to see it.

If you get the chance to see this on the big screen, you won't be disappointed.

Review - Harry Potter and the Film in 3D

Last weekend saw the final chapter of the Harry Potter story released in the cinemas.

Actually, due to the length of the book; it was released in 2 parts; the first last November, and now Part 2.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows closes the book on seven years of following "The Boy Who Lived" through his trials and tribulations at Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry.

I'm not going to re-tell the story; that's covered in copious other places.

I do want to tell you what I thought of the film.

I'm not a proponent of 3D. In fact, I've written about that before. I believe it's a gimmick; another way for film studios and cinema chains to take our hard-earned cash.  Let's face it, since the majority of us don't have 3D television; only a 2D version of the film will be available to buy on DVD / Blu-Ray.

So - what's the point.

OK - a little unfair maybe; and to be honest, the film was amazing. Fantastic.  It totally captured the essence of the book.  The special effects were incredible and seemed so natural; not surprising I suppose, given the nature of the film.

So, to the 3D - I must admit that it wasn't intrusive.  It also felt natural to watch; as there were no gimmicky "look at this in 3D" moments.

If you haven't yet seen it; then what are you waiting for? 2D or 3D; this is a wonderful end to a beautiful series.