More than two decades in the making, Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson unleash an imaginative thrill ride in "The Adventures of Tintin." While they began filming the epic, performance-capture 3D movie in 2009, the film has been brewing in Spielberg's brain since he optioned the rights in 1983.
The film is based on the globetrotting hero, Tintin, from Belgian comic artist Hergé, who published his adventures for nearly 50 years. It is a triumphant entry for Spielberg into the brave new Weta world of Digital filmmaking. Weta Digital is Peter Jackson's groundbreaking effects studio behind movies such as "Avatar," "Rise of the Planet of the Apes," and the upcoming "The Hobbit."
There is much to rave about with "The Adventures of Tintin," as 2011 marks a year when Hollywood movie brats Scorsese and Spielberg fully entered the digital realm. Beyond a relentlessly thrilling story and new level of digital eye candy, what resonated most about "The Adventures of Tintin" for me was the booze.
Spielberg has taken jabs for being overly sentimental and a heavy-handed moralist. He is an entertainment god living among mortals, but we trust him because he's a boy scout with a big budget. Yet, he has directed some of the best booze scenes onscreen, respectively in "Jaws," "E.T.: the Extra-Terrestrial," and soon-to-be regarded milestone "The Adventures of Tintin."
The irresistibly raucous Captain Haddock is depicted by the Proteus of performance-capture, Andy Serkis, in "Tintin." Proteus is the Greek god of shape-shifting, but fittingly also what Homer called "The Old Man of the Sea." As a sea captain, Haddock's drunken exploits are as much a heroic device as a character flaw. Hergé's Haddock may easily be an inspiration or influence on the mighty sea captain Quint (Robert Shaw) in Spielberg's "Jaws."
Both Haddock and Quint are sailors at heart, heroes to the core, and fueled by booze. E.T. the lovable extraterrestrial is a sailor of sorts, adrift in the cosmic ocean. What truly connects Haddock, Quint, and E.T. is booze, or a moment stimulated by alcohol that bonds these heroes to their fellow characters. Spielberg, moralist that he is, never condones the drink and often even uses characters as a lesson in alcoholism.
Though these scenes show characters worlds apart that overcome their differences through a bit of booze. In "Jaws," the three men aboard Quint's vessel, the Orca, set sail to slay a great white wreaking havoc on Amity Island, but are distinctly at odds. A realist sheriff, an eager scientist, and crazed seaman must melt boundaries separating their intentions. How do they do it? A bottle of booze, songs of the sea, and toasts to "bow legged women."
Now, not to praise underage drinking, but a telekinetic drunken moment bonds Elliott and his new friend from outer space. In "E.T" we first see the psychic bond when E.T. drinks beer at home, which affects Elliott at school. E.T.'s emotions and impressions are mirrored by Elliott's inappropriate actions at school. There's a metaphor to dig up there about how kids inappropriately mirror what they learn at home, but my interest here is that the beer bonds them.
"The Adventures of Tintin" carries this theme while also returning Spielberg as a director infused with heart, humor, and adventure. Captain Haddock is a raging alcoholic and Spielberg uses this these comic antics as a counterpoint to Tintin's goody-gumshoes persona. Haddock learns from Tintin that he can function without his booze baggage, but not without first drunkenly saving the day. When their getaway plane almost crashes, it is Haddock's alcoholism that saves them and Tintin relies on booze for Haddock to unlock the "Secret of the Unicorn."
For Tintin and Haddock, drinking is a necessary evil, but equally bonds their experience as the heroes in "Jaws" and "E.T." What elevates Spielberg from a sentimental moralist is the grim, often life-threatening reality that disguises his films. While they overflow in optimism that good will triumph over evil, a little booze-chugging fuels the adventure and awakens the heroic spirit.
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