Spielberg's Return
Since the release of 1993 war feature Schindler's List, Steven Spielberg has been in creative wilderness. Recently, however, I saw The Adventures of Tintin and my faith in the filmmaker has been resorted. Is it his collaboration with Peter Jackson, another cinematic heavyweight, which makes this film work?
Tintin, for the full course of its 140 minute running time, was engaging and fast-paced. Spielberg's use of performance capture 3D does much to heighten the intensity of action onscreen; Tintin and Captain Haddock partner up - along with Snowy - and entertain audiences. Simon Pegg and Nick Frost also voice Thomson and Thompson; they are entertaining as the bumbling, law enforcing duo. The fun and excitement the film is held together by is a nostalgic return to some of his 1970s and 1980s titles.
Like Tintin, films like Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial and Raiders of the Lost Ark were well received critically and fared fine financially. The late 1990s, however, signalled Spielberg's creative decline. Titles such as The Lost World: Jurassic Park , Amsitad, A.I. and War of the World did Spielberg's career no favours artistically. Tintin, however, is an improvement on the disappointment that came with the release of these titles.
The Adventures of Tintin has resorted my faith in Spielberg as a filmmaker. His collaboration with Jackson has proven successful here; the film has won and has been nominated for a string of US and Canada-based film awards. Once again, Spielberg has proven, much like he did in the 1970s and 1980s, that children/fantasy films are his forte. Spielberg has also released War Horse, which has opened to similar critical praise. Maybe this is his return to the magic of his 1970s and 1980s work. Who knows?
By Chris Traficante