Written by Edgar Wright, Joe Cornish and veteran television writer Steven Moffat (Sherlock, Dr Who, etc), the film remains faithful to Herge’s creation. However it draws upon three adventures – including the 1943 story The Secret Of The Unicorn, along with Red Rackham’s Treasure (1944) and The Crab With The Golden Claws (1941) for its material.
The story itself sees the quiffed, perennially youthful adventurer set out with his faithful dog Snowy to find The Unicorn, a long lost ship, and its buried treasure. When Tintin buys a model of the ship at the local market he finds himself targeted by the sinister Mr. Sakharine who resorts to murder and kidnapping to get his hands on the fabled treasure. Tintin discovers that there are three maps, all hidden within three model ships, and he needs to get his hands on all three in order to find the hidden treasure. The action itself races at break neck speed through a series of cliff hanger encounters that recalls Spielberg’s earlier Raiders Of The Lost Ark, and has that feel of the old Saturday afternoon serial.
Jamie Bell (from Billy Elliott, etc) voices Tintin and breathes life and energy into the character. There is fine support from Andy Serkis, who brings humour to his role as the alcoholic Captain Haddock. Daniel Craig is menacing as the villainous Sakharine, while Simon Pegg and Nick Frost add some slapstick humour as the detective duo known as the Thompson Twins.
