TVTropes Now available in the app store!
Open

Follow TV Tropes

Following

The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn

Go To

KnownUnknown Since: Jan, 2001
#201: Feb 23rd 2013 at 6:40:17 PM

Who's been making a big deal over it?

Wackd Since: May, 2009
#202: Feb 23rd 2013 at 6:42:08 PM

Most of the Internet, though not so much now that this movie's gone and they have the sequel to doomsay about. It's the first thing pointed out by any diehard fan calling Adaptation Decay—second, perhaps, to the motion-capture.

edited 23rd Feb '13 6:42:45 PM by Wackd

Maybe you'd be less disappointed if you stopped expecting things to be Carmen Sandiego movies.
KnownUnknown Since: Jan, 2001
#203: Feb 23rd 2013 at 6:52:52 PM

Though this movie is in my top five favorite movies, and I love it just as much as I do the stories, I will admit there is quite a bit of Adaptation Decay.

But as always the internet latches onto the wrong things to gripe about - the most noticeable (and important) decay isn't in the lack of the Bird Brothers (or the way it's animated - I mean, really?), since Sakharrine replaced them so fully. It's in things like Tintin's characterization and the way the story proceeds (it's a lot more streamlined, less quirky/nuanced mishaps and things going on in the background) - it makes it a different kind of story, more of a straightforward adventure film (which is in no way a bad thing), but definitely doesn't make it any worse.

Again, it's a wonderful movie.

edited 23rd Feb '13 6:53:39 PM by KnownUnknown

Wackd Since: May, 2009
#204: Feb 23rd 2013 at 6:57:33 PM

[up]I see your point about the way the story is told, although unless you're doing straight comedy Random Events Plot is kinda hard to pull of in film so it's forgivable.

I'm wondering, though, what was your issue with Tintin's characterization? Is it just the simple fact that he has some?

Maybe you'd be less disappointed if you stopped expecting things to be Carmen Sandiego movies.
NapoleonDeCheese Since: Oct, 2010
#205: Feb 23rd 2013 at 7:06:56 PM

In the comics, I always felt Tintin was kind of a Pinball Protagonist, while in the movie he seems to have more of a saying in where the plot is taking him. Not that much, but that's the impression I got.

KnownUnknown Since: Jan, 2001
#206: Feb 23rd 2013 at 7:17:18 PM

It's not an issue, particularly, it's just a noticeable change.

The best example of it is the scene where Tintin confronts Haddock after he's robbed by Allan - that and the scene right after where he almost gives up made me retroactively notice how serious Tintin is in this movie. He's very driven and always gives off a kind of an intense but also very grounded vibe, like he's always trying to be in control of the situation. A lot of his dialogue - while not exactly sardonic - is sharper than one might expect. In general the film files off much of his more wide-eyed-but-not-naive precociously curious traits from the comic for a more single-minded Determinator.

Not that the comic version is any less of a Determinator (far from it), but more that the film noticeably emphasizes that as the major aspect of his personality - which makes sense given that the plot itself is more a straightforward, tensely progressing adventure. Herge seemed more interested in giving him more of a "innocent but adventurous young lad" feel, and the end result is a lot lighter (and a bit more idealistic a character, not that the film Tintin isn't still something of an idealist) while still being a fervent adventurer.

^ And that's part of it (as well as the way the plot progresses - rather than things happening to the protagonists all the time with them surviving due to their own wit and a lot of luck, the protagonists are often trying to get the plot to happen themselves) - comic Tintin is very much a character who is casually curious about interesting things around whim, who often finds himself in huge situations without even realizing the smaller incidents he's investigating are bigger than they seem to be, while film Tintin dives into exposing everything around him almost immediately after catching a scent.

Again, just a different kind of story.

edited 23rd Feb '13 7:21:16 PM by KnownUnknown

KnownUnknown Since: Jan, 2001
#207: May 22nd 2013 at 6:10:05 PM

I just found this, found this from about a month ago - actual news about the progression of the sequel.

IMDB has it listed as Prisoners Of The Sun, but I haven't found anything else to support that yet. Especially since they have more plot connected with the Unicorn to go through (probably the majority of Red Rackham's Treasure they skipped over), it doesn't really seem right.

edited 22nd May '13 6:10:26 PM by KnownUnknown

TheGunheart Some nights I rule the world (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
Some nights I rule the world
#208: Jun 6th 2013 at 8:44:48 PM

Oh sweet, I was worried it didn't do well enough to get a sequel greenlit.

RLNice Bigfoot Puncher from a computer Since: Sep, 2010
Bigfoot Puncher
#209: Jun 7th 2013 at 5:28:17 AM

It didn't do that well in the United States, but it actually did make a good profit overseas.

A fistful of me.
zam Since: Jun, 2009
#210: Jun 7th 2013 at 7:29:56 AM

[up] I never understood that. Here I am an American no knowledge of the original comics and yet when I sawI really liked it. Even if Tintin is basically a blank slate compared to the Drunk Captain.

Mort08 Pirate AND writer! from Oklahoma Since: Feb, 2011 Relationship Status: Shipping fictional characters
Pirate AND writer!
#211: Jun 7th 2013 at 10:53:06 AM

I think most Americans liked Alvin and the Chipmunks 3 more.

Looking for some stories?
CobraPrime Sharknado Warning from Canada Since: Dec, 1969 Relationship Status: Robosexual
Sharknado Warning
#212: Jun 7th 2013 at 11:18:30 AM

I feel sad about the state of the entire country then,

edited 7th Jun '13 11:18:44 AM by CobraPrime

kyun Since: Dec, 2010
#213: Jun 7th 2013 at 11:36:24 AM

I haven't seen the third film, and already I know it's the worst of the 3. Two reviewers I read about claimed it was the worst.

Ghilz Perpetually Confused from Yeeted at Relativistic Velocities Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Barbecuing
Perpetually Confused
#214: Jun 7th 2013 at 6:14:28 PM

Even if Tintin is basically a blank slate compared to the Drunk Captain.

In all fairness, the movie gives Tintin more personality than the books do.

Tintin in the book is sort of really bland. Like here he's at least given a barebone motivation for adventuring (Being a reporter and thinking it's a good story) and actually gets mad at Haddock's drunkenness.

edited 7th Jun '13 6:16:08 PM by Ghilz

RLNice Bigfoot Puncher from a computer Since: Sep, 2010
Bigfoot Puncher
#215: Jun 7th 2013 at 8:57:23 PM

[up]Well, Tintin does mean "nothing".

A fistful of me.
KnownUnknown Since: Jan, 2001
#216: May 26th 2014 at 10:02:56 PM

So I go to deviantart (my first mistake, I'm sure) to look up some Tintin fanart, and discover to my horror that Tintin/Haddock is a thing. AAAAUGH!

Anyway, I've been speccing about what they might do for a sequel again. Wikipedia says they're not going to start working on it until Peter Jackson gets done with the Hobbit movies (so we're not going to be seeing it for a while), but it's still fun to think about. The next movie is definitely going to do part of Red Rackham's Treasure, but while it's still a fun read (it's my favorite of the stories, I think) it's not really full movie material. I'd never call it mundane, exactly, but it is very basic and not very plot heavy.

But the fact that the film is one massive composite of a bunch of stories made me wonder if the Red Rackham story might segue into another one - like maybe they're at sea searching for Rackham's Treasure when they stumble across a smuggling operation, and suddenly the whole thing turns into Crab With The Golden Claws (though I kind of doubt they'll use Salaad again, so maybe not) or The Red Sea Sharks. Or maybe in trying to bring part of the treasure to a museum they stumble across a murderous mystery involving a mummy and Seven Crystal Balls - Wiki does claim that they might be saving Prisoners of the Sun for a third film.

One thing's for sure, we're probably going to see characters inserted into plotlines they weren't originally majorly involved with in the comics (I'm thinking mainly of Calculus here) - so the sky's the limit in terms of what they can do in that regard...

edited 26th May '14 11:41:05 PM by KnownUnknown

KingKix Typing the internet since '90 from Dante City Since: Jun, 2013 Relationship Status: 700 wives and 300 concubines
Typing the internet since '90
#217: May 27th 2014 at 6:33:59 AM

If not plot heavy, that could mean they can add a little more of an original plot line within without it effecting the main story.

Isn't there a trope for that?

Dakota's blog An odd agent of justice
CobraPrime Sharknado Warning from Canada Since: Dec, 1969 Relationship Status: Robosexual
Furienna from Örnsköldsvik, Sweden Since: Nov, 2013
#219: May 27th 2014 at 7:44:00 AM

I never understood that. Here I am an American no knowledge of the original comics and yet when I sawI really liked it. Even if Tintin is basically a blank slate compared to the Drunk Captain.
Tintin was really popular here in Sweden back in the '70s and the '80s, and Belgium can still use their comics as a tourist industry. But still, it never made it on the American market. As for Tintin being a blank state, well duh! The guy is an Ideal Hero to such an extreme, that he can be seen as a Purity Sue! That's why he needed more interesting friends to make the stories entertaining.

KnownUnknown Since: Jan, 2001
#220: May 27th 2014 at 1:19:34 PM

I just realized that it's possible they wrote Allan out of the plot the way they did in order to give him an easier "in" for future appearances. At least, it's a possibility.

blkwhtrbbt The Dragon of the Eastern Sea from Doesn't take orders from Vladimir Putin Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: I'm just a poor boy, nobody loves me
The Dragon of the Eastern Sea
#221: Jun 16th 2016 at 1:16:21 PM

What's this I hear about a sequel?

Say to the others who did not follow through You're still our brothers, and we will fight for you
DrDougsh Since: Jan, 2001
#222: Jun 16th 2016 at 1:35:16 PM

I don't know, what did you hear? Given how long they've been quiet on that subject, I'd gotten the impression they'd scrapped their plans for a sequel.

blkwhtrbbt The Dragon of the Eastern Sea from Doesn't take orders from Vladimir Putin Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: I'm just a poor boy, nobody loves me
The Dragon of the Eastern Sea
#223: Jun 16th 2016 at 1:50:44 PM

nnnnnnnnnnnNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Say to the others who did not follow through You're still our brothers, and we will fight for you
TargetmasterJoe from Velocitron Since: May, 2013 Relationship Status: I like big bots and I can not lie
#224: Jun 16th 2016 at 3:16:26 PM

[up] Calm yourself, boy.

I'm fairly certain that Tintin 2 is still lurking somewhere in the heads of Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson, but the two are more preoccupied with other bigger projects. I know Spielberg is in the middle of doing Ready Player One, and Jackson is probably still taking some R & R after doing The Hobbit, part 3, so don't fret.

Now what have you heard, fellow Troper?

blkwhtrbbt The Dragon of the Eastern Sea from Doesn't take orders from Vladimir Putin Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: I'm just a poor boy, nobody loves me
The Dragon of the Eastern Sea
#225: Jun 16th 2016 at 3:18:59 PM

Just that there would be a sequel. I had heard it was to be released this(2016) year, but that was early in 2015. I haven't heard anything since.

Say to the others who did not follow through You're still our brothers, and we will fight for you

Total posts: 266
Top