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 (Belvision/Dargaud Films/Madman)
Early Tintin animation unearthed before Spielberg and Jackson make it all mo-cap
Originally produced in 1969 and 1972 respectively, Prisoners Of The Sun and Mystery Of Shark Lake were the third and fourth feature-length animated adaptations of the popular comic book series revolving around the adventures and exploits of the multi-talented reporter Tintin and his motley crew of companions.
From a purely technical perspective, it would be easy to assume that both of these films were the product of a much more recent generation, especially due to the smoothness of the animation and audio, and the imaginative variations and duplications of the original panels in the series. However, these attributes are purely the product of a production team who went above and beyond. For those who are not fans of the Disney-Pixar style of pseudo-3D animation, it is a breath of fresh air to see such professionally delivered 2D animation raised from obscurity and being allowed to take pride of place on the shelf.
 From a storyline and cultural perspective Prisoners Of The Sun closely follows the original Herge comic, allowing the viewer to revisit the story in a more personal manner. On the other hand, Mystery Of Shark Lake combines the minor elements of any number of stories and a little original thought to create a reasonably new adventure for Tintin to sink his teeth into (albeit without Herge’s input). Put simply, if you loved the comics, you will love these films.
Interestingly, both of these films raise questions regarding the untold daily life of Tintin and his friends. Based in a time where lifestyle choices were often kept quiet, Tintin’s circle of friends and associates are conspicuously all male and in both these films he remains oblivious to the fairer sex, preferring the company of a sailor without a boat and a small fluffy white dog. Whilst these facts may be pure coincidence, the question remains open. Of course, such idle speculation does nothing to detract from the magic that was inherent in the books and also in these films.
With all this in mind, it is easy to say that both adaptations are absolutely essential for anyone who read these books in their youth and also leave the viewer thinking that maybe there was a little more social commentary in these innocuous children’s stories than we all first thought.
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PATRICK PERRIER
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