Tintin: Vol 1

***This is my review for the Tintin volume 2 product. But because they are exactly the same, I have decided to use the same review for this volume 1 product. The only difference is the episodes, which differ only in selection. (episodes 1-5 in Volume 1 and 6-10 in volume 2).

First off, I am a huge fan of Tintin and I grew up reading the comic books in middle school. When I heard about the whole series being in DVD format, I was ecstatic! I couldn't believe that my favorite comic book was in an animated series!

A few things you should know beforehand if you are planning on purchasing this volume:
* The DVDs play seamlessly on US dvd players and televisions
* The DVDs are in ENGLISH (with the option of adding english subtitles if you want to view it in its original French language)
* Each episode is approximately 42 minutes in length.
* A canadian animation company created these episodes- so expect more of a 90's style cartoon theme. (hand drawn scenes, low frame rate, kinda authentic look)
* The episodes, scenes, and characters look EXACTLY as they do in the books! It looks so professionally done, that I couldn't even find a minor flaw in the characters' appearances!
* The voices of the non-major characters fit them perfectly, however the voices of the main characters (Tintin, Haddock, Thomson & Thompson, etc) are not quite suited to their character. But that's my own opinion.
* This is volume 1/2 that you are buying. It is the only US-compatible set that is being sold on the market! Volume one is also sold by amazon and has a blue cover around it.
* On the same site you may find a "box set" of volume 1 and 2 on amazon (over priced and not sold by amazon)- those are not US region compatible and they are more expensive. The only difference is that they contain individual episodes per disc, and can be played in Europe. This listing for volume 1 has 10? episodes on 3 discs (dual layered dvd) (front and back).

So with that said, now you know what you are getting when you buy the 1st volume of The Adventures of Tintin!
Although, the animation is no Hanna-Barbera production. The frames aren't seamless, and yes, you will see some blurriness as the scenes (frames) transition. But it doesn't ruin the viewing experience at all, I must stress that! It is very seldom at times and is not very noticeable. If anything, it enhances the film by increasing its vintage look.

The voices are very well done. Though the main characters' voices don't match my preferences, they sound well done for a cartoon. No half---ed job, where its just thrown in for the English speakers. It was actually well cared for and given special attention. The characters' mouths from start to finish match the phrases they speak. And each characters' dialogue is EXACTLY how it appears in the books! Its like reading your comic book as it comes to life in front of your eyes. The scenes and dialogues in the films are so accurate to the nearest plant leaf in the background. You will not be dissapointed I guarantee it! So kudos to the Canadian animists for being accurate.

In some reviews I've read over the animated series (volumes 1 & 2), there are complaints that there is no way each Tintin story could be fit into a 42-minute cartoon. Well, if you think about it 42 minutes of a commercial-free, comic book-into a cartoon, episode is really quite long! Sure there are scenes that don't include a few frames that you would read in the comic book, but on the other hand, the animators are trying to make this into a nicely flowing movie. It would completely detract from the viewers experience if they saw the screen focus on the captain's beer bottle for 3 long seconds and then transition to snowy drinking the puddle of beer for 3 more seconds, and then the screen panning out to some minor character participating in an obscure act. It has to be flowing and relevant to the storyline. And I believe that's exactly what the animators captured with each episode.

And it should be common sense by now that movies created from books will not retain every single scene or insignificant action as written in the book. There just isn't enough time (or relevance) to do it.
I did not feel cheated by these episodes, and felt rather satisfied with my purchase! I highly recommend buying this volume 1 set if you are looking to add value to your movie collection library!
Enjoy!

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"The Adventures Of Tintin, v.1 & 2"
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These animated cartoon adaptations of the much-beloved Tintin comics books are surprisingly good. While there's a higher level of detail and craftsmanship in the original books by Herge, these cartoons capture the essence of the stories and stay true to the tone (and text) of the books, and hit many of the same comedic notes. The animation is simple but effective, and the "live" action aspect brings something new and fun to the stories -- the cartoons don't have the same immersive, mesmerizing effect as the books, but they are fun and won't disappoint most longtime Tintin fans (or their Tintin-fan parents!) Also nice is that each episode is presented in both English and French versions, which is a great educational tool for anyone who wants to learn French. The voiceovers are generally good, although I think the French voice actors are better (Captain Haddock, in particular) and the graphic design is strong, taking its cues pretty closely from the Herge originals. One downside is that the faithfulness to the Herge books means that many of the borderline racial stereotypes remain intact as well; if it's a concern, you can talk your kids through it, otherwise, if you've read the books, you know what to expect.

In a world awash in poorly-conceived, clumsily executed adaptations of great works, these cartoons stand out as gems -- exciting, engaging and amazingly true to the source material. Definitely recommended. (Joe Sixpack, ReadThatAgain children's media reviews)

This set equates to seasons one and two of the cartoon series... It is has BOTH English and French as the spoken language(you select this before the episodes even begin)...Subtitles are also included... This is just as I remember watching this show as a kid... Kind of silly but in a fun way... A great way to use your imagination.... Well packaged DVDs... The first disk is one sided and has a label, the other dics are two sided with no label(only down side to the whole thing)... So be very careful to put them back in the case when you are down, as both sides of the disk have episodes on them... Sound and picture quality is above average for an older TV show to DVD transfer.... Voices and music match up perfectly... Great buy... Glad to see them bringing all these old cartoons to DVDs for us... Next up on my list... MASK the cartoon!

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