The opening credits of Steven Spielberg’s motion capture
animation The Adventures of Tintin is
probably the most exciting opening credits since the same director’s Catch Me If You Can. The title designs
are similar, both based on the classic Hollywood work of Saul Bass with
spritely jazz compositions by the great film composer John Williams. His Tintin opening theme highlights such
instruments as are not often heard in orchestras, but which lend themselves
credibly to the time period (1930s) and setting (Europe) of the “Tintin”
stories. Amid the fluttering flutes, dancing clarinets and staccato brass we
hear accordion, harpsichord and bells all featured prominently. It’s a sequence
that offers the promise of excitement and adventure to come. It’s been a long
time since I had that feeling in the first moments of a movie. Unfortunately,
what followed turned out to be a slight letdown.
