Made for TV, Made for Film

Recommend: TV series, by a wide margin. The movie was mediocre. Spielberg turned Tintin into Indiana Jones of the Crystal Skull vintage, not the Raiders vintage. He has some success with the endless stream of action sequences, but loses the essence of the character in the process.

The TV series sticks closely to the original books and I found that to be much more satisfying. They make small changes from the books, but it's a faithful adaptation that looks and feels like the Tintin books that I love.

Recommend: The Book! The movie is mediocre, the mini-series is a disaster. All in all, this classic of sci-fi literature has not been treated well by any screen adaptation. I haven't even dared to watch the follow-up series based on the next two books in the series. Just read the book and enjoy it.

Recommend: Neither, to be honest. Both are mediocre efforts.

Recommend: TV, definitely. The 1980 movie was mediocre, despite a talent heavy cast. The TV movie was much better, even though it took some liberties with the story.

Recommend: TV, by a small margin. The series is just outstanding but the movie is no slouch either. The series wins just on the basis on length, allowing the story room to breathe, while the movie still does a great job of capturing the essence of the story. Actually, just watch both!

Recommend: Movie, by a small margin though. The TV series isn't too much longer than the movie, so it doesn't gain a decisive edge there. The movie is just stupendous in it's direction and acting (it's directed by Ang Lee, after all) and just has you captivated.

The TV series is served well by the excellent source material and it's unquestionably well made, but it comes across as a poorer (and longer) version of the movie. The increased length should have added some richness to the story, but the events of the story and their portrayal remain more or less the same.

Recommend: TV Series, by some margin. The series has twists, turns, intrigue, sub-plots; just a lot more richness than the movie. The movie is well acted and directed, but it's not the gripping experience that the series is. The only reason to watch the movie is if you're a fan of Russell Crowe, he's always excellent.

Recommend: Both! For different reasons though. Both the movie and the series are excellent. The movie is a tight, gripping thriller, while the series takes it's time, but explores the details of the story in a more satisfying manner. Both of them, remarkably, have very similar story-lines, even though they focus on and omit different parts of it.

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