THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, February 14, 1995 TAG: 9502140057
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY CRAIG SHAPIRO, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Long : 109 lines
BRINGING BOOKS to the screen is tricky. For every ``Jaws'' and ``The Godfather,'' there's a ``Bram Stoker's Dracula'' and ``The Bonfire of the Vanities.''
So Tintin fans will be glad to know that the two adventures of the boy reporter due today on video, ``The Secret of the Unicorn'' and ``Cigars of the Pharaoh'' (Sony Wonder, $12.98 each), is that rarity: a true adaptation.
This is harder than it sounds. The 24 cartoon stories created by Georges Remi - known the world over as Herge - from 1929 until his death in 1983, have been translated into more than 50 languages and sold more than 185 million copies. They aren't your run-of-the-mill best sellers.
``A lot of the artists here are keen Herge fans,'' said executive producer Michael Hirsh of Nelvana, the Canadian company that, with a French partner, developed the series. ``He had been an inspiration to a lot of contemporary artists, (so) we felt it was important that we deliver on those classic artistic sensibilities.''
Deliver they do. Both tapes look like they were taken directly from Herge's books. In ``Unicorn,'' Tintin pieces together a puzzle that puts him on the trail of buried treasure. ``Cigars of the Pharaoh'' takes him from Cairo to India when he uncovers a diamond-smuggling operation.
In fact, he gets in more scrapes than Indiana Jones (Steven Spielberg once held the rights to Tintin and was considering a live-action story). He's fought counterfeiters and smugglers; when he came to America in 1932, he captured Al Capone. He's been to the Middle East, China, Tibet, Scotland and South America. Tintin did the moon walk 15 years before Neil Armstrong.
The series was developed for HBO and now airs on cable's Nickelodeon. It's been shown in more than 70 countries; in America, though, Tintin is hardly a household name.
``The books are widely sold in the United States and widely read,'' Hirsh said from his office in Montreal. ``But compared to American comic books, they're obviously not the same genre or format, so they always look distinctly European. I think the U.S., along with Japan, have been the hardest sells.''
Which is a cue: Find the books (they're sold at better bookstores). Kids will love their color and sweep; adults will appreciate Herge's eye for detail and historical perspective. The tapes capture that same timeless spirit.
``I think Tintin has the appeal of the Hardy Boys in a sense: the empowerment of a teenage kid who gets involved in these massive adventures that have cosmic consequences,'' Hirsh said.
``It's that same empowerment of the child that's so modern about Tintin and maintains his popularity. Very few literary and comic-book properties really empower children like that. It's a concept that's much more modern.''
New this month
A trio of feature-length movies arrive on the small screen.
``Little Giants'' (Warner, 1994) is ``The Bad News Bears'' and ``The Mighty Ducks'' in a football helmet and pads. Still, it works for the same reason. A bunch of politically correct underdogs form their own team and prove Vince Lombardi was wrong. OK, you don't need a score card. It has a comfy, small-town look, and Rick Moranis and Ed O'Neill give good comic performances. (PG)
Likewise, ``Andre'' (Paramount, 1994) could be dubbed ``Flassie,'' seeing as how it's a hybrid of ``Flipper'' and ``Lassie.'' Based on a true story, Andre is an orphaned seal pup that blows a mean raspberry. He also changes the life of his adoptive family and teaches an ornery fisherman to lighten up - meaning the humane message sits easy. Coastal Maine looks inviting. (PG, due Feb. 21)
Kids and grown-ups will have fun with ``The Little Rascals'' (MCA/Universal). It starts off a little too sweet but soon hits its stride. Credit Penelophe Spheeris, who pulls off the same trick she did with ``Wayne's World.'' Travis Tedford and Bug Hall are genuinely funny as Spanky and Alfalfa. And try keeping tabs on all the cameo appearances. (PG, due Friday)
C'mon, squash has more personality than Barney - reason enough to consider ``The Adventures of Dudley the Dragon'' (GoodTimes, $12.95 each). This Canadian import, a close cousin to ``Sesame Street,'' is as clever as it is topical. Oscar nominee Graham Greene plays ``Mr. Crabby Tree,'' while ``Dudley and the Genie,'' with playwright/poet Sky Gilbert, makes a point about energy conservation. There's plenty here for the kids; adults will dig Sammy the Frog singing ``The Frog Without a Bog to Swim in Blues.'' Dudley is the most.
February's other dragon is more familiar. ``Puff the Magic Dragon'' (UAV, $9.99) is an animated spin on the song by Peter, Paul and Mary. The point is learning to face new situations without fear, and Jackie Draper does just that with the help of Puff (voice of Burgess Meredith). Due Thursday, along with ``Puff and the Incredible Mr. Nobody.''
If you haven't caught ``Bump in the Night'' Saturday mornings, ``Mr. Bumpy's Karaoke Cafe'' (ABC Video, $12.95), a set of song segments, is a riotous intro. Mr. B is a green monster with purple warts who eats socks and sings like Little Richard minus the high notes. The stop-action is state of the art. Think ``Gumby'' set on the spin cycle - good, clean fun.
Animation really isn't the point in ``Tales of Beatrix Potter, Volume 2'' and ``The Velveteen Rabbit'' (F.H.E., $12.98 each). Instead, these familiar tales are built on strong storytelling; the former courtesy of Sydney Walker, the latter from Christopher Plummer. Both are no less captivating. (Feb. 22)
Also from F.H.E.: ``Tales of Beatrix Potter,'' ``Here Comes Peter Cottontail,'' ``Norfin Adventures: The Great Egg Robbery,'' ``Will Vinton's Claymation Easter,'' ``The Turtles' Awesome Easter'' ($12.98) and ``A Family Circus Easter'' ($9.98)
Finally, a tour of the solar system is the field trip du jour in ``The Magic School Bus Gets Lost in Space'' (Kid Vision, $12.95), the popular PBS series making its video debut. Besides learning how many Earths could fit into the sun and why you can jump higher on Mercury, the class learns to get along with the new kid. Also: ``The Magic School Bus for Lunch.'' ILLUSTRATION: PARAMOUNT PICTURES
Toni (Tina Majorino) teaches her pal, an orphaned seal pup, some
remarkable tricks in the soon-to-be released ``Andre.''
by CNB