Steven Spielberg Films The Adventures of Tintin

Steven Spielberg's The Adventures of Tintin has delighted many children since its release in 2011 but I have a very personal reason why it is a film that I love.

When I was teaching in a London high school back in 2000 we were honored by a very secret visit from Steven Spielberg, it was so secret I still wonder if it actually really happened!

The amazing thing was that we had no idea why he came to visit. Our school wasn't a very 'good' school, in fact it was rather famous for all the wrong reasons! Our school was made up of children who spoke 45 different languages. It was a vital and very interesting place to work, but there were other 'better' schools that could have been chosen for a visit from such an important film director.

This is how it happened. The school day had ended and a handful of older kids were asked to wait in the library. He arrived in a huge black very shiny car, was whisked to the kids and asked them about their experiences of being young, foreign and recently living in London.

He stayed for about an hour, and then, just as mysteriously as he arrived, he got up and left.

We were all totally amazed by his visit because it came out of the blue, it was a bit like a dream, and after he left the kids were thrilled and very excited because they'd had a close encounter of the truly incredible kind!

I am such a fan of Steven Spielberg's films! His great works such as Duel, Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, (I bet everyone remembers the first time they saw that film. I couldn't wait till my son grew old enough so that I could watch him enjoy it the way I did!) Jurassic Park, Schindler’s List - the list is very long indeed.

When I took my son to the cinema to see The Adventures of Tintin I knew it would be a terrific film, but I was not prepared to be transported right into a living and moving comic book!

Watching the movie was like being on a mind-blowing adventure holiday! The 3D effects totally blew us away! I had never seen a 3D film before, so I was totally fascinated by the whole experience.

I have read many Tintin stories with my son, who has most of Herge’s books, and perhaps the idea of mixing three together may disgruntle staunch fans, but my son was sitting on the edge of his seat, and when I looked to my left, so was my husband!

When I think back to Steven Spielberg’s visit I feel a real sense of pride because our kids were so full of praise for our school. But, it was deemed to be failing and, after months of protest from kids, teachers and parents, and just a few weeks after Spielberg’s visit, it was closed down.

I don’t suppose he was never told about its closure, and I wonder why he visited us in the first place. But I know that he would have been impressed by the warmth of our kids who saw beyond the neglected and broken down building, and into the hearts of their hardworking and dedicated teachers who were eventually sacked!

Spielberg talked to our kids with such respect. I am happy knowing that he has touched thousands of kids with this brilliant animation of these classic adventure stories.

If your kids haven’t seen it yet, then I thoroughly recommend Tintin. It would make a brilliant party film. And they should also read the books of course!

I can highly recommend these books, although they are smaller than the originals and you may find the print hard to read, my son has no difficulty at all. He has read them many times.

Did you read The Adventures of Tintin when you were a child or do your children read them? Please leave a comment. Thanks very much for visiting.