Tintin Forums

I ordered the box set of the Ellipse-Nelvana series on DVD while I was away in the Philippines, and having just returned to Vancouver, I've had a chance to watch a few of them.

They used to play here in the 1990s on SRC, the French version of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, though back then my French wasn't nearly as proficient as it is now, so I never made too much of an effort to watch them.

But this was actually the first time I'd ever seen them in English. And I have to say: Tintin's voice in English is driving me nuts.

For those of you who are thinking, "Oh, I know, it's because they gave him an American accent!" that's not what I'm getting at. First off, his accent is almost certainly from eastern Canada. (And as a West-Coaster, I'm pretty much referring to anywhere but British Columbia).

But it's more the fact that he sounds like he's reading his lines (the French version is far more natural) and he also sounds like a character on a show designed for pre-schoolers. Too slow, too simple, too telegraphed. Yes, it's a cartoon show, but c'mon... make the guy sound intelligent!

The French Tintin does not have a Québécois accent, even though the series was a France/Quebec collaboration (and in theory it would parallel his Ontarian accent in the English version). It would have been quite fun if he did, but nevertheless the francophone voice-actor (who doesn't seem to get credit anywhere!) sounds much more like the Tintin I always imagined in my head when reading the series.

I also take issue with Jolyon Wagg's voice, but we'll save that for another day. :)

I actually thought Tintin's voice was done well. I didn't find it condescending at all. Tintin's voice in the Belvision videos was absolutely terrible. Although I have heard a few people on forums saying Tintin sounds slow and simple-minded. But I have no problem with the voice. Maybe I should watch them again to make sure?

At first I was dissappointed with Tintin's voice, as I thought it was American and said to myself "GROAN, yet more Americanisation of successful European stuff", but now I realise it isn't actually American so it doesn't seem so bad. I can't imagine Tintin's voice any other way now.

I think all of the other voices are perfect, particularly Captain Haddock and Castafiore.

At first I was dissappointed with Tintin's voice, as I thought it was American and said to myself "GROAN, yet more Americanisation of successful European stuff", but now I realise it isn't actually American so it doesn't seem so bad.

Even if it was, though -- just because Tintin talks like he's from suburban Toronto really shouldn't make it "better" or "worse," and a U.S. audience likely wouldn't notice anyhow -- it's not really fair to criticize on the basis of nationality alone. Tintin is a Belgian, and really a translation into any English dialect -- including a U.K. one -- is still a change from the original. (I know that the English translators set the adventures in England, but isn't that an even bigger change than a voice?)

By the way, inasmuch as Haddock really is British (as discussed in other forums), shouldn't his Canadian accent strike more ire into the hearts of Europeans than Tintin's translated one? :)

(Actually, all the English voice-actors appear to be Canadian... even John Stocker and Dan Hennessey, whose Australian <? at least it sounds that way to a Vancouverite ?> rendering of the Thom(p)sons is an amusing change).

In the animated cartoon, in any event, there doesn't seem to be such a move to England. In The Crab with the Golden Claws, an assailant wonders aloud about Snowy, "Where did you come from?" Tintin, popping up from underwater, replies "Brussels, originally!"

My criticism really is the unnatural way he talks, not the accent. It just smacks of pre-school programming to me ("Gee, I wonder what thiiiiis iiiissss? Wait a minnnnnute!") And he also struggles heartily with all foreign names (Mits-a-ha-ra-toe, Ray-mawn) which is something an intelligent globetrotting reporter ought not to do. (All the voice-actors do this, unfortunately... "Mike" Kanrokitoff?)

Granted, these cartoons are clearly intended for a younger audience than the albums are: the politics are all but gone (though curiously not in the Blue Lotus), the plots are simplified (to the point where they sometimes don't really make sense), characters are removed, and melodramatic action sequences have been added... I do enjoy them, but I'd enjoy them more if they were a bit more all-ages, I suppose.

One other note: while watching The Calculus Affair -- an example of one story which was changed quite unnecessarily, actually, as Cuthbert is not kidnapped until much later -- I noticed a difference in the English and French renderings which makes the English translators look a little careless. (I tend to watch parts of them in French, for the aforementioned voice reasons).

When Tintin and Haddock realize that the train to Nyon is about to leave, in French -- as in the book -- Tintin states that they've missed it, and asks the cabbie to take them to Nyon. In English, he mysteriously asks the cabbie to take them to the "train station." (Cornavin Station is across the street from the Hôtel Cornavin in Geneva... this is both true in real life, and stated in the album). Surely Tintin and Haddock must have been surprised when he starts driving to Nyon instead! :)

I think it's like this whenever a comic book character makes the jump to animation. You picture the voices one way but they percieve them another. It took a long time for the E-N voices to grow on me after hearing the origanal Belvision ones.

When they made the Beanos Dennis the Menace into a cartoon his voice still drives me nuts

Rik

I don't as such mind the voices in the Ellipse-Nelvana series - that was how I was introduced to Tintin, as opposed to through the books. I would like to have had Tintin as having an English accent, though, or a real soft French accent (not like the Gaulish accents in "Asterix in Britain" or Inspector Clouseau).

When they made the Beanos Dennis the Menace into a cartoon his voice still drives me nuts

And in a weird coincidence, the chap that played Dennis the Menace - Richard Pearce - also played Tintin in the BBC Radio adaptations.

I'm an Australian and Thompson's voices don't sound Australian to me. I first read the Tintin comics and then saw several episodes on tv. I always associated Tintin with that voice and the Belvision voice just clashes with it. I think they should have retained the Captain's love for alcohol, its just not the Captain without them!! Also some of the scenes do seem to be dumbed down, like car chases or whatever. Although, I have to say this series is a huge improvement on the Belvision ones!

I think the Thompsons' voices sound more Cockney than Australian to me, but not a true Cockney accent (see "Eastenders"). Still, I'm used to their voices now, and they sound fine to me. The Belvision Thompsons sounded a little ... flamboyant ... to me (as did Tintin when I first heard him in "The Calculus Case", although that voice has grown on me a bit now).

I can't imagine the Belvision cartoons having been screened at an exhibition like "Tintin at Sea", to give people a taste of the adventures. One glance and they'd be bolting like rabbits.

it's not really fair to criticize on the basis of nationality alone

Don't get me wrong, I've got nothing against American stuff- they produce the world's best TV right now-it's just that it does seem that they dominate the television and film industry to such an extent that a lot of good British/European stuff becomes Americanised. Despite what I thought (I was only young) to be an American accent, it didn't taint my enjoyment of the show at all.

inasmuch as Haddock really is British (as discussed in other forums), shouldn't his Canadian accent strike more ire into the hearts of Europeans than Tintin's translated one?

Just goes to show! I didn't think that his accent was Canadian. It sounded generally old sea-doggy, if there is such a thing. There seems to be a lot of difference of opinion on what the accents of the various characters are; I guess that most of them are open to interpretation which isn't a bad thing.

Just goes to show! I didn't think that his accent was Canadian. It sounded generally old sea-doggy, if there is such a thing. There seems to be a lot of difference of opinion on what the accents of the various characters are; I guess that most of them are open to interpretation which isn't a bad thing.

Well I only know for certain because I know all the voice-actors in the English version of the series are Canadian (though the French ones are all European), but we do have our fair share of sea-dogs here in Canada, especially on the east coast. :)

An American viewer would never realize that these are Canadians per se (nor would most Canadians for that matter, nor would I expect a European or Australian to pick out that subtlety), I just meant that the Ellipse-Nelvana Haddock clearly isn't from England... :)