A madcap swashbuckling adventure

Rating: 9/10 (13 November 2011)

First off, I must say what a pleasure it must been for me personally to see this fantastic film ahead of the United States. Usually the traffic is one way from that direction to the rest of the world.
But enough of that.
What an adventure! As someone who grew up reading the world of Tintin, I must admit I had serious concerns how anyone can pull this off without alienating the fan-base. How wrong I was! In the capable hands of Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson, this dynamic duo has managed, against all odds, to bring the spirit, character and that "X" factor of Tintin from print to screen so seamlessly.
And the 3D, my word, the technology is brilliant. Forget the fear of leaving the cinema with a headache because the visuals were crisp and out of this world. At times, you'll really believe you are watching a real person rather than an imaginary one. The script was well written so it does not matter if you do not follow the series or know the characters because as the film progresses, you will slowly learn of them.
Finally, the success or failure of any animation depends on the voices behind the various characters. Amongst this talent pool of voices, the absolute standout performance for me must be Daniel Craig. He delivered the correct level of charm and menace in his vocal delivery as the chief villain. It was as if he studied all the villains from the Bond archive and reproduced it here. An excellent performance indeed.
So I am awarding this film full marks.