What a total nostalgia trip!

Rating: 7/10 (26 October 2011)

I had many off the "Tintin" books when I was a kid, and fondly remember the Sunday morning cartoon. So was super thrilled that Steven Spielberg off all people was tackling a movie version.
First off, the fact that this movie is 3 off the original stories mixed together will probably not please everyone. But I welcomed it as a way off bringing these characters too the big screen, and in a way that is familiar but not exactly the same as I remember. The thing this film had going for it over everything was its nostalgia, and it still had many moments that provided that, even if it was truly trying too fit a little too much into the one movie (I'm pretty sure there's a fourth original story mixed in here somewhere but I'm not entirely sure!)
This new "Tintin" movie has more than a whiff off "Raiders of the lost arc" about it, which will also divide audiences. I however liked that it was as if Spielberg was back on familiar turf, and bringing this character to life in a way he, as well as others would off envisioned it anyway. Indeed, there is so much talent involved in this film, it's hard to imagine anyone not admitting too how well made it is, even if they do disagree with its direction. Spielberg does a terrific job, and the voice actors are all amazing. Yes, even Andy Serkis as a "Scottish" captain Haddock. Daniel Craig especially though, is surprisingly ace as the villain off the film.
Film is action packed too and is actually funny. I don't quite remember laughing as much at the old cartoons, even though they were at times attempting to be funny. My greatest fear was that the totally irritating Thompson twins would ruin the movie. But someone here has made the right decision off not having them in the movie much, but having them in there a little as it wouldn't be the same without them for many I'm sure. The same can't be said for captain Haddock however, who gets a serious amount off screen time, perhaps even more than Tintin himself. Heck, you could even say this was a "Captain Haddock" movie, not a "Tintin" one.
All off the films cons seem too be outweighed by pro's however. There's even no faulting the "charmless" motion capture animation, as the film is often trying too be as amazingly visual as possible, and for the most part - succeeding. I can't help but think that there is perhaps too much action though. The original cartoons were never as far fetched as this adventure un-ashamedly is . There are many "cartoony" moments that seem un-fitting, and some off the over the top spectacle has clearly just been thrown in there in an attempt too impress us with ever more tiresome 3D.