Visually dazzling, but lacking as a film

Rating: Null/10 (31 October 2011)

I went into Tintin with great expectations, I intentionally ignored any trailers or reviews as I wanted to go into the film without any prejudice, unfortunately the film did not live up to my expectations, worse than that, I found it to be an utter bore.
First though, the positives. The film is visually spectacular, it's vibrant, detailed and just a joy to behold. The characters are designed wonderfully, almost like they were ripped out of the series and placed into a 3-dimensional world. The 3D, if you decide or are forced to watch it in the format, is great for the most part. There are some shots that stood out as looking spectacular in 3D, in particular a long corridor shot on the ship really impressed me.
The direction is also great, throughout the many set-pieces in the film, Spielberg's hand guides us through these scenes with flair, and you can tell he's taken advantage of the format with some wonderfully creative shots.
On to the negative, and in my opinion they outweigh the positive.
The film feels jumbled and at times I felt like I was dragged kicking and screaming into the next bombastic and usually unnecessary set-piece. There were so many chases, escapes and battles there was never going to be time for character development, let alone a story that could be told well. Let's not forget that this film will be an introduction to Tintin for many people, and action fans will lap it up. More discerning film- goers with a desire for something a little more substantial will leave disappointed.
To me, one of the most important parts of the series is the relationship between Haddock and Tintin, and it is not well developed in the film, a real missed opportunity in my opinion. The film really dragged, which was a huge disappointment for me. I was relieved once it was over, but I hope it makes enough moolah for a superior sequel to be made.