I am stunned

Rating: 10/10 (29 December 2011)

I was raised on Tintin. When I heard there was going to be a movie, and who was involved in making it, I was filled with a mix of excitement and dread. If there were people who COULD do Tintin justice, this was the right group, but could they pull it off? I saw the previews, and remained skeptical. The animation comes uncomfortably close to the dreaded Uncanny Valley. When the credits started, I had hopes. As I watched the film, I was enraptured. They did it RIGHT! The characters are themselves, the action is thrilling, the humor a mix of slapstick and sharp wit. What impressed me most, however, were the movements. Somehow the film translates the still-panel comic with it's exaggerated stances into motion. I think anyone who knows the comic will see what I mean. It was fresh, new and familiar all at once.
My best advice for someone new to the world of Tintin is to go in with these expectations: 1. The laws of physics are wobbly in Tintin's world. Ignore them.
2. Expect random slapstick and enjoy it.
3. Tintin is Tintin. He is glue of the story that holds the colorful characters about him together. Don't let yourself be disappointed by the unfashionable straight-forwardness of his character. He is what he needs to be.