Before seeing "The Adventures of Tintin" on the big screen, I knew little to nothing about the main character himself. I did know that he was the main protagonist in a world-famous, Belgian comic series by Hergé, but that was about it. Still, I ended up renting this and delving into the film with high expectations (since this film was, after all, directed by Steven Spielberg and produced by Peter Jackson). Did it prove to be the epic, animated, globe-trotting adventure it presented itself as from the trailer? Well, yes.
In fact, it was one of the most visually stunning and action-packed films of the year. The brilliant motion-capture animation was incredibly realistic, the epic score was highly intense in every scene, and the pacing of the story was swift enough to keep me on the edge of my seat the entire time. But that's not to say there weren't a few issues with the flick that kept me from enjoying it completely. First off, I was just a little bit disappointed that Tintin (Jamie Bell) didn't have that much of a well-developed backstory or any major reasons for us to feel emotionally attached to his plight. Of course we want him to inevitably succeed in the end, but we're never given any firm ground as to why we should do so.
To me, he felt slightly more like a one-dimensional character rather than a fully-realized film protagonist like "Frodo Baggins" or "Indiana Jones". As for the villain of the movie, Ivan Ivanovich Sakharine (Daniel Craig), we barely know anything about him other than the roots of his ancestry and his motive to prevent our heroes from uncovering the secret of the Unicorn, but I guess I'm nitpicking too much. Perhaps the only character I enjoyed watching was Captain Haddock (Andy Serkis). Along with his witty sense of humor and hilariously erratic behavior, I appreciated how he was given a solid enough backstory for me to remember him as a truly intriguing and well-thought out character.
All in all, even with all of its small issues, I thoroughly enjoyed watching "Tintin" as a whole. With its beautifully animated international backdrops, well-designed characters and dizzying, fast-paced storyline, the fully immersed me in its sensational adventure and kept my heart racing at every turn. That being said, I definitely recommend giving this movie a rent if you want to watch a fun-filled mystery-caper with plenty of thrills. It may not be the most accomplished animated feature to come out in the past year, but it's still one hell of a great ride from beginning to end.
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