The Adventures of Tintin

Having not read much Tintin in my youth, I went in pretty much not knowing much about Tintin, his dog, or the 2 investigators, Thompson and Thompson. So I think the script doesn't quite do their introductions to a new audience much favor in the film, but even with the quick visual cues of Tintin's past adventures, and his journalistic zest for uncovering mysteries. But once the films gets going, you could tell Spielberg was having a ball with being able to move the camera's eye all over the place in an animated CGI film environment, which produce quite a few thrilling sequences through the film's plotline.

I think some of the "Uncanny Valley" aspects of CGI animated characters still persists, but mainly for Tintin himself, but for the rest of the characters with more exaggerated features, the animation works well. There's just something with the eyes that doesn't always seem believable to me, but it's a very small quibble, as the rest of the visual work and mo-cap by the actors exhibited in the film is quite appealing.

Plot-wise, it's a hodge-podge of dramatic adventure film-making relying on more of the flashier camera movement than the actual plotline itself, lots of flash, not as much substance.

I give it 2.75 stars, or a grade of B-.