'Tintin' isn't quite ready to take over America - msnbc.com

Paramount Pictures

Captain Haddock, Tintin and Snowy are determined to solve a mystery sparked by a clue in a model ship. It's about as exciting as that sounds.

REVIEW

Many European traditions are making their way to our shores. Soccer keeps trying to kick its way onto?our list of accepted sports, and Simon Cowell's brought "The X Factor" to U.S. TV.

But it may take a while longer for a redheaded boy?journalist-detective named Tintin to capture American hearts.

"The Adventures of Tintin" began as a comic strip drawn by Brussels-born author Georges Remi, known as Herge,?in 1929. With faithful fluffball dog Snowy at his side, Tintin and pals, especially boozy Captain Haddock,?travel the world solving mysteries. The character is so popular in Belgium that several museums and cafes are reportedly devoted to him.

Perhaps the charm was lost in the translation. Tintin's honest and loyal?and Snowy's cute as can be, but they're just not very interesting.?Watching the?new "Adventures of Tintin" film is a little like reading one of the duller "Hardy Boys" books -- no one really feels endangered, there's nothing much at stake, and Snowy is the only character you really want to spend time with.

There are elements here that could make this a good kid flick, but too much exposition and a winding backstory about a pirate curse didn't keep the kids at my theater engaged. It's also in 3-D, which didn't seem necessary and doesn't draw you further into Tintin's world.

Some have criticized the look of the characters. They're animated, but motion capture is used so they look almost real. Carrot-topped Tintin looks like Prince Harry was thrown in a blender with a special ToonTown setting. The look is fine for what it is, hearkening back to the character's comic-strip roots, but can't make up for the film's other flaws.

Steven Spielberg directs, and that?creates some hope that?Tintin is to be a junior version of Indiana Jones. But Indy had spark, attitude, and more drama than placing three scrolls together to find lost treasure from a sunken ship. In "Tintin," there's a lot of emphasis on the journey -- the main trio are seen rowing, flying planes, and staggering through the desert -- but not a lot of the adventures promised in the title.

Related content:

View the original article here

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.