Is The Adventures of Tintin Raiders of the Lost Ark? No, but Steven Spielberg's latest visual stunner is certainly in the same tradition. Based on the Herge comic book series, Tintin spins a fantastical adventure involving reporter Tintin (Jamie Bell) and his search for a sunken treasure. The boyish and highly inquisitive Tintin teams up with a drunk but lovable Captain Haddock and together, the two engage in a journey that takes them from the big city, to the open sea, to the desert landscapes of Morocco. The Adventures of Tintin incorporates the motion capture process (see Polar Express, Disney's Christmas Carol, and Avatar) and this is the best use of the techinque I've seen. When you see this visual marvel, you'll understand why Spielberg and producer Peter Jackson went the motion capture route. Exhausting both visually and verbally (the rapid fire screenplay was penned by Edgar Wright, Steven Moffat, and Joe Cornish--the word play flows as briskly as the action on screen), The Adventures of Tintin is exhausting in all the best ways.

There's been a lot of talk about this film's lack of emotional punch and while it may lack an emotional connection, it should be noted that this is an ACTION MOVIE! Complaining that The Adventures of Tintin has no emotional charge is like saying you weren't moved by a James Bond film. This is a great adventure story. Look no further than a breathtaking chase sequence in the final act that lasts a whopping six minutes without a single cut. And while Tintin takes on the characteristics of a live action movie, it doesn't shy away from venturing into the appropriately cartoonish. Add to this lively performances (Jamie Bell, Daniel Craig, Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, and motion capture specialist Andy Serkis) and a wonderfully animated canine (lovable Snowy), and you have a recipe for a technical masterwork. The Adventures of Tintin is great fun and I can't wait to see it with my kids. See this bad boy in Imax if given the opportunity.

Grade: B+