Steven Spielberg has long been a fan of the internationally popular Belgian / French comic strip “The Adventures of Tintin,” and finally has directed a movie adaptation of the same name. It is fast-paced, almost absurdly energetic, with enough action, intrigue and death-defying silliness to satisfy anyone who likes his Raiders of the Lost Ark style of filmmaking. Yet it is hollow, contrived and artificial, too, lacking much of the charm that made the Indiana Jones adventures so memorable.

My issues with the film center on its source and its visual style. The comic strip dates back to the 1930s, written and illustrated by Hergé, a Belgian artist (Georges Remi) who made Tintin a popular figure in France. Evidently Spielberg and Peter Jackson (who produced the film, and who plans to co-direct a second Tintin adventure with Spielberg) admire the young blond reporter to such a degree that they had to make a movie about him. Using the comic strip as a basis, this dates the film in terms of its actual story (treasure hunting), and as what we, as a modern audience, can draw from it. Frankly, I found the film uninspired. Its story, while extremely energetic, is so old-fashioned as to be antique, with no female characters of any importance and a rather dull, bland hero.

Its visual style is strange, too. It is highly realistic, yet cartoonish at the same time. The film’s look reminded me of The Polar Express, which is another movie where the animated people look, well, creepy. Motion capture technology has come a long way (see Avatar) but even state-of-the-art efforts like this one still leave much to be desired. Tintin looks the best, but Captain Haddock and the two bumbling cops are much more cartoonish (and buffoonish). The film itself follows in Spielberg’s visual tradition, but is so filled with action — especially during one particular chase sequence late in the story — that it is sometimes difficult to follow, or to appreciate.

Tintin is not really for young children, either, what with its alcoholic Captain Haddock. It is probably best as an adventure for adolescents, who are accustomed to the feverish pace that the film sets and who may not mind its absurdities. Tintin could have used larger doses of humor, too, although Snowy the dog is adorable. However, given any access to Mr. Spielberg, I would have tried to dissuade him from making this movie. I don’t see the relevance of the character or the story, and it seems to me that he has been wasting his time. ✰ ✰.  8 Jan. 2012.