THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN: THE SECRET OF THE UNICORN
The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of The Unicorn, directed by Steven Spielberg and produced by Peter Jackson, is, largely, an exemplary animated film. It is visually stunning, with numerous quaint details to tantalize and amuse—look out for a very cute scene involving some canaries. It is also almost entirely faithful to the original comics; there are only minor attempts to bring a modern touch of irony or self-awareness to characters so intensely earnest it seems like it just might be a joke. This is not necessarily a poor choice, but it does make the film feel embarrassingly dated in its discourse at points. Ultimately, what works about The Secret of The Unicorn far outweighs what doesn’t, and the opening credits are astounding. (LH) ***1/2
