Dec 23, 2011 By Lou Gaul calkins Media Film Critic 3 min read

With credits such as “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” “Raiders of the Lost Ark” and especially “E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial,” Steven Spielberg is known as a director extremely in touch with his inner child.

Considering Spielberg’s reputation, “The Adventures of Tintin,” based on the vintage French comic-book series, seemed a perfect match for his talents.

Without a doubt, the $130 million production, which is available in 2-D and 3-D, contains a few moments of wonder capable of sweeping children of all ages off their feet, but for the most part, the energetic picture seems best suited for 10-year-old boys who like nonstop dizzying action.

New Zealand filmmaker Peter Jackson (the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy), a longtime “Tintin” fan, signed on as producer and gave the production an additional energy burst.

In “The Adventures of Tintin,” which often plays like a junior-league “Indiana Jones” adventure, a young reporter (played enthusiastically by British actor Jamie Bell of “Billy Elliot”) and his faithful canine companion, Snowy, become involved in an international quest. The two seek three scrolls leading to a treasure that can be anywhere in the world.

Daniel Craig (“Quantum of Solace”) plays the villain who believes Tintin has stolen the treasure. Andy Serkis, who has previously played incredible motion-capture characters in the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy (as Gollum), the great ape in Jackson’s “King Kong” remake, and Caesar the revolutionary chimp in “Rise of the Planet of the Apes,” creates a veteran sailor, Captain Haddock. The old salt consumes so much alcohol that the film sometimes appears to have been financed by a brewery.

The story line means little, since the thrust of “The Adventures of Tintin” comes down to keeping the young journalist going in forward motion as he’s covering the globe. Although young boys may be happy to go along for the ride, there’s no emotional hook to grab general audiences, who may feel the cinematic experience offers too many stops and starts.

Postscript: Tintin was created in a 1929 Belgian newspaper by 21-year-old one-named illustrator Herge (aka Georges Remi, who died in 1983). The film is based on three adventures – “The Secret of the Unicorn,” “The Crab With the Golden Claws” and “Red Rackbam’s Treasure” – from the series that has sold more than 350 copies in more than 80 languages.

FILM REVIEW

“The Adventures of Tintin”

Grade: B-

Starring: Jamie Bell, Daniel Craig and Andy Serkis; produced by Peter Jackson, Steven Spielberg and Kathleen Kennedy; screenplay by Steven Moffat, Edgar Wright and Joe Cornish, based on “The Adventures of Tintin” by Herge; directed by Spielberg.

Running Time: 107 minutes.

Parental Guide: PG rating (some intense moments for younger children, alcohol consumption).