Entertainment : From the Front Row of the Balcony: \'Tin Tin\' has lots of action, little heart

Only eight people saw "The Adventures of Tin Tin" at the Vinton Palace on Monday.

I was one of them.

I have not read the Tin Tin books, but I figured I owed it to my profession to see a movie about a reporter.

The beginning was promising; it reminded me of the old electric machines without self-correcting ribbons that I had to use in the only class I ever flunked: Typing. While watching the introduction to the movie, I realized that without the computer technology brought to our generation by Steve Jobs and Bill Gates, I would have written far fewer stories in my lifetime.

But the rest of the movie, for me, was boring.

I know, I know: Most people disagree. According to Rotten Tomatoes, 75 percent of the critics and 75 percent of the audience (that means that of the eight of us at the Palace Monday, only one other person did not like the film) gave it a positive rating.

The movie's credits include some of the most successful names in Show Biz. Spielberg. Daniel Craig.

But big names don't always mean big success. Remember Michael Jordan playing baseball, or Garth Brooks as Chris Gaines. That's how I felt while watching the movie.

The animation is great (the 3D was unnecessary, I thought), but the story was weak, unclear and uninspiring. I think the same thing of most action movies, however. You will probably like it more than I did.

"What begins as a bracing adventure yarn for kids of all ages descends into a charmless, increasingly chaotic last half that leaves you feeling pummeled rather than energized," wrote critic Richard Knight. I agreed with other critics who said the film lacked emotion and inspiration.

The Story

Tin Tin is a reporter living in London in the 1930s. He has already uncovered many world secrets in his years in journalism. He sees a replica of the ship called the Unicorn, and buys it. Two men warn him of the danger he will face if he buys the ship, and they try to buy it from him.

The ship is stolen; Tin Tin's house is ransacked, and he finds a secret message that leads him to begin a quest to find out the story behind the history of the Unicorn, and why people are so interested in the ship now. A pickpocket and two bumbling detectives join the chase, as Tin Tin works with the grandson of the Unicorn's captain to unravel the mystery by finding the two other replicas of the ship left behind by that captain.

Why you should go

The popcorn and Pepsi were the best part of the movie. The animation is good, and there are a couple of laugh out loud moments.

What you should know before you go

If you like lots of action and animation, you will enjoy the movie. If you expect the characters of your animated stories to be as inspiring and humorous as Shrek, Woody or Lightning McQueen, you may be disappointed. The movie is rated PG and includes a depiction of a shooting, but the only blood you see is that used to leave a clue on a newspaper.

The end of the movie gives us a hint that we may see more of Tin Tin's adventures on the big screen in the future. If so, I hope we see more heart in the sequel.