'Tintin' star: Tintin is a beacon of excellence

It's not that family-friendly movies these days don't have nostalgic appeal - see, "The Smurfs" summer box office dominance - it's that those throwback theatrical releases often still carry a 2011 sheen - see, "The Smurfs" summer box office dominance, and note that it was in 3-D.

But with Steven Spielberg's "The Adventures of Tintin," his animated take on the beloved Belgian boy reporter whose adventures author and illustrator Herge chronicled to the delight of the young and old, star Jamie Bell argues that the message, at least, keeps it old-school.
The character Tintin, 25-year-old Bell told CNN at the movie's L.A. premiere this week, "is a hero but he's not a superhero. You know, he doesn't rely on all these really special powers or advances in technology to make him great; he's great because he just is. And I think that's a great message for kids."

Bell, who plays the curious, adventurous lead, continues that Tintin is "very much a beacon of excellence. He's intrepid, and he's really old-fashioned as well, and I think that there's something about that mix. Especially bringing Steven Spielberg into this, who is a great traditionalist when it comes to his action adventure films. I think that quality makes this a great family movie."
See for yourself when Spielberg's "The Adventures of Tintin" opens December 21.