Tintin!

(Warning: this post will be extremely effusive and have little to do with writing. Don't say I didn't tell you.)

Yesterday we celebrated my birthday with homemade pizza, store-bought cannoli, and Redbox-rented Tintin. Tintin is sort of a birthday tradition with me, as when I was a kid, a good family friend used to send me a new book every birthday. I remember the first time I read The Secret of the Unicorn... As I recall, I was perched up in a tree most of the time.
So I've been waiting to see the movie since it was nothing more than a rumor. But as I mentioned recently, I don't find the time for movies very often. As a birthday present to myself, however, I rested. I took a nap with the baby. I let the lunch dishes sit until dinnertime. I read half of Insurgent. As a special favor, God even broke my vacuum cleaner, so I couldn't clean the floors. (Okay, maybe I broke it, but the billowing smoke and rumbling made it seem dramatic enough to be God.) And we rented a movie.
I'd forgotten how wonderful Tintin's humor is, and was pleasantly surprised how well they captured it in the film. I couldn't quite turn off my writer brain, and was fascinated by the visual way in which the humor was conveyed--great for graphic novels and movies and nearly impossible in a regular novel. (It helps you understand why graphic novels should exist.) Initially, I was unsure of the animation style, but I ended up liking it a lot. (The facial expressions were amazing.) And the acting was superb--every voice was just as I imagined it, except--oddly--Tintin's. I'd always imagined him sounding a bit younger, but it didn't really bother me.
My favorite moment of the night was when Lucy asked us why Captain Haddock was acting so funny, and we told her it was because he had been drinking too much alcohol. Her eyes widened and she said frantically, "I don't want you guys to ever drink any more alcohol!"
Okay, done bubbling. If you need a rest or a good laugh, go rent Tintin. :) (And read the books!)