Yes, The Adventures of Tintin is very similar to Raiders of the Lost Ark. Yes, that is a good thing.

Like Raiders, Tintin has a timelessness and charm that absolutely beguiled me. The movie is set in a timeless Europe, but not in any real country. It could be London, Paris, or whatever that city is in Belgium. This looseness with geography follows the entire movie, as Tintin travels from vague Europe to vague North Africa in search of a legendary ship. Along the way, he encounters strange characters, mysteries, and danger at every turn. Tintin is a Boy Scout, and not the most interesting character in his own movie. He is a very entertaining detective, though. And, he is frequently upstaged by his dog Snowy.

The script shows a tremendous love for the world of Tintin, and brings a lot of humor to the table. The script had a first draft by a pre-Doctor Who showrunning Steven Moffat, and was finished by Edgar Wright and Joe Cornish. The screenwriting credits alone were enough to convince my wife to watch it.

The characters are interesting and complex, with deep reserves of funny. The most obvious example is Andy Serkis as Haddock, the incredible drunk. Serkis overacts with a glee that brings joy to my bitter, crusty heart. Jamie Bell is very competent as the titular Tintin, and works very well with his sidekick Snowy, played by a dog-shaped wire prop. Daniel Craig just disappeared into the mysterious Sakharine.  

As an interesting side note, I forgot several times that this movie was animated.

Now, I have subtly hinted once or twice, but this movie shares its DNA with Raiders of the Lost Ark. The result is a big action movie with truly inventive stunts and effects, which never puts the action in front of the characters. This may or may not make it as a classic, but I had an exceedingly fun time watching this movie, and isn’t that what movies are supposed to do?