Tintin was always a more 'serious' read, however, the satire and social commentary which the books contained was no less hilarious than what was on offer in that little Gaulish village. There is no real point in comparing the two,  as it would be like trying to chose a favourite grandparent.

I am as of yet unconvinced that Peter Jackson's imminent Tintin movie will capture the true essence of the stories, because as this documentary shows, they were very much a work of their time. Hollywood already owes a lot to Tintin, with many adventure films, in particular the Indiana Jones series, borrowing heavily from the plot points and structures used in several of the books.

This is an extremely moving and informative documentary and will benefit and delight anyone with even passing familiarity to Hergè and that inquisitive reporter that he devoted his life to telling the stories of. Backgrounds of characters and situations are explained, and the origins of Hergè's desires and influences are detailed like never before, including a very emotional reunion with his old mentor. A rather heartbreaking experience to witness.

So, for any kid who ever spent a day off school, with a hot chocolate and a stack of Tintin books beside his bed, take an hour and let yourself revel in the delights once more.