How do young children respond to the new Tintin movie?

I took my kids (age 6 and 7) to see the movie in the theater. I wasn't sure how they'd take it since they don't go to the cinema much. I didn't need to worry. They LOVED it. And so did I.

The story was very good. And it was pretty faithful to the original material. My kids are discerning critics in this field, since I've read them the Tintin books for awhile. They recognized the various story lines. And enjoyed seeing them dramatized. But the moviemakers introduced new elements to the narrative that helped with the exposition of the story. (Sidenote: Although I admire Herge, the creator of Tintin very much, he was not always the best storyteller. Somethimes he allowed the main story to drag while he pursued subplot too far... I'm looking at you Thompson Twins). The moviemakers corrected this deficiency by focusing on the main plot. Their efforts kept the story moving at a good pace without sacrificing the essential nature of the Tintin universe, if you know what I mean.

The storytelling was well done. The girls followed the narrative. This might seem like a silly observation, but when you're an adult watching a movie with children, it's nice to able to watch the movie, as opposed to explain plot points all the time to your little ones. In other words, the story was clearly told so that a young child was able to follow along. At the same time, I never felt as though I was watching a silly kids movie. The moviemakers retained the sophistication of the original material. (Another sidenote: Tintin dealt with mature themes for its day - heroin smuggling, oil embargoes, human slavery, and Western fear of the Orient -- ever notice how many books deal with the Middle East in general and Arabic culture in particular? Herge obviously had a deep fascination for the Middle East).

Other reviewers have commented about various other aspects of the film. I just wanted to address how kids I know received it.