Watching a movie in the target language works differently for different people. As a pure beginner, it has limited utility. It probably works for Chinese people learning English because those people already learn English through school. Their difficulty is a lack of listening skills to relate to the lessons they have had. Once a Chinese learner can pick up the sounds and connect it to the words, their comprehension and speaking should shoot up very quickly. On the other hand, a non-Chinese speaker with no experience of Chinese is going to be much slower with progression. Of course, the complexity of the dialogue is a factor, so that cartoons and programmes targetted to the very young will be easier for a new learner of Chinese (and probably quite boring!). I agree that the pinyin and tones are essential. Don't be too impatient about leaving behind pinyin and tones. Listening to dialogue initially helps train your ear to hearing different sounds and tones rather than understanding the dialogue.

I agree with Shawn. You should probably start with basic pronounciation first. That is the pinyin system and tones, and how to properly pronounce words. True, it can be dry, but it doesn't help to know words, if no one will understand you. Almost every Chinese person I've talked to in my town has responded by something like "wow, I can understand you, unlike other Americans who I've heard speak Chinese". It just shows how important this can be. After that, I'd start learning start learning basic vocab, and grammar. The best way to do this is debatable. I sort of followed the method of "fluent forever" to do more complicated grammar which involved making anki flashcards which test word position, and usage, and stuff. But this is more than I can really explain in a single post. I'd go find some language learning blogs to show you the ropes :)

It seems to me a good idea to join an accredited Chinese course, so that you will have guidance from a qualified teacher, a structured syllabus, approved and recommended textbooks (so that you don't end up with a grammar textbook that is beyond your level) a system of regular assessment, and peer support from fellow students.

Hello Katya I suggest that you should start from mastering the tones and pin yin.

I used to have the same problem when I tried to learn English. But things changed when one of my friends recommended me to watch some English movie. Ever since then my English skills have improved a great deal. So maybe you should do the same, you know, watch some Chinese movie or talk to a nativespeaker. Best wishes.