Hugo...3 out of 4 Skittles

Rating: 8/10 (6 September 2012)

LOGLINE: Set in 1930's Paris, a young orphan who lives in the walls of a train station and works maintaining the public clocks within. After an accident kills his father (a short and memorable performance by Jude Law), Hugo works to finish rebuilding an automoton found by his father believing that a mysterious message will be released to him once it is complete.
Hugo is breathtaking, but not because of the over-hyped 3D. Although the 3D is a step above the scores of other movies released in the recent 3D boom, it doesn't rely on the technique to wow the audience. Hugo relies more on heart from John Logan's amazing script and Martin Scorsese's direction rather than on the thrills to be found wearing your cheesy 3D glasses.
Scorcese directing a kids movie seems like a weird move, but the master of telling intense crime dramas handles this challenge with ease. Hugo is not your usual children's tale. In fact, I'm not sure I would even label it as a children's movie. The story may go over the head of the kiddies used to seeing dumbed down garbage such as Alvin in the Chipmunks or Adam Sandler's Jack and Jill. The story line runs parallel to a time when movies were truly a magical escape, and gave the audience a live look into what dreams must look like. With Scorcese behind the wheel, Hugo delivers the same excitement as the first movies ever made.
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