Captivatingly Sentimental in the Best Sense

Rating: 9/10 (22 May 2012)

I found this to be incredibly engaging. I don't know where some of the venom is coming from. When people decide what a movie is supposed to be before they see it, aren't they setting themselves up for disappointment. Also, it would seem that it also shows a lack of much imagination. I found the character of Hugo to be incredibly complex and diverse. He does have a quest. It's to get answers to questions that have defined his life. He meets wonderful characters as they slide through the masterfully created milieu of the train station. There are forces out there that could send him off to the most dismal of existences. This has all the charm of the best children's books that I seen when I go to the library. The artistry is there. I suppose if you are expecting Narnia with a bunch of pseudo-religious manifestations, you will certainly be disappointed. This is like saying that you didn't like Gone With the Wind because there were no space aliens. Also, it gave life to a mystical figure, George Melies. I remember seeing that spaceship hit the moon in the eye and thinking how rapidly the artists adapted to the invention of film. I would hope you would not be put off by the nay-sayers. This is a neatly crafted cinematic experience from beginning to end.