Hugo is THE quintessential family film.

Rating: 9/10 (18 December 2011)

It is an atypical Scorsese as far as its appropriateness for all viewers, but it does not lack the quality of a typical Scorsese by any means. The story itself is fictional, but it is loosely centered around the true story of filmmaker George Melies. The story is brilliant, fun, poignant, and a little inspirational. That is thanks to its brilliant cast including spectacular performances from Kingsley, Butterfield, Moretz, and Cohen. With the exception of Kingsley's performance, they are not particularly Oscar-worthy; that's not to understate the good quality they do have, but rather to explain the lack of acting nominations this movie will receive. On the other hand, the film as a whole, in my humble opinion, is worthy of a win Best Picture at the Oscars. Even though it would be the first PG winner since 1986, I believe that its strength in quality and is traditional themes will make it able to get the conservative votes of the Academy. However, it will not win the Golden Globe Award; just wait and see.
Putting all that aside, this film was spectacularly made. It portrays the world in a mechanical perspective, revealing to us that we must be alive for some reason and that we are not just spare parts. Hugo (Butterfield) represents all people who have it rough and find their way to make their way in their world; he, like so many others, perseveres when all else seems to have failed. He holds onto the one thing left from his past to help him with his future because he doesn't know any other way. Hugo goes through what kids do not usually go through. He is forced to take care of himself and try to cope with his solitude.
Also, George Melies (Kingsley), or Papa George, is a has-been filmmaker, who quit his work of "making dreams" through film when tastes of the audience changed after the Great War. Many supposed him to have died, and he set to live the rest of his life as a "penniless merchant" at a train station in Paris. Then he meets Hugo . . .
The majority of the film takes place in the aforementioned train station where Hugo lives in the walls. The highlighted elements in the train station are the Station Inspector (Cohen), a florist, a café owner, a kiosk owner, and book shopkeeper. The miniature plots of these characters are woven seamlessly into the main plot of Hugo and Melies. Scorsese masterfully presents the stages of these plots together and leaves nothing behind.
I highly recommend that you most definitely see it.