Awful

Rating: 2/10 (4 March 2012)

The plot uses 90% of the time to show meaningless actions, and 10% to make absurd and unbelievable leaps in the storyline. There are plot holes (train going full speed to dead end!) and unexplained vital plot points left and right, and all the steps taken seem forced and harsh. Some characters weren't developed at all. It was never explained why Hugo's father had that robot thingy. They didn't even explain how he died. Hugo isn't the main character, by the way. He is just a storytelling device that goes around making stuff happen, with very little development, while the person on the spotlight does very little and has a magical change of heart nearing the end of the movie. Not unlike every other character present, of course. Oh, and whoever Hugo's actor was, he did a terrible job. The sidekick that goes around with him magically becomes best buddies with some random person who threw rocks at her house. Oh, and whoever that girl's actor was, she did a terrible job. The humor is very rare, and cruel when it is there. What I'm trying to tell is that the plot is terrible and the storyline is slow, slow, SLOW. Go to the bathroom and I doubt you'll lose anything important.
The 3D effects are acceptable, but poorly used. The only moment you'll really care about it is when there is snow coming at you. Whee! But in all seriousness, layers are very noticeable during certain scenes. It makes you feel like you're watching a puppet show of paper.
And then comes the question of how this... thing... gets an Oscar. And then comes my answer: I have no idea.