Hugo (2011)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Anthony L

  
  Hugo wins the award for most over-hyped film of 2011. I liked most of the story, I have no doubt it is a wonderful children's book, it just doesn't come to life very well. The 3D/CGI effects are sickly sweet, it looks only marginally better than a Robert Zemeckis animation,… More
  Hugo wins the award for most over-hyped film of 2011. I liked most of the story, I have no doubt it is a wonderful children's book, it just doesn't come to life very well. The 3D/CGI effects are sickly sweet, it looks only marginally better than a Robert Zemeckis animation, which I can't say I'm much of a fan of. The cast is impressive but none of the actors seem to play off each other particularly well and the kid's performances are the type of overacted Radar taught 'This is how British kids are' crap that I loathe (Also, why is everything British when the film is set in Paris?). Pretty much every scene with them in was overlong and painful. Sacha Baron Cohen can be funny in his style of ad-lib comedy when he's in one of his own characters but Scorsese couldn't have made a worse decision than to let him have full freedom of performance. It's evident throughout the film that he hadn't quite decided how to play the character or even what voice to use. he wasn't very funny either. Georges Méliès was a great director, one of the great fathers of film but this is a very odd tribute. I got the few nods to classic films but I'm not sure they worked as a tribute in any way, in fact most of the time the visuals were just lazy copies of famous images, like the Montparnasse train crash of 1895 that wasn't part of a film but will be remembered by most as an Athena poster, usually adorned in student digs with the words 'Crap!' written above it. Too long, a bit boring and just a bit lazy. I can't say I was that impressed.

• Tired of P

  
  Directed by Martin Scorsese, GK Films, 2011. Starring Asa Butterfield, Chloe Moretz, Christopher Lee, Sacha Baron Cohen and Ben Kingsley. Genre: Adventure, Drama, Family. Question: What gives you purpose and makes you feel like you fit into the world? Well, we all have… More
  Directed by Martin Scorsese, GK Films, 2011. Starring Asa Butterfield, Chloe Moretz, Christopher Lee, Sacha Baron Cohen and Ben Kingsley. Genre: Adventure, Drama, Family. Question: What gives you purpose and makes you feel like you fit into the world? Well, we all have something, at least we should. Think about it. This is the message at the heart of Hugo and I think a pretty darn good one. It shouldn't matter if you are 12 or 72 years-old, we all need to feel like we belong, someplace where we know we serve a purpose or what's the meaning of it all, really? Yes, it's a pretty deep, philosophical thought for a movie that I thought was geared to kids primarily. However, my kids enjoyed the movie and I hope somewhere deep inside they understood what the movie was trying to convey. The story begins with a boy, an orphan, who lives in a train station in Paris in the 1930's. You find out why he is there with a few flashbacks but really the story revolves around another story line which is revealed much later in the film. The boy's name is Hugo and his adventure is to find his purpose or to make sure his purpose is real, but how he goes about that will remain a mystery in this review. There was a great surprise, well for me at least, as Hugo's story unfolded. I really want to say more but, as usual, don't want to spoil it for you. However, on the whole I found the storytelling to be a bit on the dull side. Not sure what happened with it but Hugo ran slow. Even with the part of the story line I really liked, it didn't suck me in as I think it could have. The movie was in 3D and the beginning was absolutely stunning with its effects. When the adventure part of this story was front and center the 3D was awesome. However, the majority of the movie was more of a drama and the 3D lost its luster; and soon I found it annoying to have to wear the glasses. I am not a huge fan of 3D movies, by the way, so for you fans out there I am positive you will enjoy that part of the movie. On a bright note: The boy who played Hugo was delightful, and he has the bluest eyes I have ever seen on a human being. I almost think they may have been digitally enhanced. Anyway, he did a great job on the whole, even though there were parts where the film-makers showed children behaving more like adults than children, and that happened here. I still think he did a good job as the lead character of a Scorsese film. Most children should enjoy this film and I recommend you take them to see Hugo. For adults, sadly, this was not one of Scorsese greatest films. My favorite part: The discovery of the message in the film. There is this great scene on a Paris bridge with Notre Dame in the background between the 2 children. A great line was spoken by Hugo. A great line! My least favorite: Sacha Baron Cohen, I am afraid to say. His character was too much of a caricature for me. Rating: PG Length: 127 minutes Review: 6 out of 10

• Chris W

  
  This was not only Martin Scorsese's first PG rated film in about two decades, but also his first family film, and first time making a movie in 3D. It's an adaptation of a children's book, and this was an interesting project whe nit was first announced. Thankfully, the… More
  This was not only Martin Scorsese's first PG rated film in about two decades, but also his first family film, and first time making a movie in 3D. It's an adaptation of a children's book, and this was an interesting project whe nit was first announced. Thankfully, the results are something truly magnificent, kinda like when David Lynch tried something new (The Straight Story) as opposed to being a failure like Francis Ford Coppola's change of pace disaster, Jack. Set in 1920s Paris, Hugo tells the story of an orphan named Hugo Cabret who lives in a train station and makes sure all the clocks are running properly. He goes on a quest to uncover what he thinks is a special message from his late father, but instead finds himself helping an old man come to terms with his past, with the man happening to be film legend Georges Melies. Since the film is ultimately a love letter to classic cinema, it makes this project not seem so odd or alien for Scorsese. Yeah, it shows him branching out, but at the same time still staying somewhat in his comfort zone, at least as far as some of the material is concerned. It's also a love letter to the handcrafted, and the days when "movie magic" was just that. I loved this film. I didn't happen to see it in 3D, but I could just tell that it was probably used as it should be, and used very well at that. Scorsese isn't the type of guy to tinker with something just for the heck of it. If he does something, it's usually not for some sort of stupid ploy or gimmick. This was all very charming, fun, and innocent, and, even though there is some substance, it did leave me feeling perhas somewhat slighted, and just a tad underwhelmed. Also, Sacha Baron Cohen really played up the comical side of his character. Not that that's completely a bad thing, but I was hoping that for once he would just play a character completely straight, and really go full on menacing and/or serious. That said, he still did a decent job, even if it was nothing new for him. Those are really my only complaints here, and they're not even really big ones. This is a magical and wonderful film. It looks great, the cast (aside from Cohen) are all great, and it's nice seeing Marty change it up (and do it well). If you love heartwarming stories, classic cinema (as in early 20th Century), and Martin Scorsese, then this should be a must see for you.

• Sanjay R

  
  Although I didn't care much for the story, Hugo pays tribute to early filmmakers and cinema altogether, which is a very nice feature of this film. The biggest appeal, however, is the great directing by Scorsese and great cinematography. And not to be overshadowed: Cohen,… More
  Although I didn't care much for the story, Hugo pays tribute to early filmmakers and cinema altogether, which is a very nice feature of this film. The biggest appeal, however, is the great directing by Scorsese and great cinematography. And not to be overshadowed: Cohen, Kingsley, Moretz and Butterfield turn in fine performances.

• Mike S

  
  Fabulously directed and infused with great magic, <i>Hugo</i> certainly files under above-average fantasy fare. I can't say I fully concur with the overwhelming critical acclaim, but it's a pleasant journey to take with an amazingly rich visual pizazz. Martin… More
  Fabulously directed and infused with great magic, <i>Hugo</i> certainly files under above-average fantasy fare. I can't say I fully concur with the overwhelming critical acclaim, but it's a pleasant journey to take with an amazingly rich visual pizazz. Martin Scorsese may be a stranger to this family-friendly genre, but he's certainly no weaker for it, as he plays his new instrument like he's never done anything else. Apart from the endearing leads played by Asa Butterfield and Chloë Grace Moretz, I also took a great liking to the wonderful supporting cast. Sacha Baron Cohen is a little more downplayed than usual (no green mankinis this time around), but quite memorable nevertheless as the tenacious station inspector Gustav. As can be said for Sir Ben Kingsley, who brings a lot of passion to his character, as the old toy-maker Georges Méliès. Not to mention the brief, but excellent performances by Ray Winstone, Christopher Lee, Emily Mortimer and Jude Law. Sadly, not everything runs like clockwork though. While the film is enjoyable all the way, the progression of the plot sometimes drags and loses momentum, which is one of the reasons why I can't allow myself to give it a higher rating than I have. It also feels a tad outstretched and would have done good in leaving out some of the less essential scenes. Another thing I wasn't too excited about is the blue & orange color palettes. It's become a common trend in Hollywood these days to apply these sort of "mood-setting" touches, but personally I think it just serves to diminish the visual impact. An enchanting and painstakingly crafted piece of film-making nevertheless though, that if anything shows that Scorsese haven't lost any of his flairs for heartfelt story-telling. My only regret is that I never saw it in the cinema, as I'm sure the neat 3D-elements would have added a lot to the experience.

• Kevin K

  
  Grade: A (95%) I began watching this film only with the knowledge that Martin Scorsese directed it and it was nominated for Best Picture. I did not know what the plot was about, didn't know who was in it, all I knew was that this was going to be a different type of Scorsese… More
  Grade: A (95%) I began watching this film only with the knowledge that Martin Scorsese directed it and it was nominated for Best Picture. I did not know what the plot was about, didn't know who was in it, all I knew was that this was going to be a different type of Scorsese film. Since he is known for his bloody gangster films (Goodfellas, Casino, The Departed), I knew "Hugo" would be different when I saw the PG rating. Not only is this Scorsese's first kids film, it is also a masterpiece. Hugo Cabret (Asa Butterfield) lives in a train station in Paris where he was taught to wind the clocks before his drunk Uncle decided to leave him. During the rest of the day, he steals from Georges (Ben Kingsley) a store owner in the train station. He uses the small pieces within these items to try to rebuild a mechanical person that is able to write when you activate it. His quest is to unlock the secret within the machines writing that his father (Jude Law) has left behind. Hugo is an orphan who is running and sneaking away from the Station Inspector (Sacha Baron Cohen) who wants to send him to an orphanage. His father died accidentally in a museum which pushes Hugo into finishing the mechanical person that his father left behind unfinished. Throughout his travels and problems, he meets a new friend Isabelle (Chloe Moretz), the goddaughter of Georges, who tries to help Hugo unlock the secret message in the machine. The whole story doesn't just follow Hugo and Isabelle trying to complete this machine; in fact, it's completed way before the halfway point of the film. The story is about what happens after Hugo finds the secret message and how it leads to a better life for the orphan boy. There aren't any action sequences worth remembering in this film and that is not a bad thing at all. The real enjoyment comes from the story and characters themselves. It's all about a kid trying to hold on to his father by completing this machine as well as letting go of the past and moving forward to a new life. This is where "Hugo" shines as a true modern kid's film. These days, you need CGI action and dinosaurs and violence to keep kids interested; "Hugo" doesn't use any of that. The world that Scorsese makes uses CGI to represent backgrounds but there are no extinct animals, no creepy creatures and no bullets are flying over the characters' heads. "Hugo" is a family friendly film about a orphan trying to find new life in a world that has been stressful for him. "Hugo" is Martin Scorsese's masterpiece. It is kid friendly and it brings a new feeling that movies are missing. There is no need for action in "Hugo". I love Scorsese's previous films and I was a little skeptical before watching the film. But if you haven't seen this film and love Scorsese's work, this is a must see. There is no violence but all you have to do is trust Scorsese and you will absolutely love this film.

• Matthew S

  
  This is like a live-action version of a Hayao Miyazaki film, full of both loveable, human characters and the playful exploration of relationships. In fact, Studio Ghibli's latest U.S. release, "The Secret World of Arrietty," shares in nearly all of the main themes. But… More
  This is like a live-action version of a Hayao Miyazaki film, full of both loveable, human characters and the playful exploration of relationships. In fact, Studio Ghibli's latest U.S. release, "The Secret World of Arrietty," shares in nearly all of the main themes. But that the fantasy in Hugo is beautifully tied into the non-fictional birth of cinema is what makes this movie an unforgettable work.

• Saskia D

  
  I love the story Scorsese tells us. A family film with an educational value. The acting style is just like in Shutter Island a little theatrical, but after a while it didn't bother me as much anymore. Ben Kingsley is lovely,..

• Directors C

  
  [img]http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/user/icons/icon14.gif[/img] Hugo really stretched itself out, much longer than it needed to for development of character. It doesn't provide that much action but this is still so much better than other kids films. It has plenty of… More
  [img]http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/user/icons/icon14.gif[/img] Hugo really stretched itself out, much longer than it needed to for development of character. It doesn't provide that much action but this is still so much better than other kids films. It has plenty of laughs and adventure and the most remarkable trait of all, being a unique fantasy that's actually not that predictable and stylishly enigmatic.

• Daniel P

  
  Full review coming soon.

• Randy T

  
  Ever so slightly over-hyped but whimsical and imaginative enough to be well worth your time.

• Dead A

  
  Everything was more like magical to me in this movie.

• Justin Y

  
  Based off of Brian Selznick's book, Martin Scorsese's <i>Hugo</i> is a cinematic delight.<p>Partially bucketed and labeled as a family film, and maybe even a kid's film, <i>Hugo</i> may not exactly be that. It's not that it isn't… More
  Based off of Brian Selznick's book, Martin Scorsese's <i>Hugo</i> is a cinematic delight.<p>Partially bucketed and labeled as a family film, and maybe even a kid's film, <i>Hugo</i> may not exactly be that. It's not that it isn't child friendly because it is mild and heartwarming, but the excitement and magic is lacking. The film is 2 hours and it feels that long. The pace is slow to moderate and packaged with some stretched storytelling.</p><p>Visually, this film is solid. The cinematography is on the money and the selected transitions during certain segments is well thought out. A definite highlight.</p><p>Ben Kingsley has nothing to prove here, as he delivers with his performance. It's nice to see Sacha Baron Cohen in a more mild-mannered role. Asa Butterfield doesn't exactly steal the show, but he does bring Hugo to life. Chloe Moretz is a delight, especially when sharing the screen with the monotonous nature of the Hugo character.</p>The lack of thrills in <i>Hugo</i> is a downside; however, there is still a lot of positives to make this a recommendable movie.</p>

• Sanjaya &

  
  All I can say for this movie is another masterpiece from Scorsese.. This time, not only the movie itself but also every detailed aspect of this movie were not miss from Scorsese's eyes.. And it just proved that 5 Academy Awards that this movie received was really worth for them..… More
  All I can say for this movie is another masterpiece from Scorsese.. This time, not only the movie itself but also every detailed aspect of this movie were not miss from Scorsese's eyes.. And it just proved that 5 Academy Awards that this movie received was really worth for them.. First of all, the Cinematography I just can say it's genius.. Yet, it was supported with a great art direction and set decoration that also brilliant in my eyes.. While for the three other awards this movie received, this movie just worth it.. Even if there are no nominated actors for this movie, but they still act brilliantly as they are working under the direction from Scorsese so that means too bad Scorsese didn't get himself a statue for this achievement.. The big question is how can Hugo missing the spot for Best Picture heavy contenders? IMO even though how many great aspects this movie had with a simple but beautiful adaptation story, 'Hugo' still missing a part that myself can't even explained.. It's beautiful but somehow it can lead the audiences with some moments that they thought boring.. But overall, it's definitely one of 10 best picture of the year 2011..

• Albert K

  
  "Hugo". A personal, heart-moved homage to the art of true cinema. The love for this art is palpable and the translation to show audiences this from Martin Scorsese is clearly perceived. A technical wonder. Its constructed with such finesse and control. "Hugo" won… More
  "Hugo". A personal, heart-moved homage to the art of true cinema. The love for this art is palpable and the translation to show audiences this from Martin Scorsese is clearly perceived. A technical wonder. Its constructed with such finesse and control. "Hugo" won best cinematography for a reason; the cinematography was astounding supported by incredibly saturated and rich shots. It's an absolute marvel to watch these pitch-perfect shots. Yet the only thing that halts the movie back from being an incredible movie is the pacing and plot. There isn't anything particularly wrong with the plot -- it just needed a little bit more of a "push". Surprisingly, "Hugo" has all the elements that would make an engrossing and deeply satisfying movie, but just as it is about to dig in deeper into the emotions, characters, and motivations, it stops and doesn't elaborate on it any longer. But the main issue was the pacing. For a children's movie with a rich thematic foundation, "Hugo" was surprisingly boring. Made with a deep understanding and control over the themes and fine camerawork, "Hugo" is unfortunately crippled with sluggish pacing and not enough movie magic to demand entertainment attention.

• Tim S

  
  The most surprising film that I've seen in a while is Hugo. I didn't expect much going into it initially, even though I'm a fan and supporter of Martin Scorsese no matter what he's doing. His thoughts and ideas pertaining to 3-D and its importance as a filmmaking… More
  The most surprising film that I've seen in a while is Hugo. I didn't expect much going into it initially, even though I'm a fan and supporter of Martin Scorsese no matter what he's doing. His thoughts and ideas pertaining to 3-D and its importance as a filmmaking tool are a bit disturbing to me and I really don't agree with them. In the case of Hugo, I firmly believe that 3-D wasn't a necessity to creating the film. The thing that I was most pleased with while watching it was that it had a strong narrative focus, making us of both story and character, and not necessarily the visuals. The visuals are there, but only to aid in the storytelling (mostly). To spell it out a little bit more, this isn't just a dumb action adventure movie for families like I perceived it to be. It's actually a bit more of an earthy but magical character study about two characters. The film isn't 100% perfect, such as the presence of Sacha Baron Cohen (who takes me out of the movie with nearly every scene that he's in), but it's a much more interesting movie than it seems to be from the outside looking in. It has a deliberate pace that builds up its characters rather than jumping into action-oriented eye candy, which is why I have a feeling that most people aren't going to like it all that much in the long run. I wouldn't call it a masterpiece, but in the years to come, I'm sure it will be a bit underrated.

• Crash E

  
  cute movie and well casted especially the kids they were adorable with a wonderful story, yes worth watching.

• Alireza M

  
  It's nice to look at .Visually is beautiful and Robert Richardson as cinematographer did a magnificent job although his winning over the Tree of Life was unexpectable,but Hugo is forgettable and has no elements of a memorable movie.It hardly can be good as a movie for adult… More
  It's nice to look at .Visually is beautiful and Robert Richardson as cinematographer did a magnificent job although his winning over the Tree of Life was unexpectable,but Hugo is forgettable and has no elements of a memorable movie.It hardly can be good as a movie for adult audience,mainly because the idea isn't original and we have seen better results in movies like Cinema Paradiso.

• Christopher H

  
  A nice and sweet tribute to the pioneering days of cinema, courtesy of Martin Scorsese. Scorsese is in top technical form as a director. The cinematography is amazing as Scorsese gives a true sense of scale and liveness of 1930's Paris. The visuals are also gorgeous, there is… More
  A nice and sweet tribute to the pioneering days of cinema, courtesy of Martin Scorsese. Scorsese is in top technical form as a director. The cinematography is amazing as Scorsese gives a true sense of scale and liveness of 1930's Paris. The visuals are also gorgeous, there is this one scene where they show a train crashing that is pretty cool to watch. The movie is so visually enthralling that I can almost forgive some of it's plot and pacing issues. The movie feels like it has two movie syndrome, were the first half is a Spielberg-esque children fantasy while the second half is a pseudo-biopic/early cinema tribute. This twist in the plot takes the movie in interesting directions but it takes away from the focus on the film's main character, Hugo. Plus their are some unnecessary scenes or sub-plots that could have been edited out of the film. By the end of the film, I could definitely tell why this was nominated for so many Oscars, including Best Picture. The Academy loves film's that pay tribute to old cinema, just like another Best Picture nom. "The Artist". I feel that people who are movie buffs or know a lot about film history would probably appreciate this movie more than general audience. "Hugo" is not a great film by any means, but it has an innocent aroma that is hard to resist.

• Alexander D

  
  Aside from a few missteps, HUGO was a good movie. With a high entertainment quality as well as high sound and visual qualities, itâ(TM)s no wonder this was the winner for most of the technical Oscars. As a period piece, it works well, too, with abundant nods to Charlie Chaplin, Buster… More
  Aside from a few missteps, HUGO was a good movie. With a high entertainment quality as well as high sound and visual qualities, itâ(TM)s no wonder this was the winner for most of the technical Oscars. As a period piece, it works well, too, with abundant nods to Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, and Georges Mà (C)liès. If youâ(TM)re looking to see this merely because it was nominated for the Best Picture Oscar, skip it. The nomination is proof that the Academy will jump to nominating any film that praises Hollywood. HUGO was clearly a hard movie to make. The book on which it is based was only half of what we usually find in books, with the other half made up of art. Though this source medium is about 500 pages in length, 60% of that consists of pictures to tell the story. Having read the book only over this weekend, I was able to point out a good amount of discrepancies between the two works, but someone who read the book a while ago would not be able to point put one. As this was directed by Martin Scorsese, who had probably never directed anything that would pass with a modern PG rating before this, I expected a few scenes here that would give the average child nightmares, none of which appeared at all in the book. Not only do I realize that Scorsese actually DOES understand what a family movie is, Iâ(TM)m aware that he also can direct a faithful, non-violent adaptation.

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