Hugo (2011)

Title: Hugo

Director: Martin Scorsese

Starring: Asa Butterfield, Chloë Grace Moretz, and Christopher Lee

Rated: PG

Released: 2011

Personal Rating: 3/5

Oscars: 5

Basic Plot: Set in 1930s Paris, an orphan who lives in the walls of a train station is wrapped up in a mystery involving his late father and an automaton.

The Visuals
The visuals in this movie are amazing. I only saw this in 2D (at home) and so can't comment on the 3D. One of the most persistent 'visuals' was the drawing of a spaceship crashing into the eye of the moon (the moon was drawn with a man's face on it). This image keeps on reappearing in different ways and it never seems out of place! Besides that, this is just a visual wonder.

The Story Isn't Engaging
I didn't find this story engaging. It was an interesting mystery but I thought that the resolution didn't make sense. It turns out that a famous film director was forgotten so he went into hiding because of shame. I think I was meant to care for this character's plight, but I didn't. Hugo's own plights, however, were a little more interesting.

Movies Are Awesome
One of the things that made me get annoyed was the message 'movies are great, movies are awesome' being repeated all throughout the movie. I know movies are awesome! I'm watching this, aren't I? I don't think this message will attract new moviegoers, but give old moviegoers a sense of nostalgia. The only good thing about this message is that it connects to the main plot.

Final Thoughts
This movie was meh. I agree that it deserved its awards, but it didn't wow me. I really wish I could like this movie more than I did. I was even feeling VERY sick that night (which usually makes films more enjoyable to me). The visuals and acting are the high points of this film.