Movie Review: Hugo
Hugo
Genre(s): Historical, Clockwork
Rating: PG
Director: Martin Scorsese
Starring: Asa Butterfield, Chloë Grace Moretz, Christopher Lee, Sir Ben Kingsley
Description: 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.
This past weekend I had the chance to watch the star studded movie Hugo (directed by Martin Scorsese) with my wife and youngest daughter. We decided to call the experience a “date” and it turned into a date I will never forget. The previews for this movie captured my imagination, but I still knew so little about the movie itself. My youngest daughter assured me it would be good and that we should see it. It turns out she had read the book and loved it. With a recommendation like that, how could I not go see this?
Fortified with overpriced movie sustenance, my family (sans my oldest) entered the theater, donned our 3D glasses, and were treated to an experience that is hard to describe. The opening sequence is a dizzying trip through a Paris’ Monparnasse train station through the eyes of a child. The 3D was absolutely breathtaking. I would warn those of you who, like my wife and Geek Life’s Ginger editor Tiarra, get queasy with too much 3D that this sequence might make you feel a bit sick, but stick with it!
There is plenty of debate amongst the critics as to whether or not this is a kid’s movie. After seeing Hugo, I now understand why. The PG rating tells us this should be a kids movie. The colors and the inclusion of a well-defined villain who has a menacing Doberman with a German name — who would make Alpha proud — lean towards the children’s side. The history of film making and film preservation combined with the struggles of self-doubt and definitions of self worth however, are not the normal subjects tackled by children’s films… or are they?
While some of the messages in this film might go over the heads of younger children, many of today’s kids have been raised on the clever and sometimes complex themes depicted in Pixar and Disney films. I agree that the preservation of film and the history of film making haven’t been covered, but there are aspects of those concepts that even children can understand. This movie takes place after the Great War, which is a historical period that most kids are not exposed to. When it comes to learning history, it is similar to the news: if it bleeds, it leads. We seldom spend large amounts of time learning about historical times when there wasn’t a disaster or war — or both. This movie has appeal across the board. The visuals are stunning and there is enough interspersed action to keep most kids interested.
Most people just go to the theater, pay their money, and sit down and watch a movie. Hugo takes us behind the scenes of film-making and its storied history. To get to see film-making when it was a cottage industry was a real treat. I think it is important for children and adults to see that in its early stages, movie making and theater were kissing cousins. I love it when I can enjoy a movie and learn something without realizing I learned it.
The cast of this film is amazing. It would be hard to fail with the likes of Ben Kingsley, Sacha Baron Cohen, Christopher Lee, and Chloe Grace Mortez. Throw in some Jude Law and Emily Mortimer and you can see what I mean. The most interesting thing about the movie is that the cast isn’t what makes it work; this movie could have an unknown cast and still be a success.
I believe that this film is great for the entire family. The PG rating comes from the sometimes adult emotions and feelings rather than things like harsh language or mild violence. This film is great eye candy and good for the soul as well. I would not recommend taking the younger viewers to a non-3D version of the movie as they might not be as enchanted with the emotional side of Hugo as much as older viewers. This movie is worth your time and your money: it runs like clockwork!
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Juanofallgames
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Laurie
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Laurie
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