Hugo (2011)

After the deaths of his father (Jude Law) and uncle (Ray Winstone). Hugo (Asa Butterfield) is all alone in the world, and he must live inside the walls of a train station. Hugo tries to avoid the strict Inspector (Sacha Baron Cohen), who enjoys capturing children with no parents. Hugo tries to avoid a childhood inside the orphanage, and Hugo desperately tries to repair his father’s automaton at any costs. Hugo believes the automaton will deliver one final message from his father, and Hugo decides to go an adventure for some answers, because he can’t escape the feeling of some much needed closure.

Usually, 3D films don’t do anything for me, and I really haven’t been a fan of the 3D craze over the past few years, because these films are MAJOR rip-offs most of the time. But Hugo doesn’t fall into the category of films with shitty 3D effects. The 3D effects in this film were amazing, and the eye popping moments really did look incredible. The 3D effects gave this film an extra boost, because the 3D helps the magical world of Hugo feel more extravagant. Hugo ranks high on my list of films that feature great 3D effects, and the 3D for Hugo does deserve some recognition.

Hugo is an outstanding film, and the acting was excellent here. It’s hard to pick a standout star in this one, because the entire cast really gives a great effort, and Hugo is loaded with some very enjoyable performances. Ben Kingsley come close to the status of the true star in this film. His performance was very believable, and he did seem like the perfect choice for the Georges character, because I wanted to feel for the bitter and heartbroken old man, who didn’t want to believe in magic and happiness anymore. Kingsley was great, but Chloë Grace Moretz, Asa Butterfield, Helen McCrory, and Sacha Baron Cohen all deserve their fair share of credit, because they played their part in helping Hugo achieve the status of an unforgettable experience. Hugo is filled with some breathtaking visuals, this tale of fantasy can feel magical and extravagant, and Hugo is one the best holiday films I’ve ever seen. Hugo also features its fair share of heartwarming moments, and this film is loaded with characters, who you can actually care about.

Martin Scorsese continues to add to his legacy as one of the greatest directors of all time, and this film won’t be remembered as a failed experiment for him, because Scorsese did step outside of his comfort zone here. I wanted to take a chance on this, because Martin Scorsese is my favorite director. He really did deliver the goods here, and Hugo deserves serious recognition as one of the best films in 2011.

Final Rating: 9/10