MOVIE REVIEW - Hugo

Hugo is in theaters now. And for as good as a movie as it is, it has played to very little fanfare.

Hugo is a very strange movie set in 1930's Paris of a young boy named Hugo. He suddenly becomes orphaned, and lives in a train station, dodging the Inspector who is bent on throwing him in the orphanage. Hugo also is a young thief who by accident comes across an old man who owns a toy stand in the station by stealing from him. Who is this man? And who exactly is Hugo?

Hugo then friends up a young girl, Isabelle, who is connected to the old man. Hugo is convinced that his dead father is trying to communicate with him from the dead through a machine that his clockmaker father found in an old museum, and leaves for Hugo. Does this all sound too incredibly weird? Too much so to really explain? Well, it is.

But, go see Hugo. This is a Martin Scorsese directed movie that is an absolute feast for all of your senses. This is shot in 3-D. I know you've seen 3-D before, but this is different. This 3-D is so full of texture, there will be times you will not believe your eyes. This is wonderfully filmed, and skillfully crafted. It is also a movie that virtually anyone can see. But, the every young will not really find this very interesting. Don't put this 3-D movie in the same breath as all the others, it is different and better.

Hugo in fairness, does stumble out of the gates. The first 20 minutes or so to me had a bit to be desired. But as this story moves along, it gains momentum. And really becomes a very compelling story based part on fact and part on fiction. It's also a story that no one has really seen before, and that always helps. Great casting with Ben Kingsley, Sasha Baron Cohen, Asa Butterfield, and Chole Grace Moretz. Moretz is simply outstanding as Isabelle.

There's not much about this movie that isn't good. It does start out a bit slow, and it may be a bit too long, but none of that is a deal breaker. Hugo really is something to see, and you'll learn a bit of something too along the way.

Hugo. Well written, acted, and filmed in 3-D like no other movie to date. I'm not going all the way and saying it's the best movie of the year like some others. But it's pretty darn good!