Review of Hugo (2011) by Mattcarterwa — 13 Dec 2011

Hugo was alright. It was an on-rails, whimsical adventure movie that should not have been given its 127 minute run-time. I came into this movie expecting Scorsese's "touch of death," and so was curious how that would extend to a "children's" movie. I felt that Hugo had an overly gloomy tone, as many of the characters had experienced death or crippling disappointment. I couldn't quite gauge this movie's target audience.

However, one could get lost in the wonderful set design, costumes, and attention to detail. As many other reviews state, Scorsese's trip down the movie industry's "memory lane" was a welcome treat. The no audio shorts were entertaining, and the creative process behind them was intriguing.

The score could have been handled better. I found myself mouthing "and que montage music", "que etc" multiple times throughout the movie. In part due to its length, and also the "on-rails" comment I made earlier.

The last thing is the child acting. It always leaves something to be desired, or it's great. I don't believe it's worth faulting the movie as a whole. For kids, it was acceptable. For the movie goer who: likes to watch things that look decent, have a multiple hidden messages, a decent plot and a happy ending, this movie is great.

For the movie goer who: doesn't like to be pandered to, thinks about plot progression, and likes to analyze, it was alright. It's almost worth going to see for the retro films, but other than that, it's a rent.