Hugo

Drama, Adventure
4 stars
Very good though hard to describe. Hugo is an orphaned boy living in a Paris train station who finds mystery and adventure with a girl he meets. Part of the mystery has to do with a shopkeeper at the station, played by Sir Ben Kingsley. Asa Butterfield (star of The Boy With The Striped Pajamas) stars as Hugo and Chloe Grace Moretz (Let Me In and (500) Days of Summer) costars as his cohort. I usually hate Sasha Baron Cohen, but he is perfect as the security guard at the station. It’s really best not to know anything going in. The first half of the film is visually stunning and incredibly cool. The second half slows down which may cause tots to get restless, but I loved how the film transitioned to the sweet interplay between the various employees at the train station as well as the exploration of early moving pictures. I can see how critics would have a problem with how Hugo’s pace changes midway through, but it all ties together at the end. There are a couple of scenes that may be too intense for young kids. I loved it, but it may not be for everybody. Art House fans should like it as well as older kids with big imaginations and a sense of adventure.