REVIEW: Duncan gives his view of Hugo (U)

To sum Martin Scorsese new blockbuster movie Hugo, up in 3 words they would have to be; stunning, marvellous and utterly fantastic.

The film is about a lonely, young boy named Hugo Cabret (Asa Butterfield) who is orphaned by his father (Jude Law) after he tragically dies in a fire at a museum. Hugo then moves in with his uncle (Ray Winstone) who works and lives in the clocks at the local train station. But after the drink takes the uncle’s life, Hugo is left working on the clocks, with no one to talk to but himself.

Desperately trying to fix his father’s Automaton, a mechanical robot which can draw and write, Hugo tries to steal from a local toy shop situated in the station owned by Papa Georges (Ben Kinsley). After Hugo is caught, Papa Georges steals Hugo’s notebook off of him and he tells Hugo he must work daily at the shop in order to get it back.

Whilst working on the toys at the shop, Hugo befriends and encounters Papa Georges’ goddaughter Isabella (Chloe Grace Moretz) and together they discover that Isabella has the key which is needed to fix Hugo’s automaton. They then join together and go on an extraordinary adventure in order to discover the secrets and hidden truths bequeathed by the automaton.

Set in 1930’s Paris, Hugo is a wonderful, spectacular family film which everyone should enjoy. However it may be a bit too complicated for younger viewers and it may seem a bit boring for them and maybe even for the parents or guardians especially as it is 2 hours and 7 minutes long. Also for a U some scenes may be seen to others as quite scary but overall there is nothing at all wrong with the content in Hugo.

Sacha Baron Cohen gives all the laughs in the film as he plays the part of the Station Inspector and his squeaky braced leg (an injury received in the war), who is desperately trying to catch all orphans and send them to the local orphanage.

8/10

By Duncan Stenhouse