Hugo ***½

Martin Scorsese directed this Family Fantasy. Watch Preview. Cast: Asa Butterfield, Chloe Grace Moretz, Sacha Baron Cohen, Ben Kingsley, Jude Law, Ray Winstone, Christopher Lee, Helen McCrory, Richard Griffiths, Frances de la Tour, Emily Mortimer, Michael Stuhlbarg. Rated PG for mild thematic material, some action/peril and smoking. Running time is two hours and seven minutes.

The story of an orphan boy (Butterfield) living a secret life in the walls of a Paris train station. With the help of an eccentric girl (Moretz), he searches for the answer to a mystery linking the father (Law) he recently lost, the ill-tempered toy shop owner (Kingsley) living below him and a heart shaped lock, seemingly without a key. All the while he must avoid the clutches of the station Inspector (Cohen).

I can't remember the last time I was so impressed by the sheer quality of a film. The story is interesting, the production values are superb and the acting is top notch. It does have in my opinion one flaw, and it's the reason I didn't give it four stars. For most audiences the pacing is too slow resulting in a film at least twenty minutes too long. For that reason I have a hard time thinking children won't be bored, which is too bad considering the subject matter. Adults, however, who love a well made film shouldn't miss this one.

I watched the 2D version but this was made as a 3D film and considering its quality I'm betting the 3D version will look great. Auditorium size will  make no  difference in the film's enjoyability. There are no additional scenes once the final credits begin. 2D Theatres/Times. 3D Theatres/Times.