Hugo

Well Hugo snagged all the technical awards at the Oscars.  Now normally I'd just say they were exercising their guilty feelings for not giving Marty another Oscar.  To be fair, however, the film does look incredible.  It manages to turn Paris into an absolutely magical place.  It reminds me sort of the look they were going for in that Tom Hanks computerized film about the trains, except without the creepy factor that film had.  But you can only look at film so long before the story kicks in so the question is, is Hugo any good?

Well Hugo is living in the walls of the train station.  He's not loafer he keeps all the clocks on time.  He also spies and sneaks out to steal parts.  He's stealing them to finish a project his late dad started.  That project involves a strange little automation, a human figured filled with a lot of clockwork.  The figure also has a heart shaped key hole in its back but Hugo has no key.  As he's keeping busy he's chased by the long legged station manager and his big dog.  His only human friend is the daughter of a very odd and mysterious shop keeper who first catches him as a thief then gives him a job fixing things.

Over all its a good kids story and there's a special nugget of film history in the central mystery.  It's a light affair and fairly fun.  Children will like it, and adults can watch it and not catch a case of the stupids.  Certainly Oscar worthy for its look, it's plot doesn't wear out the welcome of all those pretty pictures.