94% Hugo

All Critics (180) | Top Critics (39) | Fresh (169) | Rotten (11)

Being a hardcore cinephile (like Scorsese) might add a layer of enjoyment, but it certainly isn't a prerequisite for walking in the door. A sense of wonder, however, is.

Scorsese transforms this innocent tale into an ardent love letter to the cinema and a moving plea for film preservation.

'Hugo': Scorsese's humbling hommage to his favorite art

Thematic potency and cinematic virtuosity -- the production was designed by Dante Ferretti and photographed by Robert Richardson -- can't conceal a deadly inertness at the film's core.

For all the wizardry on display, Hugo often feels like a film about magic instead of a magical film...

I have seen the future of 3-D moviemaking, and it belongs to Martin Scorsese, unlikely as that may sound.

You can practically feel time stop in sync with the audience's halted breath. It's nothing short of wizardry.

Who knew? The director who put the rage in Raging Bull the fear in Cape Fear and the mean in Mean Streets could make a family-friendly, dazzling 3D film.

In Hugo Scorsese not only tells an important story about early cinema, but delivers a film that is a passionate and convincing reminder of the essential role art and imagination should play in our lives.

Scorsese's exuberant, magical odyssey transports audiences to the dawn of cinema.

The energy that's behind all of [Scorsese's] films is definitely present here.

[Hugo is] movie that will probably appeal more to hardcore film nerds than to nine-year-olds, unless of course that youngster will grow into a movie geek. If that's the case, Hugo will be a touchstone in their cinematic development.

Kingsley, who is surely this generations Robert Duvall (the man NEVER gives a bad performance) makes the character of Papa George come to life.

One of the ten best films of 2011.

As $150million public service announcements about the importance of the film preservation movement go, this is one of the best.

A monument to wonder and excitement for all those still in knee socks or short trousers.

Behind the horrible marketing lies a brilliant movie.

A lovely, lavishly constructed dreamscape of long-ago movie magic, told with a spectacular flourish of modern-day movie magic all its own.

Beautifully filmed in 3D it, turns into an education for the viewer on a subject near and dear to director Martin Scorsese's heart.

Both a joyful and enchanting adventure tale and a loving tribute to the early days of cinema and one of its neglected pioneers.

Scorsese has pulled out all the stops - and keeps yanking.

Unlike any of the other Scorsese films.

Hugo is an intensely personal statement from Scorsese, one not just about magic, but also the magic of cinema.

An utterly beautiful film -- both visually and emotionally -- and itself an enchanting gift from Scorsese to film fans everywhere.

Hugo may not be entirely successful as a children's film, but as the culmination of a lifetime love of the pure magic of film, this movie is a gift to be treasured and revisited.

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Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/hugo/

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