Fellow fans of The Invention of Hugo Cabret, fear not: the movie is good. Really good. As someone who loves the book, I was relieved that the movie kept the mystery, themes and emotions of Brian Selznick‘s original. As someone who just likes movies, I was impressed by the acting and artistry. It’s worth seeing Hugo in 3D. The eye-popping visuals felt organic to the film, rather than something used as a cheap gimmick.
Best of all, the movie stayed true to the general feel of the book, alternating between spoken and stunning, wordless scenes. It wasn’t slavishly loyal to the source material either—it took extra time with some side characters and scenes of everyday life in the train station, so that I felt completely immersed in Hugo’s world. And it pays its respects to Méliès, of course. So whether you like movies, movie history or the sheer enjoyment of a great story, Hugo should fit the bill.
