HUGO | FAMILY MOVIE REVIEW INFORMATION FOR PARENTS AND KIDS

"HUGO"
(2011) (Asa Butterfield, Ben Kingsley) (PG)

QUICK TAKE:
Drama: An orphan who lives in a 1930s era Paris train station tries to fix a broken automaton and ends up involved in a mystery that will change the lives of those around him.

PLOT:
It's the 1930s and Hugo Cabret (ASA BUTTERFIELD) is an orphan who lives in the Paris train station, stealing food and small mechanical parts when not perpetually winding the station's many massive clocks and watching the various workers there go about their daily lives. They include newspaper vendor Monsieur Frick (RICHARD GRIFFITHS) who's sweet on cafe owner Madame Emilie (FRANCES DE LA TOUR), while florist Lisette (EMILY MORTIMER) can't help but notice that the Station Inspector (SACHA BARON COHEN) is interested in her.
But he's more focused on capturing any orphans, with the help of his Doberman, who cross his path, and Hugo repeatedly has to avoid the man and his dog while going about his daily routine. That includes stealing the smaller mechanical parts Hugo needs to try and fix a broken automaton that once belonged to his late father (JUDE LAW). Hugo is eventually caught by toy shop owner Georges (BEN KINGSLEY) who threatens to burn the boy's sketchbook and then won't give it back if Hugo doesn't work for him in order to pay off the value of what he's previously stolen.
Young Isabelle (CHLOE GRACE MORETZ), who just so happens to be Georges' godchild -- and lives with him and his wife, Mama Jeanne (HELEN McCRORY) -- decides to help Hugo since this will be her first real adventure outside of reading books provided to her by librarian Monsieur Labisse (CHRISTOPHER LEE). While working on the automaton, they learn through a series of events that Isabelle's godfather is none other than famed filmmaker Georges Melies, a shock to author Rene Tabard (MICHAEL STUHLBARG) who believed, along with the rest of the world, that the man died during WWI.
As Hugo and Isabelle dig deeper for the truth, they come to realize that everyone has a purpose in life, including trying to help fix people who might be broken themselves.

WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?
It's being targeted at them, so it's likely some will show interest, although how far that reaches is uncertain.

WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG
For mild thematic material, some action/peril and smoking.

CAST AS ROLE MODELS:
ASA BUTTERFIELD plays an orphan in the

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