---
title: "Hugo"
year: 2011
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/hugo"
fi1m_id: "hugo"
imdb_id: "tt0970179"
tmdb_id: 44826
wikidata_id: "Q206576"
fi1m_score: 76
critics_score: 70
critics_reviews: 20
published: "2026-09-17"
updated: "2026-09-18T08:37:42.675467+00:00"
region: "PT"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Hugo (2011)

Directed by Martin Scorsese · 2h 06m · IGAC M/12 · Adventure, Drama, Family

## Identity

Hugo

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/hugo
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** hugo
- **IMDb ID:** tt0970179
- **TMDB ID:** 44826
- **Wikidata ID:** Q206576
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0970179/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/44826, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q206576

**Fi1m score: 76** · Critics 70 from 20 reviews

*In a sentence:* We would happily let Martin Scorsese choose the family film, but somebody else should keep an eye on the clock

> Martin Scorsese’s family adventure is worth the patience for its inventive images and Ben Kingsley’s performance. The history lesson runs long, and the screenplay sometimes explains away the pleasure of discovery.

## Synopsis

In 1930s Paris, Hugo Cabret (Asa Butterfield) is an orphan trying to find a place for himself without parents to guide him. His story brings together Isabelle (Chloë Grace Moretz), Georges Méliès (Ben Kingsley) and the Station Inspector (Sacha Baron Cohen), alongside Uncle Claude (Ray Winstone) and Monsieur Labisse (Christopher Lee). The boy’s search draws him towards the history of early cinema. Questions about art and the people who make it become part of his attempt to understand where he belongs.

## Review

Martin Scorsese’s *Hugo* is a warm, inventive family adventure that takes too long to explain why cinema matters. We recommend it for its curiosity and its feeling for neglected people, with a warning that younger viewers may tire before the director does. An orphan’s search for a place in 1930s Paris becomes the way into early film history. The connection makes sense emotionally, even when the storytelling starts to resemble a guided lesson.

Robert Richardson’s cinematography uses 3D to make the space between foreground and background inviting to explore. Dante Ferretti’s production design gives those images enough detail to reward a wandering eye, and the obvious artifice suits the fantasy. We were delighted by the opening sequence: the depth makes looking into the picture feel like play, with our attention free to move around rather than wait for the next cut. The pleasure survives once we have adjusted to the effect.

As Hugo Cabret, Asa Butterfield gives the story a seriousness that suits its orphaned child, though the film sometimes asks solemnity to do too much of the work. Chloë Grace Moretz brings a welcome change of energy to Isabelle, and the children’s scenes benefit from that difference. Their performances are more appealing when the screenplay leaves them room to be curious. They are capable of holding our attention without every exchange having to carry an important idea.

Ben Kingsley gives Georges Méliès the weight the film needs, allowing him enough reserve that the warmer moments feel earned. His performance is one reason the sentiment rarely becomes cloying, even when the writing comes close. Sacha Baron Cohen’s Station Inspector provides broad slapstick, which is less dependable. Some of it supplies welcome foolishness; some interrupts the more involving story, and the change of tone can be awkward.

Thelma Schoonmaker’s editing keeps the visual invention legible, but cannot make every digression feel necessary. At 126 minutes, the film gives its enthusiasms more space than the adventure can comfortably fill, and the pauses become noticeable. Howard Shore’s music helps sustain the warmth through those slower passages, though its emotional guidance can feel insistent when the dialogue is already doing the same job. There are stretches where less encouragement to be moved would have left us more room to respond.

The difficulty is John Logan’s screenplay, which becomes too explicit about the value of cinema and its preservation. The subject is worth a child’s attention, and the film’s enthusiasm makes it accessible without suggesting that old work needs apologising for. But the dialogue can sound as though it is checking that we have understood the point, when the images have already given us a reason to care. A little less explanation would have helped the adventure keep moving.

For a family adventure, this asks for more patience than its energetic visual style initially suggests. We would not choose it for children who need a new incident every few minutes, but those interested in how films are made have good reason to stay. There is no need to know early cinema beforehand; the film is certainly not going to leave anyone short of an introduction. Save *Hugo* for an evening when nobody needs the adventure to hurry.

*Fi1m score 76, published 17 September 2026.*

## What the critics say

Most critics respond warmly to Hugo, with praise clustering around Scorsese’s imaginative use of 3D and his affection for early cinema. The favourable reviews find that the technical craft serves a moving story about childhood, filmmaking and preservation, rather than merely providing spectacle. Several also admire the cast, with Ben Kingsley drawing particular praise, while the recreation of cinema’s past appeals strongly to those who see the film as family entertainment with something worth passing on.

The spread is wide, however, and the main disagreement concerns whether that enthusiasm sustains the story. Even sympathetic reviews note patchy plotting, overlength or material that may weigh heavily on children. The Independent finds the plot too thin to support the film history lesson, while the Evening Standard finds the young leads unengaging and the script over-explicit. For the dissenters, the impressive 3D cannot compensate for an adventure that becomes a lecture.

## Straight answers

**Is Hugo worth watching?**

*Hugo* is worth watching for families who can sit through a slow, affectionate lesson in early cinema, and we scored it 76. Robert Richardson's 3D images and Ben Kingsley's Georges Méliès are the reasons to stay; at 126 minutes, children who need a new incident every few minutes will tire before the director does.

**How long is Hugo, and what is it rated?**

*Hugo* runs 2h 06m and is rated M/12 by the IGAC in Portugal. It is an adventure and drama film.

**Where can I watch Hugo in Portugal?**

*Hugo* is available to rent from Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV from €2.99. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service.

**How does Hugo compare to Cinema Paradiso?**

*Hugo* is a family adventure that uses an orphan's search in 1930s Paris to reach early film history, while [*Cinema Paradiso*](https://film.one/film/cinema-paradiso) is a village drama about a boy's friendship with a projectionist. Both are tender and both lean on sentiment, but Tornatore's film has the more persuasive central relationship, and Scorsese's has the more inventive images and the longer lecture.

**What should I watch after Hugo?**

After *Hugo*, try [*Cinema Paradiso*](https://film.one/film/cinema-paradiso) (1988, Fi1m 84): For another childhood spent discovering how much a cinema can mean. Then [*The Spirit of the Beehive*](https://film.one/film/the-spirit-of-the-beehive) (1973, Fi1m 87): For adults, a child’s encounter with cinema becomes something quietly unsettling; and [*The Illusionist*](https://film.one/film/the-illusionist) (2010, Fi1m 78): Animation about an ageing entertainer, with the sadness allowed to stay.

### Reviews we read (20)

- **The New Yorker**, David Denby (90/100, inferred): Scorsese directs a 3-D film that celebrates early cinema in a beautifully told and emotionally satisfying story. It sums up the cinematic past while pushing forward with new technologies. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2011/11/28/fantastic-voyages)
- **Variety**, Peter Debruge (90/100, inferred): Scorsese has fashioned a timeless film that rewards patience and curiosity while defying typical kidpics. It celebrates cinema history through the story of an orphan and a forgotten filmmaker. [Read](https://variety.com/2011/film/reviews/hugo-1117946615/)
- **Empire**, Kim Newman (80/100, inferred): Scorsese's film is a French-accented valentine to the wonders of movies and an attempt to redeem modes of filmmaking once cast aside. It offers excitement and enchantment in equal measure and is likely to become a lasting favourite. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/hugo-review/)
- **Screen Daily** (80/100, inferred): Scorsese has turned the young adult novel into a warm and delightfully engaging family film that makes refreshing use of 3D and spins his love of early cinema into a moving fable about art and self-discovery. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/hugo/5034798.article)
- **Time Out**, Cath Clarke (4/5): Scorsese's most personal film is a love letter to cinema and the magic of celluloid, even as it appears to be a 3D kids' adventure set in 1930s Paris. The dazzling visuals and faith in movies are intoxicating, though the story feels patchy in places. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/hugo-1)
- **Total Film** (80/100, inferred): The film is an enchanting, funny, heartfelt love-letter to French film pioneer Georges Méliès and to cinema itself. Scorsese revels in using 3D technology to reach back into cinema's past. [Read](https://www.gamesradar.com/hugo-review/)
- **Slant Magazine**, Phil Coldiron (70/100, inferred): The critic highlights the film's personal cinematic gambit and curious view of the boy amid artifice as making it Scorsese's best since The Age of Innocence, while noting how its digital visuals illuminate both successes and failures. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/hugo/)
- **The Guardian**, Philip French (70/100, inferred): Martin Scorsese’s family friendly fantasy is a cinephile’s delight and a spectacular, gorgeously created homage to the power of the first film-makers. It becomes an earnest fable about film restoration and history that can feel like something a really nice teacher might show before the Christmas holidays. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2011/dec/01/hugo-scorsese-film-review)
- **The Hollywood Reporter**, Todd McCarthy (70/100, inferred): The critic calls it a passionate brief for film preservation wrapped in a fanciful tale of childhood intrigue, praising its technical achievements and Scorsese's deep personal investment while noting minor faults like overlength. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/hugo-film-review-263209/)
- **Radio Times**, Dave Aldridge (3/5): Scorsese's first family film and use of 3D adapts the children's book into an oddly endearing tribute to early cinema pioneer Georges Méliès, though it can feel indulgent and heavy for kids. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-ll7qz9/hugo/)
- **Vulture** (50/100, inferred): The critic enjoys the technical wizardry and effective 3D but finds the film more about magic than truly magical, praising select scenes and performances while preferring Scorsese's more emotional street films. [Read](https://www.vulture.com/2011/11/movie-review-martin-scorsese-hugo.html)
- **Evening Standard** (30/100, inferred): The film fails to gel and is a bore by the end despite its promising subject and intelligent 3D use. The juvenile leads do not engage and the script is over-explicit, turning the experience into a lecture. [Read](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/hugo-review-7427860.html)
- **The Independent**, Jonathan Romney (30/100, inferred): Hugo is a sumptuous dud whose thin plot is a weak support for its film history lesson. Scorsese shows little sense of what amuses children and the film compares badly to the silent cinema it celebrates. [Read](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/hugo-3d-martin-scorsese-127-mins-u-6271802.html)
- **The Playlist**, The Playlist Staff (A-): The review lauds the film's magical quality, Scorsese's love for cinema, excellent 3D, and personal touch, calling it a touching ode that parents should show kids. They highlight the opening sequence and use of 3D. [Read](https://theplaylist.net/review-hugo-a-touching-ode-to-cinematic-history-the-wonders-of-the-imagination-20111122/)
- **/Film**, Russ Fischer (8.8/10): The critic praises Scorsese's exuberant direction and the film's celebration of early cinema and preservation of movies. They single out the recreation of Méliès' studio and use of 3D for praise. [Read](https://www.slashfilm.com/518656/hugo-review-martin-scrosese-teach-kids-loving-movies/)
- **The Wrap** (85/100, inferred): The critic praises Scorsese for using 3D effectively and imaginatively to add depth to the story of an orphaned boy in 1930s Paris. The film is highlighted as a love letter to movies and film preservation, succeeding as both family entertainment and a treat for cinephiles. [Read](https://www.thewrap.com/review-scorsese-gets-3d-right-it-adds-real-depth-hugo-32986/)
- **Den of Geek**, Ryan Lambie (4/5): Scorsese's unexpected family-friendly 3D adventure is a treat for cinephiles, with strong performances especially from Ben Kingsley and impressive use of 3D to enhance wonder. Some slapstick elements from Sacha Baron Cohen disrupt the more interesting plot threads. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/hugo-review/)
- **Digital Spy**, Ben Rawson-Jones (80/100, inferred): Martin Scorsese's family blockbuster explores the magical nature of cinema through a poignant narrative and masterful direction with a superb cast. It remains pure and affecting despite technical wizardry, serving as a powerful reminder of Scorsese's versatility. [Read](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a352786/hugo-review/)
- **Collider**, Matt Goldberg (B-): The critic finds that while the film has a great premise, solid performances, spectacular visuals and 3D, and a thoughtful subtext, Scorsese turns his love of cinema from subtext to text, making the story feel like a lecture rather than a living adventure that fails to come alive. [Read](https://collider.com/hugo-review/)
- **HeyUGuys**, Jon Lyus (2.5/5): While noting charming elements, fine cast, and impressive 3D, the critic finds the heart mechanical rather than magical, lacking emotional discovery and subtlety in its metaphors. They praise Chloe Moretz and Ben Kingsley. [Read](https://www.heyuguys.com/hugo-review/)

## Details

- **Director:** Martin Scorsese
- **Director:** Martin Scorsese
- **Screenplay:** John Logan
- **Cinematography:** Robert Richardson
- **Editor:** Thelma Schoonmaker
- **Music:** Howard Shore
- **Production design:** Dante Ferretti
- **Costume design:** Sandy Powell
- **Producer:** Martin Scorsese, Johnny Depp, Tim Headington
- **Cast:** Asa Butterfield as Hugo Cabret; Ben Kingsley as Georges Méliès; Chloë Grace Moretz as Isabelle; Sacha Baron Cohen as Station Inspector; Ray Winstone as Uncle Claude; Emily Mortimer as Lisette; Christopher Lee as Monsieur Labisse; Helen McCrory as Mama Jeanne
- **Runtime:** 2h 06m
- **Certificate (IGAC):** M/12
- **Release (Portugal):** 16 February 2012
- **Genres:** Adventure, Drama, Family
- **Also in:** [Best Picture winners](https://film.one/collections/oscar-best-picture.md) (Nominee, 2011); [Golden Globe Best Drama winners](https://film.one/collections/golden-globe-drama.md) (Nominee, 2011)
- **Budget:** $170 million
- **Box office:** $186 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUthyrYwXUc

## Where to watch in Portugal

- Amazon Prime Video: rent €2.99, sd
- Apple TV: rent €3.99, hd
- Apple TV: buy €7.99, sd
- Amazon Prime Video: buy €9.99, uhd

*Checked 2026-09-17.*

Also available in: AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HK, HU, ID, IE, IL, IN, IT, JP, KR, LT, MX, MY, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PH, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SG, TH, TR, UA, US, VN, ZA. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## Awards

- Academy Awards 2012: Best Costume Design (nominated); Best Director (nominated); Best Film Editing (nominated); Best Original Score (nominated); Best Picture (nominated); Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay (nominated); Best Cinematography (won); Best Production Design (won); Best Sound (won); Best Sound Editing (won); Best Visual Effects (won)
- BAFTA Film Awards 2012: BAFTA's Children & Young People Award - Feature Film (nominated)
- Saturn Awards 2012: Best Production Design (won)

## If you liked this

- *The Red Balloon* (1956): A child’s Paris adventure, told with fewer words and a sharper sting.
- *Cinema Paradiso* (1988), Fi1m 84: For another childhood spent discovering how much a cinema can mean. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/cinema-paradiso.md)
- *The Spirit of the Beehive* (1973), Fi1m 87: For adults, a child’s encounter with cinema becomes something quietly unsettling. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-spirit-of-the-beehive.md)
- *The Thief of Bagdad* (1940): A fantasy adventure whose handmade wonders reward the same patient attention.
- *The Illusionist* (2010), Fi1m 78: Animation about an ageing entertainer, with the sadness allowed to stay. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-illusionist.md)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/hugo