Parents' Guide to Hugo

It might have seemed impossible, but Scorsese has proved that he can pull a Spielberg and create a magical movie -- about the magic of movies -- for all. Martin Scorsese isn't the kind of director you'd expect to make a spectacular film for families. He is, after all, the auteur behind such mobster dramas as Goodfellas, Casino, and The Departed. But by selecting Selznick's genre-defying illustrated novel as his subject, Scorsese is able to tackle one of his personal passions -- the history of early film and a very real director named Georges Melies. Once Hugo discovers that Papa Georges is actually the long retired-but-not-forgotten prewar director, the story transforms into a visual love letter to the pioneers of film history, as viewed from the perspective of a young movie fan.

Butterfield is simply amazing. With eyes that evoke every emotion from awe to horror, the young English actor is a revelation, as is his on-screen connection to Moretz, one of America's best teenage actresses, and Kingsley, one of the best actors, period. Cohen provides much-needed comic relief with his manic portrayal of the crippled station inspector, who's also a lonely war veteran; and as film historian Rene Tabard, Michael Stuhlbarg is a stand-in for Scorsese and any serious film lover. The 3-D in Hugo is dazzling and the set pieces as visually appealing as an actual walk through Paris.