From Academy Award and Golden Globe Award-winning director Martin Scorsese comes the extraordinary family adventure film Hugo. It has won 5 Oscars including Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing and Best Visual Effects and was nominated for 6 more Oscars including Best Motion Picture, Best Director, Best Original Score, Best Adapted Screenplay and more. It is based on Brian Selznick's novel The Invention of Hugo Cabret and stars Asa Butterfield, Chloë Grace Moretz, Ben Kingsley, Sacha Baron Cohen, Ray Winstone, Emily Mortimer, Jude Law and Christopher Lee. Hugo is Scorsese’s first film shot in 3D and pays homage to one of greatest filmmaking pioneers, Georges Méliès.
The story of Hugo begins in 1931 with a 12-year-old boy named Hugo Cabret who lives in Paris with his widowed father, a master clockmaker. Together they enjoy his father’s favorite films by Georges Méliès and work on his father’s latest project of rebuilding an broken automaton that can write with a pen. Although they miss Hugo’s mother, life is good for father and son until one day his father dies in a fatal accident.
Before Hugo can even mourn his father, he is sent off to live with his alcoholic watchmaker uncle in the walls of the railway station Gare du Nord. There he is taught to maintain the clocks before his uncle disappears. Left to fend for himself, Hugo steals food to eat and mechanical parts to continue his father’s unfinished automaton project. He believes that the mechanical man holds one last message from his father.
One day, Hugo gets caught by the railway station toy store owner Georges Méliès when Hugo tries to steal a mechanical part he needs. Georges takes Hugo’s notebook on how to fix the automaton as punishment and threatens to burn it. Crying, Hugo begs for it back and runs off when Georges calls for Inspector Gustav to arrest him.
Desperate to recover the notebook, he follows Georges to his home and meets his goddaughter Isabelle. She promises to try to help him and sends him on his way. The following day arrives and Georges offers Hugo a chance to earn his notebook back after some convincing. He must work at the toy store and repay for all the things he had stolen in the past.
Through Hugo’s growing friendship with Isabelle, he comes to find the final missing piece for his father’s automaton. When activated, the mechanical man draws a scene from his father’s favorite film Voyage to the Moon. What is even more bizarre is the picture is signed with the name of Isabelle’s godfather.
Baffled with the mystery, Hugo and Isabelle confront her godmother Mama Jeanne. She refuses to tell them anything and becomes terrified when her husband comes home. She hides them in a room where they end up discovering more pictures and screen boards. When Georges hears the commotion and discovers his old creations scattered all over the floor, he becomes furious then depressed and feels betrayed by his loved ones.
Through the help of bookstore owner Monsieur Labisse and film historian René Tabard, Hugo and Isabelle discover the true story of her godfather. Georges Méliès was once a legendary illusionist and filmmaker who made hundreds of films and invented the art of cinematic special effects. However, he lost faith in films when the interest in his work declined and the French army confiscated many of his original prints for their celluloid and silver content during World War I . He went bankrupt and made meager wages as a toy store owner. Believing there was nothing left of his life’s work, he chose to forget his past and disappear.
Upon learning the truth, Hugo realizes what he must do to restore Georges' faith, even if he has to risk his life. Through his actions, Hugo finds himself a place to finally call home while Georges remembers his significance and invites everyone to come and dream with him once again.
The DVD includes the featurette “Shoot the Moon,” which looks at the making of Hugo. Exclusive to Blu-ray is a plethora of special features including: “The Cinemagician, Georges Méliès”; “The Mechanical Man at the Heart of Hugo”; “Big Effects, Small Scale”; and “Sacha Baron Cohen: Role of a Lifetime.” The Blu-ray 3D contains the feature film in 3D. All are available at major New York City retailers including Best Buy, Target and Walmart (in Long Island).
Cast:
- Asa Butterfield as Hugo Cabret
- Ben Kingsley as Georges Méliès
- Chloë Grace Moretz as Isabelle
- Sacha Baron Cohen as Inspector Gustav
- Ray Winstone as Claude Cabret
- Jude Law as Hugo's father
- Christopher Lee as Monsieur Labisse
- Helen McCrory as Mama Jeanne
- Michael Stuhlbarg as René Tabard
- Emily Mortimer as Lisette
- Frances de la Tour as Madame Emile
- Richard Griffiths as Monsieur Frick
- Marco Aponte as train engineer assistant
- Emil Lager as Django Reinhardt
DVD Special Features:
- Shoot the Moon (The Making of Hugo)
Blu-ray Special Features:
Includes all DVD Special Features plus:
- The Cinemagician, Georges Méliès
- The Mechanical Man at the Heart of Hugo
- Big Effects, Small Scale
- Sacha Baron Cohen: Role of a Lifetime
Blu-ray 3D Special Features:
Includes all Blu-ray Special Features plus:
- 3D Version of the Feature Film
Best Deals:
Amazon.com
Save $5 when you order Hugo on DVD, Blu-ray Combo Pack or Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack and The Invention of Hugo Cabret book.
Best Prices:
DVD (includes UltraViolet Digital Copy) - $15.46 at Walmart.com, $15.49 at Amazon.com, $15.99 at Toys R Us, $16.99 at Best Buy, Target, $19.99 at BestBuy.com (price match to in-store price)
Blu-ray Combo Pack (includes DVD and UltraViolet Digital Copy) - $21.96 at Walmart.com, $21.99 at Amazon.com, $22.99 at Target, Toys R Us, $24.99 at Best Buy, $29.99 at BestBuy.com (price match to in-store price)
Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack (includes Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray, DVD and UltraViolet Digital Copy) - $27.96 at Walmart.com, $27.99 at Amazon.com, Best Buy, $29.99 at Target, $34.99 at BestBuy.com (price match to in-store price)
Stores:
- Best Buy: New York City locations or use the store locator for other areas.
- BJ's Wholesale Club: New York City locations or use the store locator for other areas.
- Blockbuster: New York City locations or use the store locator for other areas.
- FYE: New York City locations or use the store locator for other areas.
- Kmart: New York City locations or use the store locator for other areas.
- Toys 'R' Us: New York City locations or use the store locator for other areas.
- Target: New York City locations or use the store locator for other areas.
- Walmart: Long Island locations or use the store locator for other areas.
- Amazon.com charges sales tax for all New York shipping addresses.
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