For a movie that looks radiant – including the 3D – and handled with precision from behind the lens, Hugo is shockingly a numbing experience.

Chances are you will not feel a thing until the last third of the film. This is also the point where the purpose of the story is finally revealed. It’s the first time where yours truly had to wrestle with if a movie did in fact need a purpose or sturdy plot to be entertaining. Hopefully this will be answered in just a few paragraphs; or in this case, rambles.

Hugo Cabret (Asa Butterfield) is a young orphan that has a knack for fixing anything mechanical. The setting of this tale is 1930s Paris, at a massive train station in the heart of the city. Hugo spends most of his days adjusting all the clocks throughout the station – a job his drunken Uncle (Ray Winstone) should be doing. When he’s not adjusting clockwork mechanisms, he ends up fiddling with an over-sized mechanical doll with human-like features. Trying to get the automaton to function is proving quite the task for someone who usually figures out everything fairly quickly. He believes that this robot has a message from his late father (Jude Law in cameo mode), but learns that its history runs deeper than he once thought.

When he’s not working on the little metal man, he carefully maneuvers around the station, avoiding the shrewd station inspector (Sacha Baron Cohen) and his k-9 sidekick, Maximilian, who takes an unusual pride in catching shoplifting orphans. Hugo is also a watcher (no pun); as he peers through secret crevices taking in the daily people who work at small shops on the station grounds; his favorite being the quiet toy store operator, Georges Melies (Ben Kingsley). Through his visual stalking, he coincidentally becomes friends with Georges’ daughter, Isabelle (Chloe Grace Moretz). During their time together, the two explore the riddle behind Hugo’s wind-up robot; the interest Georges has, or doesn’t have, in it; and the magic of filmmaking. And naturally, the two do get into some mischief.

While Chloe Grace Moretz dazzles again, the young male lead is no slouch either. Their chemistry and emotional discharge is a pleasure to watch considering their young age. And with people like Ben Kingsley and the great Christopher Lee showing up in supporting roles, the veteran actors are able to anchor this down as the more-or-less wise mentors. Even Sacha Baron Cohen (Borat, Bruno) shows that he’s more than just a shock and awe actor. His timely and subtle comedy is right on for the family-friendly atmosphere. And if you listen closely, it does have some mature edge to it.

Having all these fine performances keeps your attention. Plus director Martin Scorsese creates an atmosphere that ushers in old-school and modern-day filmmaking aesthetic that will have your eyes constantly exploring. It’s definitely a holiday movie yet its purpose remains hidden for some time. Mainly because the script changes its mind on where the focus is going to be and the transition is anything but smooth.

And that’s why it’s amazing that this film can’t project any emotion off the screen to the audience. Aside from an educational montage that showcases the pioneer techniques of filmmaking, which is beautifully orchestrated, the direction or message this piece is trying to depict remains as mysterious as the mechanical robot angle. But it’s not the good kind of mystery. It’s the I-really-don’t-care-anymore feeling that will consume your mind. Very strange not to have any interest in the story yet you do not mind admiring the physical characteristics. Guess that’s similar to a conversation with a stripper…or watching Avatar again.

This flick may be worth the price just to see how aptly 3D can be used in conjunction with jaw-dropping set designs. Other than that, this would have been more moving and engaging if this instituted one of those old-school movie mechanics and ran silent for its near two-hour duration.

Overall, Hugo is quite frankly, attractively boring. The storytelling is lacking but the visual aspects and filmmaking mechanics can, and do, pick up the slack. All the production people deserve the utmost recognition, but this feature as a whole, just feels underwhelming, despite some exceptional performances from the entire cast.
RATING: 3 out of 5

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The fourth Peter Jackson video blog from the set of The Hobbit focuses on the 3D, specifically the way they use the RED cameras, shooting in 5k, how much of a difference the 48 frames per second will make for the viewers and probably for the first time in the making of a movie, 3D artwork. So grab your red-cyan glasses and watch this awesome video blog right after the break.

This 10 minutes and 46 second video blog goes very in depth on the 3D and shows probably the most we’ve seen from The Hobbit yet. Peter Jackson talks about the original Lord of the Rings and how he would have filmed it in 3D if he had the possibility back then. Instead he made a lot of 3D pictures on the set of the trilogy so look forward to those in some fancy The Hobbit: The Unexpected Journey 3D Blu-ray.

Because they use such big lens, getting the right separation with the RED cameras was definitely a challenge and we see how they solved that with special rigs that can actually adjust the convergence point of the 3D on the fly. We also see how challenging working in 3D is for the makeup and wardrobe team and how the sets had to be painted in very bright colors so that it looks right when shown in the darkening 3D.

48 RED cameras and 17 3D rigs are used to shoot The Hobbit and instead of giving the cameras numbers, they named them after family members or friends. At the end of the video they show how they made 3D artwork by having two artists, one working in red, the other in blue, side by side. To really appreciate their work you need a pair of red-cyan glasses.

The Hobbit: The Unexpected Journey is directed by Peter Jackson and stars Martin Freeman, Luke Evans, Hugo Weaving, Evangeline Lily, Orlando Bloom, Elijah Wood, Cate Blanchett, Andy Serkis, Christopher Lee, Ian McKellen, Stephen Fry and Ian Holm among others. The film follows the story of Bilbo Baggins and his journey to the Lonely Mountain accompanied by 13 dwarfs, to reclaim a treasure stolen from them by the dragon Smaug. It is set to open December 14th 2012 and will be followed a year later by The Hobbit: There and Back Again on December 13th 2013.

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GK Films has released a new trailer for Martin Scorsese’s 3D family adventure Hugo. It’s a bit odd saying the words “Martin Scorsese” and “3D” in the same sentence, but with “family adventure” thrown in the mix, it causes one to scratch his or her head, wondering if it’s just a big prank.

Alas, it is as real as it gets, and from the looks of the new trailer, it looks surprisingly intriguing. But who can complain with a cast consisting of Jude Law, Ben Kingsley, Christopher Lee, Sacha Baron Cohen, Ray Winstone, Chloë Grace Moretz (Kick-Ass), and Asa Butterfield (The Boy in The Striped Pajamas).

Check out the trailer below:

‘Hugo’ tells the story of an orphan boy living a secret life in the walls of a Paris train station. With the help of an eccentric girl, he searches for the answer to a mystery linking the father he recently lost, the ill-tempered toy shop owner living below him and a heart shaped lock, seemingly without a key. Based on Brian Selznick’s award winning and imaginative New York Times bestseller, “The Invention of Hugo Cabret,” this magical tale is Scorsese’s first film shot in 3D.

Now it’s no doubt that Hugo is a dramatic departure from the usual violent and gritty films Scorsese’s become iconic for, such as GoodFellas and Shutter Island. But, with that being said, the trailer manages to capture a mysterious and emotionally engaging adventure with adult elements, contrary to the first trailer’s whimsical “kiddie” feeling.

It may be hard to wrap your head around, but it looks like Scorsese is managing quite well in new territory, which promises us a feel good mystery/adventure film that is geared for all ages. The only quip I have, which is obvious, is Scorsese’s attempt at using 3D elements. It just doesn’t feel like this is the type of film that warrants the need for the technology (then again most modern films don’t) and, again, it just doesn’t feel right for the director. Scepticisms are no doubt abundant, but we’ll know soon enough if Scorsese can pull it off when the film releases.

Hugo is released on 2D/3D screens across the US from November 23rd and the UK from December 2nd.

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There’s a party in Middle Earth and everyone’s invited. According to Deadline Andy Serkis has closed his deal to return as Gollum in The Hobbit, and Ian McKellen is “poised to return” as Gandalf (although his deal is still being worked out). Update: THR say McKellen is confirmed!

Not only that, Deadline mentions that Christopher Lee is in talks to reprise his role as Saruman, and Ian Holm is set to return as an older version of Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman is playing the younger one).

This means we can expect to see most of the major players from The Lord of the Rings trilogy (however briefly) in The Hobbit. We’ve already heard about Elijah Wood, Orlando Bloom and Cate Blanchett returning as Frodo, Legolas and Galadriel, and we can probably expect to hear about a few more as the February start date draws near.

Christopher Lee (who is approaching the grand age of 89) said back in 2008 that he would “be interested in seeing how [Saruman's] transition from good to evil occurred and, yes, of course I would return to the role if I was asked.” However he said travelling all the way to New Zealand would be “simply too far away” for him, but if they managed to set something up in London he would be interested. The actor also expressed interest in voicing Smaug, so we’ll have to see how that goes.

It looks like Peter Jackson and the team are trying to get as many familiar faces to return as possible, which I’m all for. Some characters may not have been mentioned directly in the book but they were still around. I wonder if we’ll see other characters such as Arwen, Aragorn or Gimli?

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…and it’s about time! At the grand age of 87 the man who brought Dracula, Count Dooku and Saruman to life was knighted at Buckingham Palace yesterday by Prince Charles for his services to drama and charity. Lee has appeared in over 250 films and also holds the record for most sword fights on screen.

Here’s a video of the event which also shows Lee talking about gaining the knighthood, his career, and the state of current horror movies:

Sir Christopher Lee will be the voice of The Jabberwock in Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland which will be released next March.

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They are both British, they both play great villains, and they are both going to be in Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland. According to christopher lee web Christopher Lee’s role has not yet been disclosed, however johnnydeppreads say that Alan Rickman will play the hookah smoking Caterpillar.

The casting updates have been pouring in recently. A few days ago Crispin Glover was cast as the Knave of Hearts, who is put on trial for stealing the Queen of Hearts’ tarts and is defended by Alice.

Composer Danny Elfman also announced recently that he will be working on the music for the film.

The cast is looking pretty impressive so far:

Mia Wasikowska as Alice
Johnny Depp as The Mad Hatter
Helena Bonham Carter as The Red Queen
Anne Hathaway as The White Queen
Alan Rickman as The Caterpillar
Martin Sheen as The Cheshire Cat
Matt Lucas as Tweedledee and Tweedledum
Crispin Glover as The Knave of Hearts
Eleanor Tomlinson as Fiona Chataway
Christopher Lee in an unknown role.

Burton will be using a combination of live action and performance-capture technology to tell the Lewis Carroll story. It will also be in 3D.

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The Star Wars franchise returns this week as Star Wars: The Clone Wars is released on most parts of the planet. However, there will be no Hayden Christensen or Ewan McGregor. No Natalie Portman or Frank Oz. In fact, the only actors returning to voice their characters are Samuel L. Jackson (Mace Windu), Christopher Lee (Count Dooku), and Anthony Daniels (C-3P0).

Why is this?

MTV asked George Lucas that very question:

“When we decided to do the feature, we went back to the actors and said, ‘Look, we’re doing a feature. Would you like to do the voice? Could you come in a month?’ Some of them were all over the world. It was hard to get all the actors that would be off on set,” Lucas told reporters at a press conference last week. “You need people available every week. [Also] you can’t really afford multi-million dollar actors to do a television series. Those guys make more during their coffee break.”

But the bottom line for why most of the actors aren’t returning to voice the characters they made famous? Because George Lucas doesn’t need them, Lucas himself said to reporters.

“It used to be in animation you just had [unknown] actors do the parts. The idea of hiring a really good actor – Tom Hanks [for instance] – was a really revolutionary idea,” Lucas said. “Partly they did it because they were great actors, partly they did it cause they wanted to use them for publicity. To be very honest with you, I don’t really think I need to hire a big movie star to publicize my movie. I don’t need Angelina Jolie here. That’s what it comes down to in the end. They have two days in the studio and then they have like two weeks doing press. They are mainly paid for the press stuff.”

He has a point. Although it would have been great to have everyone back to voice an animated version of their characters, it is not how the world works. In Hollywood anyway.

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Up until this point I have just assumed all of the original cast from the Lord of the Rings trilogy would return for The Hobbit, seeing as though they all had a wonderful time making it and in interviews most of them have been rather excited. However…

Christopher Lee attended the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival this week, and our friends from RushBlogg, Karsten and Eirik, were on hand to talk to him. Of all the attendees, Meinich was the only one who asked Lee about his involvement in The Hobbit. Lee’s answer came as quite a surprise — first, he’s adamant that he won’t be appearing in The Hobbit, because as we all know, Saruman isn’t in the book. This comes as no surprise — Lee is a Tolkien purist (thank goodness!) and he won’t allow himself to be shoehorned in, even if Peter Jackson and Guillermo del Toro were interested in doing so.

Lee isn’t interested in filming in New Zealand again because it is simply too far away, for too long of a time. You can hear the tiredness in his voice — and perhaps a bit of regret too.

That doesn’t mean Lee isn’t interested in being in The Hobbit at all, however! He’ll appear in the film as long as he can stay in London, and there’s a character he’s quite keen to play. Or rather, voice. Someone very large, with a penchant for gold…

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He may be 86 years old but he still has six movies on the way and could be adding another one (or two). Christopher Lee spoke to Empire about Saruman returning for The Hobbit prequels. Although Saruman doesnt appear in the book, there is the second film which Del Toro and Jackson will be writing to bridge the gap between The Hobbit and the first Lord of the Rings movie.

“I’ve read the books time and again,” said the 86-year-old. “Originally Saruman The White and the rest of the wizards, or the Istari as they call them, were immortal. There were five of them, two of them never appear, I know their names but they never appear, and the only three that are mentioned are Saruman The White, Gandalf The Grey and Radagast The Brown who you never see – so basically it’s two wizards.

“They lived for thousands of years and they were sent to the earth and they are virtually immortal. When it all started, Saruman was the noblest, the finest, the bravest, the most dependable and reliable of them all, he was number one. But somewhere, somehow, and it was never actually explained, he turns and it’s probably the Palantír (the wizard’s crystal ball thingy) that makes Saruman realise that if Sauron can do this, why can’t I do it and Saruman wants to become The Lord Of The Rings himself.”

“I’d be interested in seeing how that transition from good to evil occurred and, yes, of course I would return to the role if I was asked.”

You can tell Lee has read the trilogy every year for the past five decades can’t you?

I suppose it would be quite cool to see Saruman’s decent into darkness. What do you think?

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The UK Royal Mail are celebrating 50 years of Hammer Horror films with three new stamps featuring original cinema posters of Dracula, The Mummy and The Curse of Frankenstein, which all stared Christopher Lee.

Lee will make history next month by being among the first living non-royals to be portrayed on a British stamp, breaking an 80 year old tradition. The Queen has personally approved the designs, and the British public will be able to get licking them in June.

Larger versions can be seen below!

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