Aardman Animation is best known for their stop-motion, claymation films and shorts, many of them involving the characters Wallace and Gromit, and most of them award-winning. On the big screen Aardman has given us 2000's "Chicken Run" and 2005's "Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit" and, more recently, the studio provided character development for two CGI animated films: 2006's "Flushed Away" and last year's instant holiday classic, "Arthur Christmas".

"The Pirates! Band of Misfits" is the studio's first stop-motion film since "Were-Rabbit", and it is so incredibly funny throughout I was exhausted from laughing when it was over.

Hugh Grant stars as the voice of The Pirate Captain. He's the leader of a wacky and diverse crew who storm the seven seas in search of gold. For his entire life The Pirate Captain has wanted to win the "Pirate of the Year" Award. Every year he enters and every year he loses, but that doesn't stop him from entering again, and since he's never won before he think he's got a really good chance this time. You gotta love his optimism.

But he needs to steal a lot of booty to have a chance to compete with the more successful pirates for the award. So he and his crew take to the high seas and eventually come upon a ship with a young scientist named Charles Darwin on board. Before being made to walk the plank, Charles notices that The Pirate Captain's parrot (named Polly) is actually a scientific wonder - a thought-to-be-extinct Dodo bird. Charles wants to enter Polly in a major Science competition in London. But London is not a safe place for pirates because England's Queen Victoria HATES pirates. If he goes The Pirate Captain could win enough riches to realize his dream of being "Pirate of the Year" or he and his crew could get caught and killed. And what about Charles Darwin and his assistant - a highly intelligent, but silent chimp?

It's a wonderfully goofy plot - set in the 1800's - and yet characters have Sharpies, use modern expressions and one of the other scientific experiments is a Rubik's Cube. And this only adds to the goofiness. "The Pirates! Band of Misfits" is filled with big laughs, subtle jokes and clever one-liners from start to finish. You have to pay attention and listen closely to get them all. The first scene of the movie, in which we meet The Pirate Captain and his men (all of which aren't men) has more laughs in it than some full-length so-called comedies. Overall, "The Pirates!" is more geared to an older audience because the jokes and references are more for them, but that's not to say that younger kids won't like it.

The writing is brilliant. The script relies on so many forms of comedy: satire, parody, farce, slapstick. There are situations and events thrown-in just for laughs (my personal favorite is the "Pirate of the Year Award" ceremony), others that are flat-out ridiculous, but it all works because the writers stay true to the story and the variety characters.

The other element of "The Pirates!" that makes it so enjoyable is the stop-motion animation, which is fantastic. All characters and settings look so good that you watch in awe wondering how the Aardman team was able to create these scenes with modeling clay and hundred of thousand of still photos. Grant, in his first animated role, does a nice job as the likeable Pirate Captain. Jeremy Piven, Salma Hayek and even Al Roker are part of the supporting cast. The rest of the voices mostly come from British actors, including Martin Freeman and Brendan Gleeson.

This is the most ambitious of any Aardman film, with loads of characters and tons of action. The movie packs so much into 90 minutes, and that includes the credits, which may be the most entertaining I've ever seen. You'll feel bad for the people who worked on the film because you won't be able to pay attention to their names. Don't make a mistake and leave early.

"The Pirates! Band of Misfits" is rated PG for some mild action, rude humor and brief language. It's appropriate for kids 8 and up. But again, youngsters will enjoy it for the characters and the action, but the older crowd, including parents, will appreciate it even more.

On The Official LCJ Report Card, "The Pirates! Band of Misfits" gets a B+. It's a whale of a good time and the funniest film of 2012...by far. I saw it in 3D and the extra dimension works, though it does make a few of the scenes a little too dark. When I see "The Pirates!" again (and it'll be soon) it'll be in digital 2D and I'm sure it will be fantastic. Either way, if you don't enjoy "Pirates!" it's time for you to walk the plank!

This is a big year for animated movies, with two other stop-motion films, plus Pixar's "Brave" and "Madagascar 3" coming out. But it'll be very hard for any of them to defeat "The Pirates!".

Most everyone knows that The Three Stooges were a classic comedy trio that began back in the 1920's. They were famous for their outrageous slapstick and were very popular both on TV and in movies. Now, more than 60 years after the original Moe, Larry and Curly ended their run as the Stooges, they're being revived.

I've never been a huge fan of slapstick, so I was a little worried going into "The Three Stooges". But I've got to say that I'm surprised by how funny the physical bits work in this film and fans of the original Stooges will be pleased with the effort put in by the filmmakers and cast to honor these comedy legends.

When this movie was original announced Moe, Larry and Curly were going to be played by Benicio del Toro, Sean Penn and Jim Carrey. What a different movie that would've been. In the end "Will & Grace"'s Sean Hayes stars as Larry (the curly-haired Stooge - for the uneducated), Will Sasso plays Curly (the bald Stooge), and Chris Diamantopoulos is Moe (the leader of the Stooges, who tries to hold everything together).

At the beginning of the film, we see the Stooges as babies, being dropped-off at the front of an orphanage (already with their famous haircuts). We then flash-forward 10 years and no one working at the orphanage can stand them anymore (including Mother Superior, played by "Glee"'s Jane Lynch) and no one wants to adopt them. Then we jump ahead another 25 years: Mother Superior hasn't aged a bit, but the Stooges have and they're still causing trouble at the orphanage.

So much so that the orphanage is being forced to close because it can't afford to pay all the bills that are piling-up from repairing things destroyed by the Stooges. So Moe, Larry and Curly decide to go out on their own and try to raise the $830,000 needed to keep it open. Along the way they get caught-up in a scheme involving Lydia (Sofia Vergara), Moe becomes a reality star on "Jersey Shore", and a lot of other funny and crazy things take place.

The film is divided into three acts, each beginning with updated version of the classic intros from the TV shorts. Some of the slapstick, especially early on, is laugh-out-loud funny. But, for me a least, it did get a little old after a while. But the second half does have some funny one-liners to keep the laughs coming.

But, sadly, "The Three Stooges" is not all Nyucks. The subplot involving Lydia is a waste. I would have liked to have seen more of the Stooges trying to come-up with ways of getting the money. There's a scene where they try to become farmers that is hysterical.

Besides Vergara and Lynch, the supporting cast also includes Jennifer Hudson as a nun (who's only in the film to belt out a couple of songs). An almost unrecognizable Larry David ("Curb Your Enthusiasm") also plays a nun, and he's a main target for hi-jinks throughout the film. And even though you know that a guy is playing a nun, it still works. Isiah Mustafa (the "Old Spice Guy") plays the "Jersey Shore" producer.

And yes, the entire cast of that MTV show is in the movie. Once Moe becomes a cast member, he, Larry and Curly get to do what just about everyone has been dying to do to these people since they first appeared on TV. However, this subplot is a little "out there" and goes on a bit too long.

Diehard fans will be happy with the actors' interpretations of the Stooges. All three handle the very tricky dialogue and pull-off the slapstick in style. There are plenty of moments where you know what's coming, but more often than not you laugh anyway. The characters are gullible and likeable, and Hayes, Sasso and Diamantopolous capture that and mesh very well on screen.

"The Three Stooges" is directed by The Farrelly Brothers. They're better known for their more adult comedies, such as "There's Something About Mary", "Dumb and Dumber" and "Hall Pass". "The Three Stooges" is actually their first PG-rated film in 10 years. Obviously there's a lot of silly, slapstick violence, along with some rude humor and a few gross moments. The film is appropriate for kids 9 and up, as long as their parents make it clear, as parents have had to do with their kids since this trio first appeared on screen, that they should not try to imitate anything they see The Stooges do. And just in case, you get a reminder of that at the end of the film (complete with an inside joke).

On The Official LCJ Report Card, "The Three Stooges" gets a C+.

If this film is a box office success we could see some of the original Stooges' movies and shows return to TV and the inevitible sequel, where we could meet the other three Three Stooges.

Mirror, Mirror, on the wall, who's the fairest of them all? Snow White is the fairest...the 1937 Disney animated Snow White. 75 years later, Hollywood is in a "Snow White" craze with two big releases based on the fairy tale within a few months of each other. June's "Snow White and the Huntsman" looks like a dark, action/adventure. "Mirror Mirror" on the other hand is a light family comedy with only mild action. The problem is "Mirror Mirror" isn't funny or exciting, and at times is uncomfortable to watch.

In this version of the story, Snow White's mother (the Queen) died at childbirth and so her father (the King) had to take care of her. He found a new Queen, and she would be the one to rule the land and take care of Snow White because the King went off to fight in the forest and was never heard from again. Julia Roberts stars as The Queen, an evil and strict woman who has destroyed the once prosperous and happy kingdom by taking all the townspeople's money. And she despises the now 18-year-old Snow White (Lily Collins).

One day without permission, Snow White goes outside the castle and into the forest where she rescues Prince Alcott ("J. Edgar"'s Armie Hammer), who was held captive by seven bandits. These bandits are the seven dwarfs, but don't have the Happy, Dopey, Grumpy names like in the Disney classic. The Queen orders her #1 servant (played by Nathan Lane) to kill Snow White, but instead he allows her to escape into the forest, where she meets-up with the dwarfs. At the same time, the Queen wants to marry Prince Alcott but he's falling for Snow White, I bet you can figure out the rest.

And that's one of the many problems with "Mirror Mirror" - there's nothing new or different about this story to make it even worth making the new version. This movie tries too hard to be too cute. You can tell the filmmakers were trying to copy the successful formula of Disney's "Enchanted" (updated spin on the fairy tale genre) but they failed miserably.

The film does have a pretty good cast, but they have very little material to work with. Roberts' Queen tries to talk "evil" with her dialogue but doesn't actually do anything evil. And for some reason she has an alter ego (her as the "woman in the mirror") who is just bizarre to look at. Collins ("The Blind Side") is a good choice as the plucky princess. You feel bad for Hammer (who was very good in "J. Edgar" and "The Social Network"), because the script has him doing some embarrassing scenes, including playing a dog and actually licking Roberts. Lane is a funny guy, and though he does have a couple of decent one-liners, he's mostly wasted here. Most of the jokes fall flat, including the all ones involving the dwarfs, who are a bit overused. But all of the costumes (especially Roberts' large dresses) are very nice.

There are a couple of good moments in "Mirror, Mirror" when Hammer and Collins are together dancing and sword-fighting. But the rest of this film is simply silly. At times characters say lines that really has nothing to do with what's happening. It's as if the writers knew a scene was dying, so they added what they thought was a funny line to try to save the day. The special effects are anything but. Most of the backgrounds are green screen, and the creatures (including gigantic wooden puppets - Why? I don't know - and some type of dragon-looking thing) aren't scary, just weird.

"Mirror Mirror" is rated PG for some mild action and brief language. It's appropriate for kids 9 and up. Younger ones might like the slapstick, but anyone of any age will get freaked-out when Julia Roberts walks into the mirror and comes out of the water onto a boardwalk in the Philippines. Overall, this is one of the corniest and wackiest movies I've seen in some time.

On The Official LCJ Report Card, "Mirror Mirror" gets a C-. It has a few good moments, but we can only hope that this isn't the fairest of the "Snow White" movies coming-out this year.

Since 2000 three Dr. Seuss books have made their way to the big screen: "How the Grinch Stole Christmas", "The Cat in the Hat", and "Horton Hears a Who!". When you think of other classic Seuss books "The Lorax" doesn't immediately come to mind. So it's a bit surprising that this story was chosen to be the newest Seuss film. But the theme of the movie - protecting the environment - is certainly a hot topic right now.

Unfortunately "Dr. Seuss' The Lorax" is just too simple to have an impact on anyone who sees it - kids or adults.

Ted (voiced by Zac Efron) lives in Thneedville where everything is fake and made of plastic and the people like it that way. There are no trees so everyone has to buy clean air. In order to impress a girl he has a crush on named Audrey (singer Taylor Swift), Ted needs to find a real living tree. His Gramma (voiced by Betty White - how predictable) tells him to go to the mysterious Once-ler, who lives outside of town.

The Once-ler (Ed Helms) tells Ted the story of The Lorax (voiced by comedian Danny DeVito). He is a short, orange creature who "speaks for the trees" and tries to protect them so he and his animal friends can live and thrive. When the Once-ler was younger, he came to the animal's beautiful home and chopped down all the trees so he could make a product out of them to sell to and make a lot of money - something he later regretted doing. The Once-ler decides to help Ted to try to undo his big mistake.

The movie begins promisingly with a musical number during the opening credits. Something pretty rare - and it works. And the first half of the film is o.k. There are touches of Seuss (including some rhyming dialogue) and the animation is bright and cheery.

But then "The Lorax" begins to go downhill - fast. It's almost as if the filmmakers forgot that this is a Dr. Seuss story. There's no wit, no charm. The movie becomes just another average CGI animated film. Which is shocking considering that it's made by many of the same people behind 2010's "Despicable Me", which is one of the most original movies of the past decade. "The Lorax" is filled with stereotypes and dull characters, such as a villain who's the shortest person in town and a fat bear who is the slowest and goofiest of all the animals.

One thing the movie's not filled with is laughs. There are hardly any funny lines. Most of the "jokes" are either overdone or incredibly predictable. An obvious attempt to duplicate "Despicable Me"'s hilarious minions with a group of goldfish fails miserably.

And, after the opening musical number, the rest of the songs are corny and unnecessary. It seems like they were added simply to get the very thin story to fill 90 minutes.

The animation is colorful, the voice cast is solid, and the Lorax and Once-ler characters do have a little depth to them. But it's very difficult for "The Lorax" to keep your interest when you know exactly what's coming.

It's rated PG for brief mild language. Young ones may like the colors and the characters, but will likely get restless halfway through. Anyone older than 8 or 9 will have a hard time caring about the story or the very basic environmental message.

On The Official LCJ Report Card, "Dr. Seuss' The Lorax" gets a C+. This isn't one of Seuss' classic stories and so I guess we shouldn't be surprised that this is not even close to being a classic animated film.

2008's "Journey to the Center of the Earth" was a fun family adventure. It was also the first live-action film to be shot entirely in the new digital 3D format. The Third Dimension has come a long way in the three and a half years since "Journey 1", as we see in "Journey 2: The Mysterious Island", which showcases the technical improvements along with a few other surprises.

Josh Hutcherson ("Bridge to Terabithia", "The Kids Are All Right") is the only main cast member beck from the original. He reprises his role as Sean, who's now a teenager and still getting into trouble. Brendan Fraser played Sean's uncle in "Journey 1", but in this sequel, Dwayne Johnson is the leading man, as Sean's stepfather Hank. Sean is able to pick up codes over the radio that he thinks are coming from his grandfather, who's an adventurer trying to find the Mysterious Island that Jules Verne wrote about.

After figuring-out that the island may be more actually be real, Sean and Hank decide to try to go looking for it. They hire a wacky helicopter pilot (Luis Guzman) and his daughter Kailani (Vanessa Hudgens), to take them out to the middle of the ocean where the island is supposed to be. They barely survive a wild storm and end-up on the island where they meet Sean's grandfather (played by Michael Caine). They learn that the island is the lost city of Atlantis (no spoiler if you saw the end of the first film) and that it's about to return to the ocean floor. So it's a race again time and the rising tide to figure out how to get off the island and get back home.

The key to enjoying "Journey 2: The Mysterious Island" is not to take it too seriously. This is pure fantasy/science fiction. Caine even discusses this in the opening narration. Of course the plot is ridiculous, but it's also a lot of fun. And, just like the first one, "Journey 2" has a good enough story (with only a handful of characters) to keep your interest the entire way.

Johnson is clearly in one of his three comfort zones here, that being the 'family film'. This is his fifth family film (including career highlights "Tooth Fairy" and the animated "Planet 51"). He has tons of charisma and charm on screen. He's also a co-producer on "Journey 2", and he likely had input on some of the scenes he plays for laughs, including bouncing 3D berries off his chest right at the audience and the witty dialogue he shares with Caine. Johnson also sings in the film ("What a Wonderful World"), and he's actually not that bad.

Caine is perfectly cast as the crusty, old adventurer. Hutcherson and Hudgens are good as they deal with a possible budding romance while trying to stay alive, but Guzman is too over the top as the comic-relief character. He's forced to deliver flat jokes and fall down a lot. Overall the 3D is better than average for the CGI scenes involving huge bees, lizards, eels and birds chasing the human characters. But the regular, live-action 3D still has a way to go.

"Journey 2: The Mysterious Island" is rated PG for some brief language and mild action. A few times creatures come right at the camera, which might scare younger kids for a second or two, (but for most the in-your-face 3D is a blast!). It's appropriate for kids 8 and up, who along with their parents (and even grandparents who might be Michael Caine fans) will enjoy this first thrilling family adventure of the year.

On The Official L-C-J Report Card, "Journey 2: The Mysterious Island" gets a solid B. It's a great "Journey 2" take to beat the winter blues.

Without giving too much away, this sequel does set-up for a third installment, which should come as no surprise. Hutcherson's going to be too old for this role pretty soon so Warner Bros. better not wait another three and a half years if the do plan on making "Journey 3".

And before the film is a new Looney Tunes short called "Daffy's Rhapsody", starring Daffy Duck and Elmer Fudd. Daffy's voice is the late Mel Blanc's recording of the 1953 song "Daffy's Rhapsody". The short is fast-paced, has great animation and a lot of fun.

"Big Miracle" is not inspired by the true story of the U.S. hockey team beating Russia in the 1980 Winter Olympics. That was 2004's "Miracle". In this movie, one of the first of Universal Studio's 100th anniversary year, the Americans and Russians actually work together, to try to save three whales. And, yes, it's also based on an actual event.

John Krasinski (from TV's "The Office") stars as Adam, a TV news reporter working in Barrow, Alaska (which is located above the Arctic Circle) back in 1988. One day he discovers that three large, grey whales are trapped in the ice, with only one small hole for them to come to the surface to breathe. He does a story on the whales which is shown on the NBC Nightly News. Soon everyone, from school kids to the President of the United States, becomes interested in the plight of this whale family.

Including Adam's ex-girlfriend Rachel, played by Drew Barrymore. She's the leader of Greenpeace, and she comes to Barrow to try to use her power to get the help needed to free the whales. And there's Ted Danson, who plays as an evil and greedy oil company executive and Kristen Bell, as TV reporter sent from L.A. to cover the story. And there are plenty of local Alaskans on hand. They all come together to try to save the whales.

And that's pretty much it. "Big Miracle" is a one-note film. It's all about saving these whales, who are given the Flintstones names Fred, Wilma and Bamm-Bamm for some reason. Some inspirational movies that are based on a true story grab you emotionally and really make you care about what's going to happen. "Big Miracle" just floats there, like a dead goldfish in a bowl, for nearly two hours. You're hoping that maybe it's going to come to life and starting swimming around, but it never does.

One of the main problems is that the three whales just aren't likeable. All they do is pop-up out of the water for a few seconds and then go back down. Over and over and over. Very tough for the filmmakers to get the audience to make a connection with key characters who have no personality. Compare this to last September's "Dolphin Tale", whose main character, an injured dolphin, was fun and very likeable. It also helped that the dolphin in "Dolphin Tale" was real. It's very obvious that the three whales in "Big Miracle" are animatronic creations.

As for the performances, they are shockingly bad, led by Barrymore. But it's not entirely her fault, as the dialogue she and the rest of the cast is forced to deliver is pretty corny. And there are some scenes that are utterly ridiculous, including the ones involving President Reagan and the Russians, that could have been part of a Saturday Night Live skit.

"Big Miracle" is rated PG for some mild language. It's appropriate for kids 9 and up. Parents, don't take your little ones to this thinking it's a fun, cute movie about whales. It's a long, talky movie about "saving whales". Like the two six year olds in the row ahead of me they will quickly get bored and want to leave. Come to think of it, that's kinda how I felt. The only thing that kept me going was the actual news footage of the whale rescue story that's used throughout the film. It was fun seeing Dan Rather, Tom Brokaw and the late Peter Jennings once again.

On The Official L-C-J Report Card, "Big Miracle" gets a C-.

This movie was originally called "Everybody Loves Whales". Good decision to change that, since it kept critics from writing such lines as "Nothing to love about 'Everybody Loves Whales'." However, I have to say that the biggest miracle involving "Big Miracle" will be if it makes it's budget back at the box office.

Normally when a studio holds an early, nationwide screening for audiences it's because they think the film is really good and that the buzz will be helpful to spread the word. Last fall Fox decided to show "We Bought a Zoo" to thousands and thousands of people, not a week or two before it's schedule release date but an entire month early. A puzzling move, because the preview screenings didn't help develop any buzz for the film. Neither did the fact that this "based on a true story" dramedy just isn't very good, as first-time watchers will learn now that the film is out on DVD.

Matt Damon plays Benjamin, a single father of two who's still coping with the death of his wife six months earlier. He was a writer, but just like the title character in director Cameron Crowe's "Jerry McGuire", Benjamin quits his job looking to start a new life in a new town.

After checking-out many new houses Benjamin and his young daughter fall in love with an old home with loads of land attached. They soon learn that this isn't just any property - it's a zoo. But Ben doesn't see this as a problem, but an opportunity. He decides to buy the zoo, which has been closed-down for awhile. It comes with all the animals and the workers, including head zookeeper Kelly (played by Scarlett Johansson). Together Ben, Kelly and the staff have to get the zoo back in shape so it can pass inspection and re-open.

The biggest problem with "We Bought a Zoo" is that everything is too forced. The main story-line and all the subplots are just so obvious, including the possible romances between Ben and Kelly and Ben's teen son and Kelly's cousin (Elle Fanning). This may be the most manipulative script of any film I've seen all year. This movie tries to get you to tear-up in scene after scene after scene. But it never happens, because these characters are so dry and one-dimensional that you don't care what happens to them. Good movies draw emotions from an audience. Here Crowe tries to reach into your body and squeeze your heart with both hands, piling-on with what are supposed to be dramatic elements and captivating scenes - that just aren't.

Almost as bad are the efforts at comedy the supporting characters - the goofy realtor (J.B. Smoove), Ben's quirky brother (Thomas Haden Church) and the weird inspector (John Michael Higgins). All completely unrealistic and unfunny. Damon does his best with what he's got to work with while Johansson simply delivers her one-note dialogue.

"We Bought a Zoo" is rated PG for language and thematic material. It's appropriate for kids 9 and up. 

On The Official Kid Critic Report Card, "We Bought a Zoo" gets a D+.

All the animals are real and therefore don't talk. If you have to see a zoo movie, go with "Zookeeper", Kevin James 2011 comedy in which the animals do speak. It's not "based on a true story", but at least it's mildly entertaining.

"The Adventures of Tintin" is a motion-capture animation film, based on the comics/graphic novels and co-produced by Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson. If you're a big fan of the Tintin character and you enjoy action/adventures films such as Spielberg's "Indiana Jones" series then you'll love "Tintin". If not, there's still enough here to give it a mild recommendation.

Tintin (played by Jamie Bell) is a teenage newspaper reporter who investigates mysteries. At the beginning of the film Tintin buys a model ship, that suddenly everyone wants. The ship gets stolen from Tintin's apartment, but the valuable item inside the model is left behind. Tintin and his dog Snowy set out to learn the secret of the ship, named The Unicorn (thus the original title of the film: "The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn". Good decision by the studio to use the shorter name).

Tintin and Snowy are kidnapped and end up on a ship, where they meet-up with Haddock, the ship's captain (played by the king of all motion-capture actors - Andy Serkis), who's also behind held captive. They soon learn that there are more than one miniature of The Unicorn and why these models are so valuable. These three team-up to solve the mystery and beat the evil Mr. Sakharine (Daniel Craig) to a lost treasure.

"Tintin" is high-energy, non-stop action from the first scene to the final frame. Whether or not you think this style is exciting or exhausting will pretty much determine whether or not you enjoy the movie. Diehards of the Tintin stories and of this genre will be thrilled. For me the pacing is over-the-top and after a while I became numb from chase scene after chase scene.

On the technical side, the film is well done. The motion-capture is very realistic, especially with the human faces, which can be tricky. Except, unfortunately, with Tintin's face, which is a bit of a problem because he's in practically every scene. The creators made his eyes bug-out too much, and he hardly ever blinks. This makes him look creepy and blank. I find it hard to believe that this was done on purpose, but the fact that they couldn't get the main character's eye right is somewhat shocking.

The Spielberg touches are everywhere. Along with the very detailed chase sequences there are some great transition shots and creative dissolves between scenes. There's a good amount of slapstick comedy in the script, and some comic-relief characters - a pair of bumbling British detectives (played by Simon Pegg and Nick Frost). And snowy the dog is not only cute, but he plays a key role as Tintin's sidekick.

"The Adventures of Tintin" is rated PG for the action violence, brief scenes of smoking and the fact that Haddock is drunk a great deal of the time. It's appropriate for kids 10 and up, but I'm not sure that kids who aren't familiar with the books will find this an adventure they'll enjoy.

On "The Official L-C-J Report Card", "The Adventures of Tintin" gets a C+. It got a Golden Globe nomination for Best Animated feature but was ignored by the Academy Awards because officials don't consider motion-capture true animation, and neither do I.

Academy Award winning director Martin Scorsese is best-known for making gritty adult crime dramas, thrillers and biopics. "Hugo" is both his first 3D film and his first family film. While "Hugo" continues to be promoted as a family adventure and two of it's main characters are a pre-teen boy and girl, Scorsese's new effort is really a drama that's not intended for children.

"Hugo" is based on the award-winning 2007 book The Invention of Hugo Cabret, by Brian Selznick, which is part novel, part picture book.

Young Asa Butterfield stars as the title character. He's an orphan living in a clock tower inside a train station in Paris during the 1930's. His father (played by Jude Law) was a clockmaker before he died. Hugo helped him run the family business. And in their spare time they worked on fixing-up an old automata (a large, mechanical, wind-up figure). But after Hugo's father dies, he goes to the train station to live with his uncle (who operates all of the clocks), but eventually abandons him. Hugo is now responsible for operating the clocks but wanders the station, stealing food to stay alive and hoping not to be caught by the inspector (played in an over-the-top performance by Sacha Baren Cohen).

Hugo also steals mechanical parts from an old toy shop owner named George (Sir Ben Kingsley). He finally gets caught and George takes away Hugo's notebook, which is full of details on fixing the automata. Desperate to get the notebook back, Hugo asks George's goddaughter Isabelle (young actress Chloe Grace Moretz) if she will help him. She's also an orphan, and eager for an adventure. So together they try to figure out why George is holding on to the book and why he's so sad and angry all the time.

"Hugo" is two movies in one - and that's it biggest problem. The first half (which will appeal more to kids) is the story of these two kids trying to solve a mystery in this strange, exciting, scary setting. Then, once all the pieces come together, the movie focuses on the old man trying to forget the past and then dealing with it . Each of these plotlines may have made pretty good movies on their own, but they simply don't fit well together. It seems that Scorsese wanted to have it both ways by trying to make a fun kids film with a serious, adult themes. But it just doesn't work.

There's loads of symbolism in "Hugo", most of it heavy-handed, and it drips with sentimentality. There are several side characters who are thrown in to add flavor to the train station atmosphere, who all have issues they're trying to work-out. In other words - they're all broken in some way. In fact everyone one is this film is broken - and that's the theme. And it's up to little Hugo to fix them. 

"Hugo" also provides an interesting look back to the beginning of the movie industry, but again, this storyline doesn't flow well with the rest of the film.

However, Scorsese has made a beautiful-looking film. The exterior shots of Paris are amazing and he captures the atmosphere inside the crowded train station perfectly. Few directors have the imagination with a camera - angles, composition, than Scorsese, and it's all on display here. Scenes with Hugo in the clock tower, with all the gears and pulleys, are spectacular, The costumes and set design are authentic, and this is one of the best uses of 3D in a live-action movie I've ever seen. There aren't too many gimmicks, which helps the look of the film shine in the extra dimension.

Kingsley bounces back nicely from "Prince of Persia" and gives a solid performance. The two kids are O.K. but kind of bland, though that's obviously what Scorsese wanted. There are some attempts at light humor with the supporting characters (including one where the inspector's romantic troubles), but they fall flat.

"Hugo" is rated PG for some language, action, thematic material, peril and brief smoking. It's appropriate for kids 9 and up, but the problem is, after the first hour, most kids will lose interest.

On The Official Kid Critic Report Card, "Hugo" gets a C.

Surprisingly the movie had more Oscar nominations than any other 2011 film and it picked-up 5 Academy Awards, all for technical achievement. Scorsese lost in the Best Director competition.

Over the past five years Sony Pictures Animation has produced some outstanding animated films, including "Open Season", "Surf's Up" and "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs." For "Arthur Christmas" they partnered with Aardman (the Wallace and Gromit folks) and together they've have created a modern holiday classic.

James McAvoy (who also voiced Gnomeo is this year's "Gnomeo and Juliet") stars as the voice of Arthur. He's Santa's cheery, but clumsy youngest son, who works in the mail department at the North Pole. Older brother Steve (Hugh Laurie) is cocky, self-centered and all business, as he impatiently waits for his father, Santa, to retire, so he can get out of mission control and actually take over the reigns of the toy delivery operation as the new Santa.

Following what seemed to be another successful Christmas Eve mission Arthur discovers that one toy has been left behind, meaning a child was missed. Steve doesn't think it's a big deal but Arthur believes that no child should wake-up Christmas morning without a gift from Santa under the tree. So he and his Grandsanta (the hilarious Bill Nighy), who's been retired from the job for some time, decide to get out an old sleigh, and with the assistance of an equally old reindeer and an inexperienced elf, set-out to deliver the present before it's too late.

What seems like a very simple storyline actually branches-out into unexpected areas. The script has so much to say about the holidays, sibling rivalry, family relationships, modern technology - and it does it in a sweet, smart and very funny way. The characters are complex as are the issues. First time Director Sarah Smith, who also co-wrote the script, has packaged a film that's great for kids and adults - on many different levels.

At first I thought "Arthur Christmas" was going to be a big-screen rip-off of "Prep and Landing", Disney's 2009 Christmas special, which stars Santa's elves, and shows how they "really" get the job done on Christmas Eve, using high-tech, secret agent-style methods. And the opening scene in "Arthur" takes that idea to the next level, with a spectacular 3D sequence. But then the focus shifts to Arthur and his family (including Mrs. Santa, who has a small, but important role) and the movie blossoms into a genuine original.

Jim Broadbent, Laura Linney and Eva Longoria are also part of the talented voice cast. And all of the elf voices are very well done - just listen closely because you don't want to miss any of the funny lines.

"Arthur Christmas" is sweet - but it's so much more than that. This movie captures the spirit, wonder and magic of the holiday so beautifully that it does what all great holiday movies do: make you forget about all the craziness and stress of the season and simply appreciate what Christmas is all about.

"Arthur Christmas" is rated PG for some very mild language. It's appropriate for kids 7 and up. Little ones will be mesmerized by the brilliant 3D images and delightful characters and older kids, parents, grandparents and everyone else will be thoroughly amused and delighted by the story and the messages.

On The Official Kid Critic Report Card, "Arthur Christmas" gets an A-. The movie's pace does slow down a little bit in the middle, but other than that it's a perfect holiday treat for the entire family.

It's movie-goers first true Christmas present of the year - and it may be our best!