ORPHAN, CLOCK KEEPER, AND THIEF, twelve-year-old Hugo lives in the walls of a busy Paris train station, where his survival depends on secrets and anonymity. But when his world suddenly interlocks with an eccentric girl and her grandfather, Hugo’s undercover life, and his most precious secret, are put in jeopardy. A cryptic drawing, a treasured notebook, a stolen key, a mechanical man, and a hidden message from Hugo’s dead father form the backbone of this intricate, tender, and spellbinding mystery.

I have to admit I was a little disappointed with this film. As a movie that was supposed to follow in the footsteps of the “Mission Impossible” legacy, I was expecting high stakes, thrilling action and captivating drama. Instead, I was subjected to an admissibly interesting story with a straightforward plot and fairly exciting but not exceptionally great special effects.

Philip Seymour Hoffman’s performance as the villain Owen Davian was probably the most impressive, but unfortunately not nearly as central to the story as it could have been. I was hoping to see more of Laurence Fishburne as well, but unfortunately his contribution to the plot remained mostly off-screen. The team of Ving Rhames, Jonathon Rhys-Meyers and Maggie Q are great in their supporting roles, but again, their characters seem to be there for the sole purpose of giving a little bit of depth and variety to a one-man show.

If you’re a big Tom Cruise fan, you’ll probably enjoy his portrayal of Ethan Hunt as much as you would any of his other typically average characters, but don’t expect an award winning performances like those in the early nineties (Born on the Fourth of July, A Few Good Men, Jerry Maguire). All-in-all, not a complete failure but definitely far from a hit. I give it a 6/10 and recommend it for when there’s nothing better to watch.