When Georges Méliès was making movies at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries, many thought his work was some form of wizardry. In the age of cinema infancy, only a magician could create the strange and exotic worlds like those that filled his movies.

Moviegoers have become more sophisticated and it now takes a movie as wondrous and bewitching as Martin Scorsese's "Hugo" to make them believe that magic still does exist in films. From its spectacular look to unforgettable performances, "Hugo" is spellbinding.

"Hugo," based on the book by Brian Selznick, is the story of a young boy who lives inside a Paris train station in the 1930s. The orphan finds solace in fixing anything from toys to clocks. His prize project is an automaton that he and his father were working just before his death.

To Hugo, just like the boylike machine, the world is a broken place filled with people who need to be fixed. The most broken of them all is Georges Méliès (Ben Kingsley), who has abandoned the film world that at one time gave him great pleasure.

Scorsese puts this story in motion with a world of cogs, gears and interlocking pieces made visually splendid by the best 3-D since "Avatar." He allows viewers to weave their way through the mysterious world as if being tugged along by Hugo's determination.

This mechanized world serves as a perfect metaphor for the world outside the clock. Each person has their job, and the way they harmoniously work together is what makes their lives tick. If only one person is out of line, then the entire mechanism grinds to a halt.

It's no surprise Kingsley turns in a passionate and moving performance as the haunted artist.

The unexpected acting magic comes from 14-year-old Asa Butterfield as Hugo. He breathes life into the character in a way that usually is reserved for more veteran performers.

The supporting players -- especially Sacha Baron Cohen as a semi-mechanical police officer -- are flawless in their executions. Scorsese has been able to get performances from all involved as delicate and powerful as the movie's massive setting.

"Hugo" reminds us that ever since the first images flickered on theater walls, the best movies are the ones that take us on a journey. This journey is pure magic.