This is pure film-making brilliance, definitely 5/5. Why such high praise- Well, simply, every aspect of this film is tuned to perfection and done with the excellence and precision we have come to expect of Martin Scorcese. The plot is great: it doesn't drag, and is genuinely fascinating (and not just for kids, either, in fact, adults might even enjoy this more). Scorsese creates an intricately designed and beautifully rendered story aimed squarely at that fabled (and commercially invaluable) point at which childlike fantasy intersects with adult yearning. And it works. It works well. There's an interesting tone in this film, subdued, almost mournful, that seems out of place in a film marketed at children; It doesn't have that relentless, energetic excitement of most kids flicks. Also, the focus of the narrative to the character of “Papa George” gives a sense of where Scosese's heart really is; the reconstruction and evocation of the joyous magic of the very first film-makers. At the same time, the burden of expressing the requisite levels of wonderment devolves on to Ben Kingsley (Papa George); he acquits himself well, although perhaps in asking this of Kingsley, Scorsese has unconsciously abandoned Butterfield as the point of empathy, and with it the sense that this is a film primarily for kids. But maybe that's on purpose. Maybe that undertone is one of the many ways Scorsese conveys his themes and messages to the observant viewer. Personally, I love that.
Nevertheless, Scorsese has created an exquisite jewel box of a movie, polished and honed to glittering, diamond-hard brilliance. The visual effects and 3D make this even better. I absolutely reccommend this, an absolute must-have addition to your 3D Blu-Ray collection.