Since the opening ten minutes suggest that CGI is going to be the star here, far more than character or plot, I resigned myself to enjoying some eye candy and settled in with my Milk Duds. After about an hour of sepia-honeyed faux Belle Epoque visuals, though, the movie's agenda changes again. Scorsese is one clever guy. You gradually realize that this whole enterprise is basically an excuse for the maestro to champion his pet (and very worthy!) causes of film preservation and film history awareness. I don't think I've ever seen anything quite like this before. There are plenty of movies for kids that have broad social lessons to impart -- be nice to people different than you, consumerism is a sickness, take care of the environment, etc. -- but "ensure that cinema history is preserved"? That's some special special pleading! I'm more than sympathetic to the cause, though, so it's all good with me. C+ as a movie, but A- as a PSA.
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