Mr Hublot (2013) User Reviews

While the story is very slight, the animation and imagination are superb.

[planktonrules · 8/10 · 8 February 2014]

This year's crop of Oscar-nominated animated shorts is unusual. In the past, normally there are 2 or 3 films which are exceptional and I would be happy seeing any of them win. This year, however, "Get a Horse!" is so superior that I would be incredibly shocked if it did not win. Now I normally prefer shorts from small film companies--as I want to encourage the non-corporate players and an Oscar is a great way to do it. But Disney simply outdid itself and the rest just pale in comparison.

Of the rest of the crop, I think "Mr. Hublot" and "Room on the Broom" are the best of the rest. While "Room on the Broom" is more of a complete film (combining a nice story with good animations), "Mr. Hublot" is the best (aside from Disney's) when it comes to animation style, quality and artistry. I really want to see more films from the folks who made this--they have incredible animations.

As far as the story goes, I don't want to give too much away. The story is set in a weird alternate reality that is a combination of steam punk and a bizarro futuristic world. Mr. Hublot seems to have a lot of problems with obsessive-compulsive behaviors (though in this world, I might also!). Into this very ordered world comes some disorder in the form of a robo-dog. I cannot really say more--because it's indescribable.

The bottom line is that this film is a visual treat. I strongly doubt it will win the Oscar but it clearly deserved the nomination.

Reminds me of the bond I have with my cat!

[Hellmant · 8/10 · 19 February 2014]

'MR. HUBLOT': Four Stars (Out of Five)

One of the five 2014 Oscar nominated animated short film is this 11 minute sci-fi tale, about an introvert scared of the outside world (in the future) who brings a robot dog into his home and has his life drastically changed by it (for the first time). It was directed by Laurent Witz and Alexandre Espigares and written by Witz. The short contains no voice actors as Hublot (the only human character) never speaks. I definitely found it to be one of the best nominees (for animated short this year) and felt like it's something the filmmakers could easily expand on in multiple more movies. Witz and Espigares do a great job of creating an entire new futuristic universe (for just an 11 minute short) and I really liked the simple tale of a shy insecure guy finding happiness with a friend for the first time (reminds me of the bond I have with my cat). Definitely worth seeing!

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An Extra "Machinery" "Breaking Bad"

[anagamin · 8/10 · 20 March 2014]

I don't know if you have played "Machinarium" or have you ever seen the "Breaking Bad" TV-series? I think Mr. Hublot is a combination of these two, how? let me tell you, this guy some how is a scrupulous man and as you see in the animation he is very meticulous and precise also he has some kind of obsession about simple normal life issues -for example turning the lights on and off for a distinct number of times-,Maybe he represents the new modern human which does not have enough time for rethinking about his habits. But always there is hope and turning back points. For Mr. Hublot it is when he starts to live with the street dog. He somehow starts to have an iron and robotic feeling and communication with the dog -I call it Machinarium Love-, he starts to see things different from how he saw them before. The spectacular scene is when he turns on the drill and you wonder No man Don't do that, then you see a very interesting and wonderful "Breaking Bad" from Mr. Hublot, That's his very turning point,wow he demolished whole the obsesses he confronted in his life. He destroyed the hollow house he had built and starts to construct a real new one. I enjoyed a lot and I hope you enjoy more.

Beautiful and amusing

[Imdbidia · 7/10 · 27 January 2017]

Mr Hublot is really a charming short film. It has a great central idea and character, the story is narrated well, it has a fabulous animation, great atmosphere and music, and a high dose of imagination. The general atmosphere, hues and quirks immediately brought to my mind the imaginative worlds depicted in some of Jean-Pierre Jeunet's films.

Mr Hublot captures with almost mathematical precision and even compulsion, the ticks, tweaks and quirks of Mr Hublot, an old guy suffering from OCD, and how his life changes when he shelters a street dog at home. His compulsive behavior, his obsession with order, time, and balance, and his compulsive doing things at a certain time in a certain way is really well captured and delightful to watch.

Perhaps because it won an Oscar, I expected something different or perhaps something more. Don't take me wrong, this is a very enjoyable short film that will put a smile on your face, but I thought that it wasn't especially original as the subject of exploring people with syndromes and rare disorders is already a mainstream theme in short films, and the aesthetics of the film are already familiar to the viewer. I don't want to rest merit to the short, because it does what intended to do, wonderfully well. It is just, that that it didn't speak to me as much as I would have wanted.

Artist Stephane Halleux's in credible characters

[artdonovandesign · 10/10 · 15 August 2019]

Its impossible to mention, "Mr. Hublot" without naming the creator of those absolutely brilliant 3D characters. Well, *almost* impossible, as I have not read a single review of the film where the creator was, in fact, mentioned.

The denizens of "Mr Hublot" were invented and physically created by the genius Belgian artist, Stephane Halleux and pre-dated the film itself!

His absence in all of the film's reviews is most odd, since when the film had won 'Best Animated Short' at the Academy Award, it was Mr. Halleux himself who had graciously (and most deservedly) accepted the award in 2013.

The entire film is based upon his fantastic creations- their iconically quirky and unique Steampunk design. There would be no film without them. Unlike most all animated films, the characters are created for the film itself and did not exsist until the fulm was produced. But here, Mr. Halleux's characters were already physically created and it was their design that begged the need for an animated movie.

Ultimately, the fact that his name never comes up in the reviews is disturbing. Its like giving an Academy Award to "Fantasia" and not mentioning that it was Walt Disney who had created Mickey Mouse.

Enjoyable, yet slightly unsettling animated short.

[logicproreviews · 6/10 · 1 October 2018]

Mr Hublot follows the title character who has obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), some of his behaviors include straightening the pictures on his walls and stirring his tea continuously... almost to the tune of his favorite TV shows.

Hublot soon finds a companion in a homeless robot dog he finds on the street. However, Mr Hublot's routine is tested when the dog moves in - and after growing much bigger and wreaking havoc - Hublot must make some changes!

This is a very well made animated short. Stylistically, this has a slight Burtonesque tone - the atmosphere and music really add to the the story.

6/10

Someone Please Make This A Full Feature Film

[FilmMan47 · 10/10 · 5 May 2014]

i have seen a lot of cartoons & animated films so far Disney & Pixar are best even dream works is matching them up but this is a 11 minutes short film & totally its the best i have seen the visuals are amazing to see.

the plot:Mr Hublot is a guy who is suffering from Ocd and is scared to go outside one day he finds a new pet a robot dog he brings him in but soon he shows changes in his size he gets big enough and destroys the apartment Mr Hublot fixes everything again but still keeps his pet but in a empty warehouse nearby.

this is the whole story guys its is amazing it reminded me of thief game series or Bioshock if anyone remember those with all that steam punk environment i am surprised at why Hollywood or the makers of this short have not announced yet to make a full 2 hours film it would be awesome this short have won Oscar though & it deserves it the directors Laurent Witz & Alexandre Espigares presented a spectacular story in 11 minutes what more you need.

Overall Mr Hublot 2013 is recommended for everyone my rating is 10/10:A Must See.

All the Phobias

[boblipton · 7/10 · 2 February 2014]

MR. HUBLOT is a nominee for the Best Animated Short Subject for its year and it is an interesting and amusing silent cartoon. Judging by the movie's title, its makers are fans of Jacques Tati and his Monsieur Hulot.

Although Mr. Hublot -- the character, not the film -- lacks the slapstick skills which underlay Tati's films -- and hence is a little too serious to be terribly amusing with his realistically detailed agoraphobia and obsessive compulsive behavior -- the film's basic good story and its technically proficient animation certainly help maintain interest throughout. I greatly enjoyed the film, without feeling it should win the Oscar.

Beautiful looking short with very simple story

[llltdesq · 8/10 · 16 March 2014]

This short won the Academy Award for Animated Short. There will be mild spoilers ahead:

This short is a treat visually but the plot is thin as rice paper. Mr. Hublot is compulsive, reclusive type who takes in a robot dog only to discover that his decision severely alters his life. That's basically all there is here so far as story goes.

Visually beautiful cartoons are very nice and I could probably watch this a dozen times and still not see everything there is to see. But The Lost Thing is also a treat for the eyes and has a much more entertaining and interesting plot to boot. I'm not certain Mr. Hublot will hold up as well in ten years or so simply because there isn't very much to it beyond the visuals. Watching Mr. Hublot's routine is fascinating the first couple of times and the robot dog's growth is impressively alarming as well, but repeated viewing will not make this short any more entrancing than it is now. It may even lessen its charm.

I'm not surprised it won, though I would have preferred something else, such as Feral or Possessions. I knew neither of those would win though. I figured that if Get a Horse! didn't win that Mr. Hublot would.

The trouble is, while I will still be watching something like, say, The Man Who Planted Trees or Closed Mondays and marveling at them a decade from now, I don't think the same can be said for this charming but limited confection here. It's still quite good and well worth watching. Most recommended.

Good, not great

[zetes · 7/10 · 23 February 2014]

I've heard some Oscar prognosticators say that the Academy might eschew the obvious (Disney's "Get a Horse!") and vote for this seemingly more original piece. Frankly, I didn't think it was all that original. It's a pretty basic animated short and isn't anywhere near as clever as "Get a Horse!" It's nice, though, and great to look at. A man in a futuristic, mechanical world notices a robot dog that has been abandoned outside his apartment. He adopts it, but it starts to grow too large for his home. As cute as dog stories are (my favorite animated short last year, by far, was "Adam and Dog"), my main thought about this one is "It's a robot dog. Why is it growing?" Still, this was the only one that garnered applause from the audience with which I saw it.

Point Missed

[Hitchcoc · 8/10 · 23 April 2019]

Is the only point to this a sense of responsibility for what we bring into our homes. The robotic dog absolutely destroys the calm of our OCD guy. He eats too much; he does damage; he takes up all kinds of room; and he offers virtually nothing in return. Unless you give him a space-taking kind of companionship. The development of feelings never really takes place and we are left with perpetual suffering.

Not entirely bad, but very overrated

[Horst_In_Translation · 4/10 · 14 July 2015]

"Mr Hublot" is an animated short film that runs for 10 minutes roughly and was basically a one-man project by Laurent Witz with a little help from Alexandre Espigares. The title character is a man who lives pretty isolated from society in his apartment and his only contact to the outside world is looking out of his window. One day, he sees a puppy and after giving it some thought, he takes it in. The puppy is as mechanized and robotized as everything else in this world. I have to say I found the main character fairly uninteresting and the only smile they got from me was when I saw what a gigantic dog the puppy turned into. The ending was okay as well. Still I did not find anything about this particularly memorable. The animation is okay, obviously lots of attention to detail with all the gadgets in here, and the story isn't bad either and the music is okay too. Yet I am surprised this won an Academy Award. It is definitely not that good. I am not the greatest fan of Pixar's Mickey Mouse revival or "Romm on the Broom" either, but still I believe these two are superior to "Mr Hublot". (I haven't seen the other two nominees yet.) I guess the sentimentality, especially the ending, was decisive for the voters. For me, it's just a pretty poor man's version of "The Lost Thing". Not recommended and this has not made me hoping for more films in the future by Witz.

Outstanding Animation!

[sergeman_ec-133-265180 · 10/10 · 30 September 2019]

This shirt is completely deserving of the Oscar it won. The animation is out of this world and the twist ending give it a nice, satisfying wrap up of the whole story.

Very pleasant

[Rectangular_businessman · 8/10 · 31 March 2024]

What a charming little short.

Sure, the story might not be particularly groundbreaking (Being basically another tale about how the life of a lonely character is changed once he adopts a dog) but it's still a pretty enjoyable watching experience anyway, mostly due the imaginative, nicely done visuals, and the overall gentle tone of the story.

The little "bait-and-switch" twist near its conclusion was cleverly executed.

While I have yet to see some of the other nominees at the same category from the same year, I can see why it ended winning the award for best animated short in 2013: It's quite pleasant, with a cozy feel from beginning to end.

Definitely worth-watching.

A numerical/mechanical version of Wallace and Gromit

[cammejpm · 8/10 · 28 July 2020]

A numerical/mechanical version of Wallace and Gromit This is what I have thought watching this short movie. After 2 minutes, .apparentment is obvious, but copyright not infringed, just same spirit and sense of humor.

Silently, as the two more famous heroes of Aardman production, you are discovering the life of Mr Hublot.

Like Mr Wallace, he likes inventing stuff to make his life easier, and he likes to have a no-probelm regular life...

Until a mechanical dog come and joins his life.

The prowess of the directors is to be able to transmit character feelings with a character with non-human and tin skin. Not an easy way to express feelings using a smile, but it works well.

And this is a really enjoyable movie to watch. Nice that he got an Oscar for it.

We had seen it on a drive-in thematised with Luxemburg short movies, and people applaused at the end. Nice short story, all public, feeling good !

Just a question, did not know why this Mr Hublot had some numbers counting on top of his face.