Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium Review

"Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium" reviews

Movie

Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium

Author

anonymous

Date reviewed

2008-05-08 21:43:23

Rating

2.5/5

Provider

CinemaSource

Review

Dustin Hoffman charms in colorful fairy tale Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium, but despite plenty of magical moments, it's missing the extra sparkle that could make it a classic.

Story

Tucked away between shiny modern skyscrapers, quirky, old-fashioned Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium is a toy store literally like no other. Step inside, and a sock monkey might give you a hug--or a fire engine might appear out of nowhere. That's because the store is imbued with the enthusiasm and magical childlike wonder of its owner: frizzy-haired, 243-year-old dynamo Mr. Magorium (Dustin Hoffman). When Magorium decides it's time to move on, his designated heir, self-doubting store manager Molly Mahoney (Natalie Portman), isn't the only one who objects. The store itself throws a fit, sulking and brooding and hurling toys at unwitting customers. It's up to Mahoney--with the help of stuffy accountant Henry ''Mutant'' Weston (Jason Bateman) and eager young store clerk Eric (Zach Mills)--to discover the best way to live up to Magorium's legacy.

Acting

The movie's most pleasant surprise is Hoffman's charming performance. He could have followed in Gene Wilder and Johnny Depp's footsteps and made Magorium a fey, Willy Wonka-like sprite. Instead, Magorium is an original, a mile-a-minute chatterbox who uses big words, takes delight in the extraordinary, and never stops smiling at life. And the calm, gentle demeanor he brings to Magorium's farewell scenes with Mahoney will make a potentially tough plot twist a lot easier on kids. Speaking of Mahoney, Portman is at her best in the moments that call for wry humor and Puck-ish mischief; the more earnest the script asks her to be, the less interesting her character gets. Bateman is underused as the straight man (his lone lapse into silliness is a high point in the movie), but Mills is wholly endearing as wiser-than-his years Eric.

Direction

With so much going for it, why isn't Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium more magical? It's hard to say; perhaps it's something to do with the fact that the characters seem to talk about magic more than they actually interact with it. Or that, despite all of said magic, Mr. Magorium and his store never really do anything that you wouldn't expect of an eccentric bicentarian living in the ultimate funhouse. Writer/director Zach Helm gives viewers plenty to ooh and aah at (the set design is wonderful), but his story is never quite unusual or unexpected enough to transcend ''cute'' and ''sweet'' and reach ''classic.'' All of that said, with Hoffman in fine form and so many fabulous toys bouncing around the screen, kids are likely to be delighted (and clamoring to add to their Christmas lists...)

Bottom Line

Hollywood.com rated this film 2 1/2 stars.

Copyright © CinemaSource 2008.

Movie

Mr Magorium's Wonder Emporium

Author

anonymous

Date reviewed

2007-12-07 15:40:28

Provider

MRIB

Review

Dustin Hoffman gets the chance to go completely over the top as the owner of the best toy shop in the world in this first class family film.

Kids flock to Mr Magorium's. Magic abounds in its toys, nooks, crannies and secret rooms, to which misfit kid Eric is a regular visitor. Most think he's a bit weird, seemingly preferring hats to friends, but Emporium manager Molly Mahoney has befriended him. Molly's been at the store for years, unable to get kick-start her desired career in music . Now she's about to get a shock, as the 243 year old Magorium has decided it's time to 'leave' and is bequeathing her the store. But Molly's not sure she can keep its magic alive and the arrival of Henry, an unimaginative accountant, to asses the store's finances doesn't help. Once the news gets out the Emporium itself rebels, and it looks like it could all end when Mr Magorium goes.

Visually stunning and heartstring-pulling, with clever sight gags and effects, Mr Magorium's Wonder Emporium is full of one-liners for the old and positive messages for the young. Hoffman is superb as the wacky Magorium - divorced from reality, but able to spot the good in folk and the positive in everything. Natalie Portman, as Molly, makes what could have been a slight comedic role effervescent and Jason Bateman's accountant is happy to be their (and Zach Mills' as Eric) foil.

Magorium squeezes morals into its plot in abundance: accepting and dealing with loss; it's okay to be different, to believe in yourself (and those around you); never give up and always forgive. It manages all this without once getting icky or letting up in the storyline. So, a funny and a weepy (I defy you not to get a wobbly lip at every sighting of the monkey), Mr Magorium's Wonder Emporium is truly wondrous; and a top contender to be lined up alongside kids' classics like the Wizard of Oz, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Miracle on 34th Street, Mary Poppins and ET. Esteemed company, but really... it's that good!

Copyright © MRIB 2007.