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Movies / On DVD / Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium
Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium

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Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium (2007)

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Reviews Counted:120

Fresh:44

Rotten:76

Average Rating:4.9/10

Consensus: Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium's title is much more fun that the film itself, as the colorful visuals and talented players can't make up for a bland story.

Rated: G

Runtime: 1 hr 34 mins

Genre: Childrens

Theatrical Release:Nov 16, 2007 Wide

Box Office: $31,920,538

Synopsis: In writer-director Zach Helm's whimsical 2007 film, MR. MAGORIUM'S WONDER EMPORIUM, veteran actor Dustin Hoffman plays the title character, a 243-year-old toy-store owner who is ready to pass his... In writer-director Zach Helm's whimsical 2007 film, MR. MAGORIUM'S WONDER EMPORIUM, veteran actor Dustin Hoffman plays the title character, a 243-year-old toy-store owner who is ready to pass his enchanted business on to his beloved assistant, Molly Mahoney (Natalie Portman). However, when Molly, a former composer and pianist, has doubts about taking over the (literally) magical store, and an uptight accountant (Jason Bateman) appears to assess the establishment, the many inhabitants of the Wonder Emporium begin to rebel, resulting in a chaotic situation that can be fixed only with the help of a shy, lonely boy (Zach Mills). A first-time director best known for his inventive STRANGER THAN FICTION screenplay, Helm ably--ahem--helms EMPORIUM, which clearly nods to the WONKA and TOY STORY movies without seeming derivative. Always one to dive gamely into a quirky role (see TOOTSIE, RAIN MAN, HOOK, etc.), Hoffman makes Magorium both silly and endearing, while Portman charms as his earnest protégé, and Bateman provides an enjoyable level of skepticism while enduring the nickname "The Mutant." Although the film's playful quality could veer toward excess, its thoughtful script and able actors allow it to stand out as a highly entertaining production. [More]

Starring: Dustin Hoffman, Natalie Portman, Jason Bateman, Zach Mills

Starring: Dustin Hoffman, Natalie Portman, Jason Bateman, Zach Mills

Director: Zach Helm

Director: Zach Helm
Producer: Richard N. Gladstein, James Garavente
Composer: Alexandre Desplat, Aaron Zigman
Studio: 20th Century Fox

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Release:

May 12, 2009

[DVD Details]
 
 

DVD Features:

  • Region 1
  • NTSC
  • Keep Case
  • Full Frame - 1.33
  • Widescreen - 2.35

Audio:

  • Dolby Digital 5.1 - English
  • Dolby Digital Surround - Spanish, French
  • Subtitles - English, Spanish, French - Optional

Additional Release Material:

  • Behind the Scenes: "Strangely Weird and Weirdly Strange: The Magical World of a Wonder Emporium" (Parts 1-5)

Featurette:

  • 1. "An Eccentric Boss and an Awkward Apprentice"
  • 2. "To Find Eric Applebaum, Start by Saying Hi"
  • 3. "A Magical Toy Store"
  • 4. "Fun on the Set"

Trailers:

  • 1. Forced Trailers
  • 2. 20th Century Fox Previews

Interactive Features:

  • Interactive Games: "Paper Airplane Tutor"
 
 
 
 

Reviews for Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium

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1 - 20 (sorted by source)
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delightfully silly, and if you can get past its wrinkles, it should tap into your inner child

Full Review Source: 7M Pictures | comment Comment
11/16/07
Kevin Carr
Kevin Carr
7M Pictures

Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium isn't the awful experience so many movie critics labeled it. Most of all, it's a pleasure to see the warm rapport Hoffman and Portman conjure in this sweet, short story.

Full Review Source: Advocate (Baton Rouge, LA) | comment Comment
11/23/07
John Wirt
John Wirt
Advocate (Baton Rouge, LA)

Without ever being heavy-handed or sentimental, the film addresses issues of death, mourning, and "moving on" in a way that is appropriate and inspiring for kids of all ages. Call it a feel-good movie about death, if you will.

Full Review Source: Aisle Seat | comment Comment
11/23/07
Mike McGranaghan
Mike McGranaghan
Aisle Seat

The wonderful fantasy elements Zach Helm was trying to tap into do not translate over to this particular toy store.

Full Review Source: Apollo Guide | comment Comment
06/17/09
Jamie Gillies
Jamie Gillies
Apollo Guide

Wonder is the key, and it's lacking in a major way. Should you decide to see it anyway, you might wonder what you're doing there.

Full Review Source: Arizona Republic | comment Comment
11/15/07
Bill Goodykoontz
Bill Goodykoontz
Arizona Republic

...arely registers on the screen.

Full Review Source: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette | comment Comment
11/16/07
Philip Martin
Philip Martin
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Wake me when the wackiness is over.

Full Review Source: Associated Press | comment 1 Comment
11/16/07
Christy Lemire
Christy Lemire
Associated Press
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

With his incessant cackling and jigging and adorable lisp, Hoffman is an unbearable force of nature, while Portman is disappointing as a young adult stuck in neutral.

Full Review Source: Austin Chronicle | comment Comment
11/14/07
Josh Rosenblatt
Josh Rosenblatt
Austin Chronicle

The one happy side effect of the film's lack of energy is that it won't result in a raging headache, but that isn't much of an endorsement.

Full Review Source: AV Club | comment Comment
11/15/07
Scott Tobias
Scott Tobias
AV Club

No doubt intended to be a Christmas blockbuster - this pretty looking film is ultimately all wrapping, with nothing much to find inside.

Full Review Source: BBC | comment Comment
12/13/07
Kate Lloyd
Kate Lloyd
BBC

What could have been a charmingly whimsical children's book becomes an arch and sugary movie, its failures of tone and timing hitting its lightweight storyline like a blast of cold air on a fragile souffle. This is one flat souffle.

Full Review Source: Beliefnet | comment Comment
11/15/07
Nell Minow
Nell Minow
Beliefnet

Its insecurities do it in.

Full Review Source: Boston Globe | comment Comment
11/16/07
Wesley Morris
Wesley Morris
Boston Globe
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

This wooden fable about the importance of believing in yourself is merely a collection of cutesy details that never coalesces into a strong narrative.

Full Review Source: Boxoffice Magazine | comment Comment
11/16/07
Mark Keizer
Mark Keizer
Boxoffice Magazine

The world of children's literature continues to be raped by Hollywood and Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium is its latest victim.

Full Review Source: Bronsonfive | comment Comment
11/26/07
Michael Ferraro
Michael Ferraro
Bronsonfive

Magorium is not your average character, to say the least... Unfortunately, the film feels very average indeed.

Full Review Source: Buzzine Magazine | comment Comment
11/15/07
Staci Layne Wilson
Staci Layne Wilson
Buzzine Magazine

The kind of movie that almost makes me want to cry for joy at the end because I feel like, 'Yeah, they did it.'

Full Review Source: Can Magazine | comment Comment
11/17/07
Fred Topel
Fred Topel
Can Magazine

This children's tale of magical whimsy miraculously avoids even toying with violence - while confronting the finality of death head-on.

Full Review Source: Channel 4 Film | comment Comment
12/06/07
Anton Bitel
Anton Bitel
Channel 4 Film

Like the store, the movie is chockablock with playthings -- puns, graphics, and music -- that make the life lessons easier to absorb.

Full Review Source: Chicago Reader | comment Comment
11/16/07
Andrea Gronvall
Andrea Gronvall
Chicago Reader

This isn't quite the over-the-top fantasy you'd like it to be, but it's a charming enough little movie, and probably the younger you are, the more charming.

Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times | comment Comment
11/16/07
Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The film is very sweet -- in fact it represents the dawn of a new sport, Extreme Whimsy -- but it doesn't look or feel like most other kid-friendly Hollywood products that make it to market. When it counts this fable is surprisingly moving.

Full Review Source: Chicago Tribune | comment Comment
11/15/07
Michael Phillips
Michael Phillips
Chicago Tribune
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
 
 
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