delightfully silly, and if you can get past its wrinkles, it should tap into your inner child
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.
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 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
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.
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.
The wonderful fantasy elements Zach Helm was trying to tap into do not translate over to this particular toy store.
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.
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.
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.
No doubt intended to be a Christmas blockbuster - this pretty looking film is ultimately all wrapping, with nothing much to find inside.
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.
This wooden fable about the importance of believing in yourself is merely a collection of cutesy details that never coalesces into a strong narrative.
The world of children's literature continues to be raped by Hollywood and Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium is its latest victim.
Magorium is not your average character, to say the least... Unfortunately, the film feels very average indeed.
The kind of movie that almost makes me want to cry for joy at the end because I feel like, 'Yeah, they did it.'
This children's tale of magical whimsy miraculously avoids even toying with violence - while confronting the finality of death head-on.
Like the store, the movie is chockablock with playthings -- puns, graphics, and music -- that make the life lessons easier to absorb.
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.
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.
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