Too dark for kids, too daffy for grown-ups. There’s the odd glimmer of charm, but beneath the fluttering FX and existential fluster, Helm has buried the most important toy in the box: a good story.
Comment
12/13/07
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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.
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... [More]
Starring: Dustin Hoffman, Natalie Portman, Jason Bateman, Zach Mills
Director: Zach Helm
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Reviews for Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium
Let’s not be too Scrooge-like; there are pockets of charm, and some of the effects are quite good.
12/13/07
Schmaltzy musical cues ensure we all get the message, but the desperately dull final third is likely to drive both kids and grown-ups to nose-picking, seat-kicking distraction.
12/13/07
Structurally it’s a bit ragtag, but, as your mum would say, it has its heart in the right place. For all its wilful oddness it’s enchanting, imaginative and genuinely moving.
12/13/07
"Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium" lacks sparkle and wonder.
12/12/07
People have told me they really liked it, so go for the score and sets, stay for when it finally grabs you: be prepared for an uphill climb to the intended transcendence.
12/10/07
The magic only comes in occasional flashes, with the rest of the time filled by forced silliness that is not united by anything more than talk of smiles and puppies and rainbows
12/07/07
This children's tale of magical whimsy miraculously avoids even toying with violence - while confronting the finality of death head-on.
12/06/07
With no playthings on the order of Buzz or Woody to enliven events, this proves to be one toy story that's easy to skip.
11/28/07
The world of children's literature continues to be raped by Hollywood and Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium is its latest victim.
11/26/07
A not so wonderful Emporium run by a shop owner who is best buddies with the Grim Reaper, toys with bad tempers, and a mysterious macho tenant living in the cellar who sleeps cuddling his doll.
11/24/07
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.
11/23/07
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.
11/23/07
It's a little sentimental, and the finale feels rushed, but along the way it's great fun.
11/22/07
I went in with no expectations for this and found myself caught up in the wonder of the emporium and the magic people can create around them, just by believing they can.
11/21/07
Whimsy is the worst thing a filmmaker can force on an audience. Magic is the second worst. Yet for 90 minutes writer-director Zach Helm shoves whimsy and magic down his audience's throat.
11/21/07
It's so 'G' you almost want to gag, but its heart is in the right place. Take a kid or take a pass.
11/21/07
A film of sufficient charm and largeness of heart that I don't hesitate to recommend it.
11/20/07
I realize that critics sound like imagination-hating asses when they bash a movie like this...
11/19/07
It’s so intent on being whimsical, so aware of its own whimsicality, that it ends up being not very whimsical at all.
11/19/07
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