Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium (2007)

Masterful Movie

This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

Ahh what can you say about Dustin Hoffman he is Dustin Hoffman is about it Natalie Portman does well in her role and Jason Bateman is really good as the accountant who becomes more human after coming to work in the shop. Eric Applebaum plays the reclusive boy who believes in the store and brings people around to be kid's again. His mom is on him about finding a friend, he makes the accountant his friend but when they are playing in his room momma doesn't like it. Of course in today's climate who can blame her. It is a sad moment when Dustin decides to pass on but there are a ton of people who come to the grave site. Natalie inherits the store but doubts her self so the store goes dark. With Bateman's help she discovers that she does have the magic to run the store. The ending is a very happy one as the store accepts her and comes back to life.

I caught this movie on TV with my 8 year old son the other day.Molly Mahoney (Natalie Portman) is the manager of Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium, an awesome toy store owned by Mr. Edward Magorium. One of the regular costumers is the lonely boy called Eric, who has only Molly and Mr. Magorium for friends. Mr. Magorium hires the accountant, Henry Weston (Jason Bateman) to sort out the accounts of the Emporium. Furthermore, he asks Henry to transfer the Emporium to Molly's name upon his death. Hoffman seems to be having a lot of fun behind Mr. Magorium's hairdo, bushy eyebrows and lisping vocals. Natalie Portman (who learned to play the piano for her role) is lovely and has a permanent sparkle in her eye.Jason Bateman is Jason Bateman, much like Ben Stiller always plays the same type of Ben Stiller type characters, with the exception of Zoolander and Dodgeball. But Bateman doesn't have a Zoolander or Dodgeball character in his filmography, and the characters he plays all seem to blend in to one. I don't understand all the negative comments about this movie, as both me and my son enjoyed it. Portman and Hoffman are always worth watching, and I'm puzzled as to why it has taken me so long to watch it.

First off, the only thing I wish was different was that Eric didn't find any friends, but perhaps it's a good thing. Life's problems don't all wrap up neatly in one little package all at once.Other than that, I actually adore this film. It is not for those people who need backstory, violence, sex, action or language - but it is absolutely for those who still believe in magic and childlike innocence. A lot of details are left out, and if you focus on that, it will drive you crazy. If you can manage, however, to let it go and really just watch the movie for what it is, you'll find a beautiful story about the magic of every day life and believing in yourself. I would liken the attitude to the same of Anne of Green Gables, that fairies exist, blessings are alive and well, and magic is everywhere if you're just willing to see it. Somewhat emotional at times, but this movie makes me feel like a child again, with all a child's wonder at the world and its many joys and surprises. If you can sit down, forget about the real world, not care about who came when and why and where; just enjoy a simple experience for what it is, you will love this show.

Realizing that there are movie viewers out there that hate even a classic like "The Wizard of Oz", I fully expected to see some negative reviews for this film as well. I don't get where all the vitriol comes from. I certainly wouldn't put Mr. Magorium in Wizard of Oz territory, but for what it sets out to do it's a whimsical and fun picture. Those who fault it because certain elements don't work in their eyes, the Congreve Cube for example, need to lighten up a bit because the film never pretends to be a masterpiece of movie making. It's got a simple message of believing in one's self, with the magic that follows a result of one's effort, creativity and single mindedness. Dustin Hoffman is professional enough to pull off any kind of role, but since he had the lead here, I wonder how many reviewers would have had an entirely different opinion of the picture if Jim Carrey had the lead. I got a kick out of the way Jason Bateman's character 'just' took to his Mutant nickname, and Natalie Portman surprised with her range of emotion and an ability to turn on a dime when the situation called for it. The kid Zach Mills was pretty good too, I liked that scene when he was communicating with the Mutant behind the glass. All in all a fun film, very colorful, and a refreshing turn from most recent fare in it's appeal to all members of the family.