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
Comment
12/07/07
Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium (2007)
37
%
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work 
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.
Runtime: 1 hr 34 mins
Genre: Childrens
US 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
Reviews for Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium
Top CriticMr Magorium’s Terrible Tedium.
12/14/07
Things go badly wrong when eccentric Mr Magorium announces he has had enough of his 243 years on earth and has decided to pop his clogs.
12/14/07
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.
12/13/07
Like something imagined by Turgenev during what would have been even for him one of his more bleak interludes.
11/14/07
... never quite as magical as it wants to be.
12/21/07
A film about joy and wonder shouldn't have to work so hard to try and achieve those traits; it kind of defeats the purpose.
11/17/07
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.
11/15/07
I realize that critics sound like imagination-hating asses when they bash a movie like this...
11/19/07
Sprinkles in charming moments but ultimately doesn't evoke enough wonderment to overcome its tongue-twisting title and completely win over adults along with kids.
11/12/07
Top CriticMr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium is what happens when too many sappy sweet instincts chase too few original ideas.
11/16/07
The special effects are too obvious at times, and in trying to impart an eccentric vibe, Helm relies too heavily on kooky camera angles.
11/16/07
Perhaps thinking in pictures led Helm to clutter his screen with TMVI -- too much visual information.
11/15/07
Wake me when the wackiness is over.
11/16/07
Writer/director Zach Helm achieves bursts of charm and whimsy, but not quite enough magic to elicit a consistent sense of wonderment.
11/15/07
Top CriticVisually colorful but dramatically empty, "Mr. Magorium's Emporium" is too listless for words.
11/15/07
Instantly forgettable except that it contains the worst performance of Dustin Hoffman's long and illustrious career.
11/15/07
...kid-friendly and kid-safe, but that's about all that can be said on its behalf.
11/16/07
Trying with all its might to be endearing, the magic is simply missing. Hoffman is unbelievably annoying as the lisping Willy Wonka wannabe, while Portman looks uninterested.
12/14/07
Alert readers spotting similarities to Willy Wonka should now reward themselves with a handful of Everlasting Gobstoppers.
11/16/07
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