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 Criticdelightfully silly, and if you can get past its wrinkles, it should tap into your inner child
11/16/07
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
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
The wonderful fantasy elements Zach Helm was trying to tap into do not translate over to this particular toy store.
06/17/09
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
...arely registers on the screen.
11/16/07
Wake me when the wackiness is over.
11/16/07
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.
11/14/07
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.
11/15/07
No doubt intended to be a Christmas blockbuster - this pretty looking film is ultimately all wrapping, with nothing much to find inside.
12/13/07
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.
11/15/07
Its insecurities do it in.
11/16/07
This wooden fable about the importance of believing in yourself is merely a collection of cutesy details that never coalesces into a strong narrative.
11/16/07
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
Magorium is not your average character, to say the least... Unfortunately, the film feels very average indeed.
11/15/07
The kind of movie that almost makes me want to cry for joy at the end because I feel like, 'Yeah, they did it.'
11/17/07
This children's tale of magical whimsy miraculously avoids even toying with violence - while confronting the finality of death head-on.
12/06/07
Like the store, the movie is chockablock with playthings -- puns, graphics, and music -- that make the life lessons easier to absorb.
11/16/07
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.
11/16/07
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