Plot
Molly Mahoney is the awkward and insecure manager of Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium, the strangest, most fantastic, most wonderful toy store in the world. But when Mr. Magorium, the 243 year-old eccentric who owns the store, bequeaths the store to her, a dark and ominous change begins to take over the once remarkable Emporium.

Release Year: 2007

Rating: 6.2/10 (17,667 voted)

Critic's Score: 48/100

Director: Zach Helm

Stars: Natalie Portman, Dustin Hoffman, Jason Bateman

Storyline
Molly Mahoney is the manager of Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium, the awesome toy store owned by Mr. Edward Magorium. Molly was a promising composer and piano player when she was a girl, and now she is a twenty-three year-old insecure woman that feels stuck in her job. Among the costumers of the Emporium is the lonely hat collector, Eric Applebaum, who has only Molly and Mr. Magorium for friends. When the last pair of shoes that Mr. Magorium bought in Toscana is worn, he hires the accountant, Henry Weston to adjust the accounts of the Emporium. Furthermore, he claims that he is two hundred and forty-three years old and his time to go has come; he gives a block of wood called Congreve cube to Molly and asks Henry to transfer the Emporium to her name. Molly tries to convince Mr. Magorium to stay in his magical toy store instead of "going".

Cast:
Ted Ludzik - Bellini, the Bookbuilder
Natalie Portman - Molly Mahoney, the Composer
Zach Mills - Eric Applebaum, the Hat Collector
Dustin Hoffman - Mr. Edward Magorium, Avid Shoe-Wearer
Madalena Brancatella - Jessica, Who Got a Cowboy Hat
Paula Boudreau - Brenda, Who Wants a Mobile
Mike Realba - Dave Wolf, Who's an Engineer
Steve Whitmire - Kermit the Frog (voice)
Liam Powley-Webster - Andy, the Boy Who Likes to Color
Marcia Bennett - Lora, Who Wants a Fire Engine
Jason Bateman - Henry Weston, the Mutant
Oliver Masuda - Jordan, Who Said Hi
Samantha Harvey - Cassie, the Girl Chased by a Goose
Jesse Bostick - Derek, Who Opened the Door
Isaac Durnford - Jason, Who's a Little Too Curious

Taglines: Where Toys Come To Life! (DVD)

Official Website: Metropolitan Films [France] | Official site [Germany] |

Release Date: 16 November 2007

Filming Locations: Cinespace Film Studios, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Opening Weekend: $9,630,085 (USA) (18 November 2007) (3164 Screens)

Gross: $69,474,661 (Worldwide)

Runtime: 93 min

Trivia:
Dustin Hoffman originated Mr. Magorium's hairdo, bushy eyebrows and lisping vocals. According to Hoffman, when he first tried the voice out on Zach Helm and two of the producers, "they freaked."

Goofs:
Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): When Mr. Magorium asks Henry to name the Fibonacci series from its 11th to 16th integer at 17:15, Henry should name 6 integers, but only names 5. The 5 he names are the 12th to 16th integers of the Fibonacci series. He leaves out the 11th integer - 55.

Quotes:
Mr. Edward Magorium: Why are you lying?
Molly Mahoney: I have to.
Mr. Edward Magorium: But your pants will catch on fire...

MOMS: Great movie, but toddlers and husbands will be bored

Rating: 7/10

My husband and I brought our 4 year old daughter to see this movie last night. We'd already seen (and ADORED) THE BEE MOVIE, and nothing else seemed age appropriate. Despite horrible reviews, we gave it a shot.

I loved this movie. It's not often that a kid's movie can move me to tears, but this one had a powerful (yet simple) message...LIFE IS WHAT YOU MAKE OF IT.

My daughter was bored to the point of BEGGING us to leave. This from a kid who sees movie-going as the ultimate treat. While it was visually stimulating overall, there could have been more in the way of special effects.

Jason Bateman was surprisingly good in his role as the accounting mutant. Some of the most moving moments in the film were created by little more than the expression on his face.

Natalie Portman was radiant and lovable and...androgynous? ;) She could easily have been mistaken for a thirteen year old boy throughout most of the film, to the point where it seemed that she had her chest bound up to appear that way. But it's not about the boobies, and it's not a romantic love story, which I greatly appreciated.

No sex. No violence. No profanity. My husband hated it.

There is love...lots of love. Pure love. The kind of love you feel when you're a child, and your mind has not yet been bogged down with the soul-crushing stress of adult responsibility.

This movie is a nice kick-in-the-pants for anybody who needs to be reminded that you don't have to be a kid to see the potential in yourself and the world around you. You just have to relax a little and believe in magic.

Comments: