Magical for the kids (Mr Magorium's Wonder Emporium (DVD))

Member Name: NikkiH

Product:	Mr Magorium's Wonder Emporium (DVD)
Date:	19/01/08 (85 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Easy to watch

Disadvantages: Under developed characters

THE IS A REVIEW OF THE FILM ONLY AS IT WAS SEEN AT THE CINEMA AND IS NOT RELEASED ON DVD YET

My husband and I saw a trailer for this film so when my daughter wanted to take 4 friends to the cinema for her birthday, we thought this would be an ideal choice. The film starts by introducing us to Bellini, played by Ted Ludzik, who is a bookbuilder living under Mr Magorium's Wonder Emporium. He is a muscle bound tattooed skinhead with a love for Magorium, so much that he has catalogued his escapades.

Dustin Hoffman is the lisping, buck teethed creation Mr Magorium, a 243 year old toy shop owner with wild hair and clothes to match his eccentric personality. It goes without saying that a character like this could never be expected to have a standard toy store, and in this case the toys and creatures come to life and the store is popular for miles around, whilst he lives above the shop with his pet zebra Mortimer.

The film is narrated by 9 year old loner Eric, played by Zach Mills, who frequents the store modelling one of his varied collection of hats. I would have liked more to have been made of this character, as he is the one that the majority of viewers would have had common ground to share and could relate to.

We soon discover that fantasist Mr Magorium has decided his time on earth has come to an end. His reasoning behind this is that he has a magnificent pair of shoes which he bought in Italy many many years ago. He loved the shoes so much that he bought enough pairs to last his whole life......and his last pair were barely wearable. He has decided that frustrated composer/pianist Molly Mahoney, played by Natalie Portman will be promoted from store manager to store owner. For that reason, he decides it is best to get in an accountant, Henry played by Jason Bateman. He refers to him as "mutant". I am not sure this role brings any additional to the film, it is a real filler role, as the plot would make for a half hour TV programme rather than a film. Bateman is more wooden than the role calls for him to be, and it would have been nice to see him interact more. Predictably, the magic wins him over in the end.

However, the store and the contents react very negatively to the news of their beloved owner's departure in a dark way with a tantrum to end all tantrums, which seems like the end of the toy shop as everyone knows it.

Hoffman dumbs it down for this role, but he could hardly play it straight. The film will never win him an Oscar, but at this point in his career why not turn up, act like a fool and bank a decent pay cheque? He looks like he is enjoying it, and I imagine that many of Magorium's traits could be seen when Hoffman is playing with his grandchildren.

Portman portrays the troubled Mahoney as well as she could, as other than knowing she plays the piano, we know little about her, so really cannot form a connection to her. This role could have been played by any actress and did not stretch a performance from her at all.

It is a watchable film, and the children loved it, and I am sure they would watch it again, and probably I would as it has a certain innocent charm. It wasn't too sickly sweet, and although I think the message about the inevatibility of death will be missed by the younger viewer, and as it is portrayed as something that you decide, and that you will know the date an time, I am glad that my children won't take it as a realistic view.

Summary: The ultimate toy store!!!