At last, a family movie that we truly can all enjoy, from my husband down to my toddler. “Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium” had something in it for each of us.
Mr. Magorium (Dustin Hoffman) is a very old man, and I don’t just mean elderly. He’s over two hundred years old, and he’s had a great many adventures. His childlike appreciation of life has made all who know him appreciate it too, and now, in his later years, he shares that love with the customers in his toy store. His store manager, Molly Mahoney, is also is very good friend. She runs the store and keeps things organized while he plays with the children and makes every day magical.
That’s right – magical. Everything in the store is alive—in fact, the store itself is alive. It feeds off Mr. Magorium’s optimism and delights all who come in through the door with flying fish, dancing toys, rockets that really take off, and more.
Mr. Magorium makes an announcement one day. It’s time for him to leave, and he wants to give the store to Mahoney (Natalie Portman). She doesn’t want him to go, but he explains that he’s dying. He wants to make sure that everything in the store is set to rights, so he calls in an accountant to figure out just how much the store is worth – a tricky task, as he’s never kept a ledger in the life of the store.
The accountant’s name is Henry (Jason Bateman) and he’s a stick in the mud. He doesn’t believe the store is magic, and he somehow misses the incredible things that happen every day. With his unbelieving attitude and Mahoney’s refusal to take over, the store becomes very sad. Everything stops working the way that it should, and when Mr. Magorium does pass away, the entire store turns gray in mourning.
Mahoney doesn’t believe that she has what it takes to keep things going. After all, she’s not magic. But believe it or not, Henry is the one who helps her realize that she is magic, and everything comes back to life.
I enjoyed the sweet elements of friendship in this movie. Mr. Magorium’s death was presented as a peaceful passing, and the fanciful idea of a whole store of live toys was fun. My favorite part, though, was Henry’s nickname, “Mutant.” When Mr. Magorium hired an accountant, he said the word sounded like a mutant that could count. From day one, everyone called him Mutant, and he just accepted it.
There is nothing offensive at all in this G-rated film, and I plan to buy a copy for my family. Be sure to see this one if you’re in the mood for a cute, imaginative film.
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Dustin Hoffman: An Unlikely Leading Man