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It isn’t often that one has the privilege of seeing something truly rare. Like the magical unicorn or the winged Pegasus, it’s not often that you see a theater full of typically cynical, stone-faced film critics turn into grinning, giggling little kids right before your eyes. One might even say it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience. But I’ve seen it happen—and all it took was a little bit of magic.
That magic came from writer/director Zach Helm’s Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium—a story about an end…and a beginning. After delighting children with his magical toy store for over a hundred years, the eccentric, Willy Wonka-like toy man and avid shoe-wearer, Mr. Magorium (Dustin Hoffman), realizes that it’s time for him to go away. Without explaining his plan to his creatively blocked manager, Molly Mahoney (Natalie Portman), Mr. Magorium decides to hire an accountant (which, he figures, must be a mix between a counter and a mutant) to sort through his books. So he finds Henry Weston (Jason Bateman), a straight-laced bean counter who fails to see the store’s magic.
Once the store finds out that Mr. Magorium plans to depart, though, it throws a temper tantrum. Mahoney isn’t too happy, either—because she knows that when Mr. Magorium leaves, so does his magic.
Now, I’ll admit that the whole thing feels a little bit goofy at first—and crazy, lisping Hoffman is little a bit silly as Mr. Magorium. But once you sit back, relax, and let go of your stone-faced, grown-up tendencies, Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium is absolutely wonder-full. And that, my friends, is the whole idea.
Mr. Magorium is every bit as smart as it is playful. Helm (who also wrote last year’s surprisingly clever comedy, Stranger Than Fiction) does an excellent job of creating a story that’s childlike without being childish. It’s magical and creative and fun. It isn’t self-conscious, nor does it shy away from being goofy. It’s unabashedly silly, and its snappy dialogue is filled with bad puns. And once you let yourself get caught up in the excitement of it all, you’ll find yourself grinning and giggling just as much as I did.
Of course, it helps that the characters are lovable—and perfectly cast. Hoffman, though a little awkward at first, is pleasantly quirky. Portman has the perfect child-like look and personality. Bateman does a great job of playing it straight. And Zach Mills—who plays the awkward nine-year-old hat-collector, Eric—is just plain adorable.
My only complaint is that the film doesn’t end as strongly as it could have. While the conclusion is sweet and heart-warming and even somewhat enchanting, it isn’t quite as thrilling as I’d hoped, and it leaves a character or two hanging. Still, that’s only a minor complaint—and after an hour and a half of fun and magic, it doesn’t really matter all that much.
There’s so much to enjoy in Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium that you’ll need to watch it at least twice to take it all in. So take the kids to see it—and then take them again. Or, better yet, take some of your stone-faced grown-up friends. Because if it can brighten up a room full of critics, it must be truly magical.
