| Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium [Blu-ray] | ![Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium [Blu-ray]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61e4X4Pmv8L._SL160_.jpg)
 enlarge | Actors: Jason Bateman, David Rendall, Steve Whitmire, Dustin Hoffman, Jonathan Potts
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Category: DVD
List Price: $39.98
Buy New: $11.29
You Save: $28.69 (72%)
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Avg. Customer Rating:  63 reviews
Sales Rank: 10971
Format: Ac-3, Color, Dolby, Dts Surround Sound, Dubbed, Subtitled, Widescreen
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Subtitled), French (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), French (Dubbed), Spanish (Dubbed)
Rating: G (General Audience)
Media: Blu-ray
Running Time: 94 minutes
Number Of Items: 1
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 6.7 x 5.3 x 0.5
MPN: 2250505
UPC: 024543505051
EAN: 0024543505051
ASIN: B00128VA6C
Theatrical Release Date: November 16, 2007
Release Date: March 4, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: Brand new; still in shrink wrap!!
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Product Description
Mr. Magorium (Dustin Hoffman) owns and runs the most magical store in the universe where all of the toys for sale are alive. But when the aging shopkeeper decides to retire and sell the business to his faithful cashier (Natalie Portman) he hires an uptight accountant (Jason Bateman) to get his affairs in order.System Requirements:Running Time: 94 minutesFormat: BLU-RAY DISC Genre: CHILDREN/FAMILY Rating: G UPC: 024543505051 Manufacturer No: 2250505
Amazon.com
Equal parts whimsical and bittersweet, Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium is a family-friendly movie that will charm youngsters. Dustin Hoffman stars in the titular role of an eccentric 243-year-old owner of a magical toy store. He doesn't appear to be sick, but he has lived a long and happy life and is content to leave his emporium to his employee Molly Mahoney (Natalie Portman). A former child prodigy who has grown up unsure of herself, she barely knows who she is, much less what she wants to become. Molly is both frightened that her beloved boss is leaving and that she will be left in charge of a store she doesn't know how to run. "Are you dying?" she asks him. Magorium points out, "Light bulbs die, my dear. I am departing." His take on death is both comforting and matter of fact, things younger viewers may find soothing when dealing with mortality. Though the film has drawn comparisons to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, this G-rated venture is less dark, curious and interesting than the former. Still, it offers dazzling visuals and a premise that who you are isn't equivalent with who you think you are. Adult moviegoers may find the premise cloying and repetitive. But seen from a child's eye, Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium is indeed a magical place for a short visit. --Jae-Ha Kim
Beyond Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium 
Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium Books | 
Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium Toys and Games | 
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Stills from Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium
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| Customer Reviews: Read 58 more reviews...
 LACKS THE MAGIC OF WONKA June 23, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
Take Willy Wonka out of the chocolate factory and put him in a toy story and you essentially have Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium. Like Wonka, Mr. Magorium (Hoffman) is a playful eccentric with wild hair, and a penchant for bizarre behavior. His old world story is nestled between high rise building and it's no wonder as he has owned the store for over 200 years. Toys virtually come to life inside the store, playing with the customers as much as they play with the. The store has an inter-dimensional quality to it as a certain door can lead to different rooms with the turn of a dial on the wall. The large, dusty store catalog can materialize its toys from thin air just by turning its pages.
Molly Mahoney (Portman) is the store manager and we learn immediately that while she loves working there, she feels incomplete for having never pursued her dream to be a concert pianist. This is underscored when a former college classmate comments that he didn't know that she was still working at the store. For shy 9-year-old Eric, the store is a sanctuary as he has no friends his age. Because Mr. Magorium has never kept book or paid taxes (sure, like the IRS would let him get away with that for 200 years!) he hires accountant Henry Weston (Bateman) to get the books in order.
Magorium startles Molly by announcing that his time in the world is up and he intends to leave the store to her. Molly refuses to believe that's he's going to die and turns down the offer. This causes the store to lose all its magic. Its bright red walls turn black and the toys are now lifeless. Henry and Eric have to convince Molly that she has to take over the store in order to save it.
Again, the parallels with Wonka are many, even down to the owner needing to find someone younger to take over. However, while Wonka was laced with often biting commentary about the behavior of spoiled kids and their parents, Magorium has none of this conflict. Henry's unresolved issues about having friends his age remain unresolved. Molly's dreams of becoming a pianist are tossed aside. Only Henry gets to grow, realizing that he cannot be all work and no play.
The film does have some nice special effects that bring the wonder and magic of the store alive but there's not much magic in the predictable and unsatisfying script. It's riddled with cliches which try to force the viewer into knowing when to laugh and cry and be overjoyed. On the plus side it's a film most kids, especially younger kids will adore and it is good, clean family entertainment.
Extras
The DVD does come with several featurettes:
Strangely Weird and Weirdly Strange: The Magical World Of A Wonder Emporium
An Eccentric Boss And An Awkward Apprentice
To Meet Eric Applebaum, Start By Saying Hi
The Magical Toy Store Featurette
 Worst Movie of the Year June 22, 2008
With Dustin Hoffman being a wonderful actor and Natalie Portman being a wonderful actress, I was extremely disappointed. I would have walked out of the theater if I had known the movie was this bad. The special effects were ok but the general story line was at most yawnfully unpleasant. For most this should have been one of the straight to home video movies that no one should ever see.
 A very pleasant film June 20, 2008
It's extremely hard to find a live action movie these days that is rated G. The story is simple, Mr. Magorium feels it's time to move on and needs to find someone to take over his magical store. The film is full of fabulous color and playfull wimzy that I found to be a breath of fresh air.
Oh my goodness, this is sad! June 18, 2008
I didn't realize quite how sad it was, but my 9 year old daughter and I were sobbing. Over than that, it's a sweet movie, but not as magical as I expected.
Whimsical movie for the kids, deeper meanings for adults June 16, 2008
This was an interesting movie. The main character has a whimsy that reminded me of Robin Williams in Toys. Dustin Hoffman was absolutely brilliant. The kids enjoyed the whimsy of the living toy store. I enjoyed the deeper exploration of death and letting go. It was both fun and touching.
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