Posted: 11/19/2007

Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium

(2007)

by Hank Yuloff

So has anyone taken a look at the lives of two 26-year olds who could not have a more different trip through the World of Entertainment at Britney Spears and Natalie Portman? Maybe it’s the 6 month difference in their ages (Britney 12/2/81 vs. Natalie 6/9/81) that makes Natalie seem so much wiser and more professional.

Natalie started with a modeling career at age 11 but decided she would rather act. She was in a few movies, gaining acclaim until 1999, when she became Queen Amidala in the Star Wars prequel trilogy, and graduated from Harvard in 2003. She received an Oscar nomination for her performance in Closer. About as close as she came to being a pop icon was when a radio station offered Backstreet Boys tickets for anyone who could say where she went to school. The point is, she usually portrays characters that are rather smart or grown up or their age. Like she does in Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium. Then there’s Britney: Fighting an ex for child custody while wearing no panties and talking on her cell phone holding one of those children on her lap while driving home from an alcohol filled party at three in the morning. You get my point.

Those thoughts were running through my head for most of Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium, a whimsical, funny, not too many questions asked film for the younger set. In fact, the 29-month-old rug rat, who is attending such things with me nowadays, liked it. Not as much as Bee Movie, which she asked to see again immediately, but enough to only have to get passed to her mother once (that is the Squiggle Factor).

Natalie Portman costars with Dustin Hoffman playing the title role of a 234-year old man who has decided that it is time to leave this world for the next plane of existence. He wants to leave the store to Portman. But as emporiums can be, it becomes a bit petulant when an ownership change is in the offing.

Zach Helm, who wrote Stanger Than Fiction, wrote and directed this film. I applaud his attempt but if you are seeing this for yourself and not to bring the kids, I think you will be disappointed. If you are a parent looking for a movie you can bring the kids to and not be completely bored with, then this is a great holiday flick. The humor level is appropriate for a G-rated flick. It has just a little bit of scary and not enough story for me. The Warnings (trailer) for this film lead you to believe there are financial problems with the store, hence the appearance of Henry Weston, the Accountant, played by Jason Bateman. I just saw him in The Kingdom and for the second film in a row, felt him to be out of place…and replaceable. Financial challenges are not the reason for Mr. Magorium to summon Mr. Weston, so my one question which would not go away was “if this magical toy shop really existed, then how would it not sell all those other Chinese importing lead filled toy stores combined? Why would there not be lines out the door just to get in and browse?” Like I said, this is a film for your kids who will not be bothered with such trivial matters.

The real focus on the film is Portman who plays Molly Mahoney, a musical prodigy who does not feel she has lived up to whatever levels of greatness she has set for herself. Maybe she will find her confidence and life’s meaning by being the next proprietor of the emporium. And maybe I will just drift off to thoughts of how much more talented she is than Britney.

Hank Yuloff is a writer and film critic in Los Angeles.

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