MR. MAGORIUM'S WONDER EMPORIUM Film Review - 30/12/07

The only wonder about this film was why was it made? Catching the early morning Saturday show with an audience of about 12 people from this restricted local run of this film made me realise just how awful it was! Dustin Hoffman comes over with the voice of his character from "Rain Man" which was extremely irritating as he chewed the scenery and why Natalie Portman would want this on her CV is anyone's guess as she flies through this on autopilot. Saccharine, trite, sentimental mush that was so boring it even lost my attention at one point as I gazed around the theatre. The only point seemed to be "Believe In Yourself" but it really doesn't take 90 minutes to explain that as garish colours mutate on the screen and annoying credit titles wind you up even worse. As I left with the small crowd; a muttering was heard along the lines of "Well I wasn't very impressed with that" great if you like the 70's innocent version of films, but today's realities just don't impress this anymore.

Mr. Magorium owns a magical toyshop; after 200 years or so of being the boss, he decides to hand it to his apprentice Mahoney and leave the world forever. Cue ensuing chaos as the Toyshop isn't happy about this and neither is Mahoney. Then they all lived happily ever after!