Rating: 6 / 10

Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium

Staring: Dustin Hoffman, Natalie Portman and Jason Bateman.

Plot: The 243-year-old Mr. Magorium (Hoffman) is nearing the end of his life, causing his loyal manager (Portman) and his customers to wonder what will happen to his magical, titular toy store.

The Good: There is plenty of good-hearted and good-humored fun for both kids and adults.

The Bad: What’s with all the name-brand toys in the background? Not to belittle anyone’s nostalgia, but when a store carries dolls that move on their own, do Hot Wheels really cut it?

The Lowdown: Writer and director Zach Helm may be a creative force in film. However, he’s not one for originality. As the writer of 2006’s “Stranger than Fiction,” he played with the meta-comedy formula Charlie Kaufman perfected with “Adaptation.” With “Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium,” he creates a world that is all too reminiscent of Willy Wonka’s. In one scene, a boy in the store finds an inflatable ball the size of the boulder in “Raiders of the Lost Ark.”

As Mr. Magorium finds his body indented into the ball, he laughs and says “I love this ball. It’s impossible to dodge.”

Not that it’s a bad film. There are many aspects to enjoy, including the wide-eyed sense of wonder the film instills, the clever bits of art direction and the cast. Dustin Hoffman does a good job of straddling the fence between an elderly mystic and an overgrown child.

Jason Bateman is in full-on Michael Bluthe mode as Henry, the humorless, workaholic accountant sent to determine the store’s worth in preparation for Magorium’s departure. (To “Stranger than Fiction” fans: What does Helm have against accountants?)

Bateman’s character is refreshing because he doesn’t play him like a shrewd, villainous businessman with no care for children, toys or magic. In one of the film’s best scenes, he explains to a scolding Portman that he is just trying to help, doing what he knows best.

Of course, as a family film, there will undoubtedly be a group of people who find it too cutesy and obvious. Therein lies the difficulty in rating. While “Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium” is certainly flawed, it has its heart in the right place. It’s not looking to win Oscars – it just wants to entertain the family.
Thankfully, instead of a 90-minute toy commercial, the film celebrates the quirks and talents inside everyone.

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