Tetrady not as good as all the hype

Dorathen Better Late Then Never

Comwayon A Disappointing Continuation

Clarissa Mora The tone of this movie is interesting -- the stakes are both dramatic and high, but it's balanced with a lot of fun, tongue and cheek dialogue.

SnoopyStyle Molly Mahoney (Natalie Portman) is the manager of the magical toy store Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium and an apprentice to Mr. Edward Magorium (Dustin Hoffman). Molly was a promising composer but has since lost her confidence. Eric Applebaum is a friendless boy except for Molly and Mr. Magorium. Mr. Magorium hires accountant Henry Weston (Jason Bateman) to get the accounts in order. He gives Molly a block of wood called Congreve and asks Henry to transfer the Emporium to her name.If I'm a kid, I would love this store. Kermit would drop by. It looks like a lot of fun and the movie spares no expense to make this CG heaven. I keep wondering what's the relationship of the store to the real world. Do adults remember the magic after they leave the store? It's odd that nobody seems to be surprised. The movie should explain the world more. Molly and Henry aren't actually that compelling. The character growth is easy. There isn't much of a story here.

SanteeFats Ahh what can you say about Dustin Hoffman he is Dustin Hoffman is about it Natalie Portman does well in her role and Jason Bateman is really good as the accountant who becomes more human after coming to work in the shop. Eric Applebaum plays the reclusive boy who believes in the store and brings people around to be kid's again. His mom is on him about finding a friend, he makes the accountant his friend but when they are playing in his room momma doesn't like it. Of course in today's climate who can blame her. It is a sad moment when Dustin decides to pass on but there are a ton of people who come to the grave site. Natalie inherits the store but doubts her self so the store goes dark. With Bateman's help she discovers that she does have the magic to run the store. The ending is a very happy one as the store accepts her and comes back to life.

mike48128 Not based on a book and written by the director, the plot is cute enough but seems quite familiar. A magical toy shop that seems to borrow from many other imperfect holiday/Christmas movies like "Santa Clause", "Willie Wonka" and "Santa Claus-the Movie". The first half is magical, as the wonders of the toy shop are revealed. (It's like "Duncan's Toy Chest" in "Home Alone 2", only even nicer.) Dustin Hoffman's fake "accent" seems borrowed from Ed Wynn. I guess the reason they didn't make him up to look 243 years old is because this isn't a horror movie. He looks about "90ish". So Mr. M is finally tired out and has "run out of shoes". He is moving on. (No actual mention of Heaven, but it's strongly implied.) Natale Portman is the cute waifish-looking shop manager who doesn't believe in her own magical abilities. The plot is quite obvious: she and her supporting cast are going to end up running the toy store when Mr. M. leaves. The movie is charming and often plays on both the Disney and Hallmark Channels. Is it a classic? No; but it will be thoroughly enjoyed by young children and it is totally without violence, and these days that's a rare treat in children's movies. The toy shop is truly magical, and it is as much a character in the film as any of the actors. There is even an uncredited cameo appearance by Kermit-The-Frog!

classicsoncall Realizing that there are movie viewers out there that hate even a classic like "The Wizard of Oz", I fully expected to see some negative reviews for this film as well. I don't get where all the vitriol comes from. I certainly wouldn't put Mr. Magorium in Wizard of Oz territory, but for what it sets out to do it's a whimsical and fun picture. Those who fault it because certain elements don't work in their eyes, the Congreve Cube for example, need to lighten up a bit because the film never pretends to be a masterpiece of movie making. It's got a simple message of believing in one's self, with the magic that follows a result of one's effort, creativity and single mindedness. Dustin Hoffman is professional enough to pull off any kind of role, but since he had the lead here, I wonder how many reviewers would have had an entirely different opinion of the picture if Jim Carrey had the lead. I got a kick out of the way Jason Bateman's character 'just' took to his Mutant nickname, and Natalie Portman surprised with her range of emotion and an ability to turn on a dime when the situation called for it. The kid Zach Mills was pretty good too, I liked that scene when he was communicating with the Mutant behind the glass. All in all a fun film, very colorful, and a refreshing turn from most recent fare in it's appeal to all members of the family.