Mommy Review: Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium
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What happens when the magical, 243-year-old proprietor of a wondrous toy emporium decides to hand his business down to his protégée? The store begins to sulk and loses all traces of its magic. Who will believe in the magic and bring the wonder back to the emporium?
You can read a more detailed synopsis in 100 other places online. I will skip that. What I want to comment on is the suitability of this film for a pre-schooler, since that is what I can most knowledgeably comment on.
The film is Rated G, and any parent knows this is something that has been sorely lacking in theaters this year. I was thrilled to be able to take my 4-year-old to a film I knew would be appropriate. There was one instance of a rocket ship saying, “Oh Crap.” Also, the subjects of death and dying are prominent in this film, so be ready to answer a lot of questions if your child is young. Gigi understands death to an extent, but Mr. Magorium brings up a lot of fine details about readiness, choice, and mourning.
Dustin Hoffman is delightful and his childlike Magorium is both likeable and fascinating. Natalie Portman plays straight man to Hoffman’s off-beat kookiness, but she may take her seriousness a notch too far. Jason Bateman is one of the highlights of the film, as his character exhibits the most perceivable growth by the end of the story.
The pacing is slower than you might imagine for a movie that is only 1 hr 33 min and chock full of stunning visual effects.
All in all, worth the ticket price.
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