| Reviews & Columns |
|
Reviews DVD TV on DVD Blu-ray 4K UHD International DVDs In Theaters Reviews by Studio Video Games Features Collector Series DVDs Easter Egg Database Interviews DVD Talk Radio Feature Articles Columns Anime Talk DVD Savant Horror DVDs The M.O.D. Squad Art House HD Talk Silent DVD
|
 DVD Talk Forum |
|
|
| Resources |
|
DVD Price Search Customer Service #'s RCE Info Links |
|
Columns
  
 
|
|
|
Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium
Fox // G // March 4, 2008
List Price: $29.99 [Buy now and save at Amazon]
I find myself in the troublesome spot of having to defend a movie with a title as woefully unfortunate as "Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium." Unquestionably one of the worst movie titles I've ever encountered, it's so awful it sounds like a parody; I am reminded that Troy McClure once made a film called "The Contrabulous Fabtraption of Professor Horatio Hufnagel," which perhaps belongs atop a double bill with "The Splendiferous Zeppelin Escapades of Filliam H. Muffman."
The problem, of course, is that such a title - and by extension, the character name "Mr. Magorium" itself - implies a forced, false whimsy that's impossible to swallow. The character has a name that Dr. Seuss himself would find overly obvious, while the inclusion of the word "Wonder" feels pushy, as if the filmmakers believe they have to tell us how we'll feel while watching.
But when we get to the movie itself, we discover that yes, there is wonder here, and plenty of it. This is a joyous work, bursting with honest-to-goodness magic. The whimsy is never forced, never flawed, and so very easy to swallow.
Dustin Hoffman, hidden under a fright wig, giant eyebrows, and a strange, otherworldly lisp, plays the title character, the 243-year-old owner of a magical toy store, the Wonder Emporium. The magic is real here, but only if you believe, and the children that swarm the building always do. Toys spring to life. Doors lead to such fantastical places as the Ball Room (featuring a gigantic dodge ball that's impossible to dodge). A silent muscleman lives in the basement and makes books. The store catalogue, the correctly named "Big Book," reminds you that anything you can imagine, you can find.
The store is a marvel of production design, which is important, considering most of the movie takes place within these walls. The toys featured are a mix of hand-crafted originals, classic favorites, and name brand selections, and they fill every nook and cranny of the space. Effects work shines, too: some of the toys find life through CG animation, while others are in the hands of old-school effects puppeteers. Add in a cast full of running, playing children, and the building bursts at the seams. Every frame of this movie is wonderfully alive.
Which is important, because the story is ready for a nap. Magorium has decided it's time to leave this world, and he hopes his final surprise will be to bequeath the store to his assistant, Molly Mahoney (Natalie Portman, donning an androgynous tomboy look). But Molly has been thinking of quitting the job and finding work playing the piano, a lifelong dream. The script, by Zach Helm (who also makes his directorial debut here), gets a bit muddled with this point; sometimes it follows Molly's desires to become a composer and musician, but most of the time it drops this point in favor of the more straight-ahead notion of Molly simply not wanting Magorium to leave. (Never, really, does the movie convincingly answer the more reasonable question: why would anyone in her right mind want to ever leave such a marvelous place?) The film more or less reconciles the two trains of thought by the grand finale, but only slightly. It's a satisfactory ending emotionally, but not logically.
Despite the clutter of this character motivation, the basic core - Molly not wanting Magorium to leave - is very solid, and, for a children's film, rather brave. Here is a movie that discusses the nature of death itself, with a level of seriousness and honesty that's both startling and most welcome. Magorium gets philosophical about his upcoming demise (he prefers to call it his "departure"), and in the movie's finest moment, he delivers a monologue on the simplicity of nature's end as described in Shakespeare's "King Lear." It's heavy stuff, yet Helm's beautiful script finds the right words to make it both captivating for adults and understandable to children.
It's not all doom and gloom. After all, this is a movie about a magical toy store, and Helm is eager to soften his thoughtful theories on life and death with silly asides about Slinkies that refuse to slink and stubborn zebras who stand on the couch when they're not supposed to. The movie is packed with teeny throwaway jokes that will get young viewers giggling. (A cameo from Kermit the Frog, while completely pointless, made my daughter smile with glee. Me, too, actually.)
Continuing a theme from his previous screenplay, the lovely, underrated "Stranger Than Fiction," Helm includes a subplot involving an accountant who discovers the amazing world around him and reclaims his inner innocence. Jason Bateman plays the accountant (or "a counting mutant," as Magorium calls him), while Zach Mills plays Eric, the precocious boy who works in the store but has no friends until the accountant comes along. In one adorable scene, the two converse without ever talking; how the grown-up ends this scene is heartbreaking, an honest comment about the traps of adulthood. Later, when the accountant discovers Eric's hat collection, it's as if magic has finally started to trickle back into the grown-up's heart. Their friendship, and where it leads the movie, is a syrupy sweet side story that adds to the overall charm of the piece.
And charm is what "Emporium" has in spades, more than making up for any hiccups in the storytelling. Sure, the movie can be too loud, too busy, too chaotic, but so can a toy store, really. More importantly, the movie is quaint, endearingly so, and in all the right places.
The DVD
Video & Audio
Once again, Fox has sent along a crummy watermarked screener copy for review, and not the final retail product. As such, I cannot offer comment on the video quality of the disc, other than to say the film will be presented in its original 2.35:1 widescreen format, with anamorphic enhancement. If a retail version arrives, I will update this review accordingly.
Update 3/21/08: Fox has finally sent in a final retail version for review. And oh, how wonderful this looks on DVD. Helm's eye for picture book visuals comes through with this colorful transfer that brings detail to every corner of the toy store.
The soundtrack, meanwhile, sounds splendid in this Dolby 5.1 mix. This movie is busy on the ears, and the use of the surround speakers makes the most of the film's liveliness. French and Spanish stereo tracks are offered, as are optional subtitles in English, French, and Spanish.
Extras
"Strangely Weird and Weirdly Strange: The Magical World of a Wonder Emporium" is a four-part behind-the-scenes glimpse, which sounds impressive until you discover that the four parts just barely add up to seven minutes total. "Supposedly the Mind of Zach Helm" offers a tiny interview with the filmmaker; "The Sock Monkey" has puppeteers quickly explain the creation and operation of one of the film's key props; "Mortimer the Zebra" features interviews on what it's like to have a live zebra on the set; and "Lincoln Man" details the making of an Abe Lincoln statue build out of Lincoln Logs. These are all cute, kid-sized chunks of info, but they're all too brief, really, even for younger viewers. You can play them individually or as one unit.
Other featurettes are equally fluffy and short. "An Eccentric Boss and an Awkward Apprentice" (6:45) is an EPK-style look at Hoffman, Portman, and their characters. "To Meet Eric Applebaum Start By Saying Hi" (7:00) is the same, only this time focusing on Mills and his character. More informative is "The Magical Toy Store" (8:00), which runs down the design and crafting of the set. "Fun on the Set" (2:00) is exactly what it sounds like, a collection of footage of cast and crew goofing around.
Also included is one of Fox's "Inside Look" sales pitch previews, this one offering an early glimpse at "Horton Hears a Who!"
Finally, a batch of previews for other Fox releases is included. Another batch of previews also plays as the disc loads.
Final Thoughts
"Emporium" is a lovely film stuck with a lousy title and a few script missteps; even with these problems, the movie earns its self-proclaimed amount of wonder. Recommended to those in the mood for a sweet, charming family fantasy.
The problem, of course, is that such a title - and by extension, the character name "Mr. Magorium" itself - implies a forced, false whimsy that's impossible to swallow. The character has a name that Dr. Seuss himself would find overly obvious, while the inclusion of the word "Wonder" feels pushy, as if the filmmakers believe they have to tell us how we'll feel while watching.
But when we get to the movie itself, we discover that yes, there is wonder here, and plenty of it. This is a joyous work, bursting with honest-to-goodness magic. The whimsy is never forced, never flawed, and so very easy to swallow.
Dustin Hoffman, hidden under a fright wig, giant eyebrows, and a strange, otherworldly lisp, plays the title character, the 243-year-old owner of a magical toy store, the Wonder Emporium. The magic is real here, but only if you believe, and the children that swarm the building always do. Toys spring to life. Doors lead to such fantastical places as the Ball Room (featuring a gigantic dodge ball that's impossible to dodge). A silent muscleman lives in the basement and makes books. The store catalogue, the correctly named "Big Book," reminds you that anything you can imagine, you can find.
The store is a marvel of production design, which is important, considering most of the movie takes place within these walls. The toys featured are a mix of hand-crafted originals, classic favorites, and name brand selections, and they fill every nook and cranny of the space. Effects work shines, too: some of the toys find life through CG animation, while others are in the hands of old-school effects puppeteers. Add in a cast full of running, playing children, and the building bursts at the seams. Every frame of this movie is wonderfully alive.
Which is important, because the story is ready for a nap. Magorium has decided it's time to leave this world, and he hopes his final surprise will be to bequeath the store to his assistant, Molly Mahoney (Natalie Portman, donning an androgynous tomboy look). But Molly has been thinking of quitting the job and finding work playing the piano, a lifelong dream. The script, by Zach Helm (who also makes his directorial debut here), gets a bit muddled with this point; sometimes it follows Molly's desires to become a composer and musician, but most of the time it drops this point in favor of the more straight-ahead notion of Molly simply not wanting Magorium to leave. (Never, really, does the movie convincingly answer the more reasonable question: why would anyone in her right mind want to ever leave such a marvelous place?) The film more or less reconciles the two trains of thought by the grand finale, but only slightly. It's a satisfactory ending emotionally, but not logically.
Despite the clutter of this character motivation, the basic core - Molly not wanting Magorium to leave - is very solid, and, for a children's film, rather brave. Here is a movie that discusses the nature of death itself, with a level of seriousness and honesty that's both startling and most welcome. Magorium gets philosophical about his upcoming demise (he prefers to call it his "departure"), and in the movie's finest moment, he delivers a monologue on the simplicity of nature's end as described in Shakespeare's "King Lear." It's heavy stuff, yet Helm's beautiful script finds the right words to make it both captivating for adults and understandable to children.
It's not all doom and gloom. After all, this is a movie about a magical toy store, and Helm is eager to soften his thoughtful theories on life and death with silly asides about Slinkies that refuse to slink and stubborn zebras who stand on the couch when they're not supposed to. The movie is packed with teeny throwaway jokes that will get young viewers giggling. (A cameo from Kermit the Frog, while completely pointless, made my daughter smile with glee. Me, too, actually.)
Continuing a theme from his previous screenplay, the lovely, underrated "Stranger Than Fiction," Helm includes a subplot involving an accountant who discovers the amazing world around him and reclaims his inner innocence. Jason Bateman plays the accountant (or "a counting mutant," as Magorium calls him), while Zach Mills plays Eric, the precocious boy who works in the store but has no friends until the accountant comes along. In one adorable scene, the two converse without ever talking; how the grown-up ends this scene is heartbreaking, an honest comment about the traps of adulthood. Later, when the accountant discovers Eric's hat collection, it's as if magic has finally started to trickle back into the grown-up's heart. Their friendship, and where it leads the movie, is a syrupy sweet side story that adds to the overall charm of the piece.
And charm is what "Emporium" has in spades, more than making up for any hiccups in the storytelling. Sure, the movie can be too loud, too busy, too chaotic, but so can a toy store, really. More importantly, the movie is quaint, endearingly so, and in all the right places.
The DVD
Video & Audio
Once again, Fox has sent along a crummy watermarked screener copy for review, and not the final retail product. As such, I cannot offer comment on the video quality of the disc, other than to say the film will be presented in its original 2.35:1 widescreen format, with anamorphic enhancement. If a retail version arrives, I will update this review accordingly.
Update 3/21/08: Fox has finally sent in a final retail version for review. And oh, how wonderful this looks on DVD. Helm's eye for picture book visuals comes through with this colorful transfer that brings detail to every corner of the toy store.
The soundtrack, meanwhile, sounds splendid in this Dolby 5.1 mix. This movie is busy on the ears, and the use of the surround speakers makes the most of the film's liveliness. French and Spanish stereo tracks are offered, as are optional subtitles in English, French, and Spanish.
Extras
"Strangely Weird and Weirdly Strange: The Magical World of a Wonder Emporium" is a four-part behind-the-scenes glimpse, which sounds impressive until you discover that the four parts just barely add up to seven minutes total. "Supposedly the Mind of Zach Helm" offers a tiny interview with the filmmaker; "The Sock Monkey" has puppeteers quickly explain the creation and operation of one of the film's key props; "Mortimer the Zebra" features interviews on what it's like to have a live zebra on the set; and "Lincoln Man" details the making of an Abe Lincoln statue build out of Lincoln Logs. These are all cute, kid-sized chunks of info, but they're all too brief, really, even for younger viewers. You can play them individually or as one unit.
Other featurettes are equally fluffy and short. "An Eccentric Boss and an Awkward Apprentice" (6:45) is an EPK-style look at Hoffman, Portman, and their characters. "To Meet Eric Applebaum Start By Saying Hi" (7:00) is the same, only this time focusing on Mills and his character. More informative is "The Magical Toy Store" (8:00), which runs down the design and crafting of the set. "Fun on the Set" (2:00) is exactly what it sounds like, a collection of footage of cast and crew goofing around.
Also included is one of Fox's "Inside Look" sales pitch previews, this one offering an early glimpse at "Horton Hears a Who!"
Finally, a batch of previews for other Fox releases is included. Another batch of previews also plays as the disc loads.
Final Thoughts
"Emporium" is a lovely film stuck with a lousy title and a few script missteps; even with these problems, the movie earns its self-proclaimed amount of wonder. Recommended to those in the mood for a sweet, charming family fantasy.
|
| Popular Reviews |
| Sponsored Links |
|
|
| Sponsored Links |
|
|
| Release List | Reviews | Shop | Newsletter | Forum | DVD Giveaways | Blu-Ray | Advertise |
|
Copyright 2024 DVDTalk.com All Rights Reserved. Legal Info, Privacy Policy, Terms of Use,
Manage Preferences,
Your Privacy Choices 
| |||||||