Eye Candy #201 - "Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium"

Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium: Completely mismarketed by its studio, this film was unfairly dubbed the "Worst Children's Movie of 2007" by one critic. Not hardly. That's the "Golden Compass". Natalie Portman is Molly Mahoney, manager of Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium, a children's toy store powered by magic and owned by Mr. Magorium (Dustin Huffman, playing the part of his chosen speech impediment). Mr. Magorium, at the ripe age of 243, has decided to shuffle off this mortal coil and leave Mahoney in charge, but she has serious reservations about her ability to run the store. To help her out are Henry, their accountant (Jason Bateman) and Eric, a boy with a hat fetish (Zach Mills, the best actor in the cast). Thematically similar to "Toys", and other films about adults growing up, this is the directorial debut of Zach Helm, who wrote the very good "Stranger Than Fiction" (and I think that's working against him; everyone expected another film like that and this film ain't like that one). At some points, the special effects and visuals only serve themselves (think of a Disney Store on crack and you get some idea of the emporium), but the message is very simple and communicated well. Ending is a bit abrupt. Bateman and Portman are both good, playing against type. Woodchuck sez, "Better than the critics say."