Poster art for "Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium."

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So-so
Avg. Critic Score: 48 out of 100 Mixed or average reviews Metascore® based on all critic reviews
Information for Parents:
6 OK for kids 6+
Read Common Sense Media review

Critic scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more favorable reviews.

  • 75
    San Francisco Chronicle | Peter Hartlaub

    Helm gets huge bonus points for noticing everything that's annoying about modern children's films and including none of those things in his movie. Read full review

  • 75
    Chicago Sun-Times | Roger Ebert

    Hoffman has countless characters inside of him, and this is one of his nicest. Read full review

  • 63
    USA Today | Claudia Puig

    Writer/director Zach Helm, who wrote "Stranger Than Fiction," achieves bursts of charm and whimsy, but not quite enough magic to elicit a consistent sense of wonderment. Read full review

  • 50
    Boston Globe | Wesley Morris

    About a magical toy shop, but it has some of the sadder moments I've seen in a movie all year. Read full review

  • 50
    The Hollywood Reporter | Sheri Linden

    For all its playful touches and neat-o nostalgia for nondigital entertainment, the whimsy feels forced. Read full review

  • 50
    The New York Times | Stephen Holden

    If the concept is ingenious, its execution is erratic. Read full review

  • 50
    Variety | Brian Lowry

    Sprinkles in charming moments but ultimately doesn't evoke enough wonderment to overcome its tongue-twisting title and completely win over adults along with kids. Read full review

  • 50
    Los Angeles Times | Kevin Crust

    While endearingly heartfelt and G-rated to boot, its storytelling suffers from a lack of locomotive force and characters that feel disappointingly two-dimensional. Read full review

  • 30
    Washington Post | Stephen Hunter

    The movie, directed (and written) by Zach Helm in grotesquely bright colors, means to approach the creepy wonder of Roald Dahl but gets only the creepy part right. Read full review

  • 0
    Entertainment Weekly | Owen Gleiberman

    Mr. Magorium, who is 243 years old (so are his jokes), is a cross between Willy Wonka and Geppetto, but Hoffman plays him with little more than a goofy dumb lisp, achieved by tucking his lower lip under his upper teeth, so that he looks just as rabbity-stoopid as he sounds. Read full review

View more reviews for Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium on Metacritic

Information for Parents
Common Sense Media says OK for kids 6+ Sweet magical tale will feed kids' toy cravings.
What Parents Need to Know Parents need to know that this sweet, family-friendly fantasy is brimming with product placement, though most of it's in context (you can't really make a movie about a magic toy store without toys...). Plus, the positive messages about friendship, trust, finding your potential, and believing in yourself overshadow most of the branding. There isn't any violence, but the store does throw a temper tantrum that sends toys flying after patrons (the red walls also fade to gray, and the toys lose their spark and color). A significant death, while presented in an idealized way to fit in with the tone of the film, is handled gently and poignantly; there are some sad scenes, but it's peaceful overall (though really young kids may need further explanation of how death really works). A young boy is looked at as a loner and has trouble making friends with other kids.
  • Families can talk about product placement and commercial tie-ins. Did your kids notice how many toys were featured in the movie? Why were some more obvious than others? Where else have your kids noticed ads and other marketing for this movie? Also, why do you think Eric felt that he was different than the other kids? Did your child relate to his character? Families can also use the movie as an opportunity to talk about death. What does it mean? How do you cope with it? Is dying always sad? Why or why not? How is it different in real life than the way it is in the movie?
The good stuff
  • message true3 Positive messages: Strong positive messages about believing in yourself and others, as well as working together and staying open to the possibility of "magic" in everyday life. A significant death is handled gently; there's some sadness, but overall the characters learn from it and become stronger.
What to watch for
  • violence false0 Violence and scariness: In one chaotic scene, the store throws a temper tantrum -- toys are tossed from shelves, others fall or explode, some attack store patrons (one child is tied up, a woman ends up with a squid on her head, a dragon breathes fire, etc.). So there's some mild peril for a few moments, but nothing serious. Some bickering between characters.
  • sex false0 Sexy stuff: Not an issue
  • language false0 Language: One use of "crap" and a few mild insults -- "insufferable fool," "ninny," etc. Henry is affectionately called "Mutant." Mr. Magorium uses a lot of big words, which many kids may not understand (of course, given how fast he talks, they may not really notice them, either).
  • consumerism false3 Consumerism: The Wonder Emporium is brimming with toys of every size, shape, and color, and many are recognizable brands: Curious George, Easy Bake, Playmobil, Legos, Silly Putty, Lincoln Logs, Matchbox, Hot Wheels, Ugly Doll, Slinky, and more. Expect lots of retail tie-ins.
  • drugsalcoholtobacco false0 Drinking, drugs and smoking: Not an issue
An independent nonprofit dedicated to providing families the information they need to help kids thrive in a world of media and technology. © Common Sense Media Inc. 2010. All rights reserved.

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