Highly Effective Film-making
Added 11/10/2009
The children's movie "Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium" is highly manipulative and highly effective film-making. Mr. Magorium (Dustin Hoffman) is a toystore wizard whose decided that it's time for him to depart from this world not because 243 years is a long time to live but because he's run out of his favorite shoes. Molly Mahoney (Natalie Portman) is his apprentice who once as a piano prodigy tried to compose a master concerto but now as Mr. Magorium's heir apparent must figure out what to do with a block of wood. To help her Mr. Magorium has hired an accountant or "a counting mutant" (Jason Bateman), who as a humorless workaholic represents all that's wrong with the adult world, and so kids instinctively like to step on him. Serving as the narrator and the conscience of the movie is nine-year old Eric.
With Mr. Magorium as the composer the wonder emporium is simply a visual symphony, with shiny fire engines popping out of dusty books and Lego construction workers causing fire hazards. Everything is so cute and cuddly, as are the characters. Dustin Hoffman is very good, Jason Bateman is his usual likable self even when he's playing the movie's antagonist, and Natalie Portman manages to yet again demonstrate the full range of her acting talents even in a movie as emotionally one-sided as this one. This is a feel-good movie, and even the supposedly weird narrator Eric is weird only because he has the wisdom of someone who has lived three centuries.
And as a feel-good movie it slides into conflict and climax without really doing so. Mr. Magorium's last day is one big holiday, his depature is treated as a non-event, and Molly Mahoney's "rise to the occasion" is so assured that we have to credit the movie with even pretending anything else was possible.
Yes, this movie may be predictable and plotless but it raises an interesting point about how children and the elderly benefit society. Modern economics views children and the elderly as "dependents," meaning they use important resources without helping to create wealth. Economists have long known that a population with a large proportion of working adults relative to dependents (Ireland, China, and soon India) benefit from fast and tremendous growth; the converse is also true, and so it's easy and quick to believe that the less children and elderly there are the better.
"Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium" suggests these so-called dependents have an instrinsic and priceless social value: in them lies humanity's collected wisdom that adults have too easily forgotten. The counting mutant never believed in the magic of faith to change one's world, and Molly Mahoney had forgotten to believe but Eric always believed, and he believed with such a stubborn passion that he, not Molly Mahoney, is Mr. Magorium's true heir apparent. Eric is the only one who understands the counting mutant is really a child at heart, that it is time for Mr. Magorium to leave, and that Molly Mahoney is the only one who can inherit the store. The adults must struggle to discover truths that come instinctively to Eric.
That's because this is a children's movie, and Eric is the true hero and protagonist. More than conversing with the Molly Mahoneys and the counting mutants of this world (who as caricatures don't really exist) this movie is telling the the lonely and underappreciated Erics of this world that everyday because they see color in a world of gray and have faith in an overly rational world they help blind adults see.
But is this really true? Well, as Eric and Mr. Magorium would say, you just have to believe.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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Very fun movie
Added 10/11/2009
A very fun movie to watch. It has a magical touch that in quite enchanting.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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Fantastic Fantasy!!
Added 9/18/2009
I absolutely ADORE this movie. I picked it up for my kids, unaware of what is was about, and rented it simply because it was rated G -which is hard to find, and found myself engrossed and in love with this movie. It is perfect for any age group and any individual who is in-touch with their inner child's imagination and who has an appreciation for the art of fantasy. I very rarely BUY movies-but after seeing this only once I knew that it had to become part of our regular library of entertainment. The cast is superb, the acting is great, and the story line is fantastically unique. Anyone who 'doesn't get' this movie has simply grown old and become so serious that they have forgotten the joy of dreaming and the small pleasures of childhood like pop wrap and glowing stars on your ceiling at night. As they said in the movie Hook, they "have forgotten how to fly". And for the rest of us, its a fantastic trip back to visit those fantasies.
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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DVD damaged - service great
Added 9/13/2009
Was disappointed that the DVD had flaws - however very satisfied in the return/credit from supplier.The movie is great - so many "really listen to what is being stated". Very inspirational - one does not have to read only "holy" books to receive a "message". Will purchase this movie again.
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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Just one of those movies you have to see
Added 9/5/2009
This is just one of those movies you have to see if you have children. It makes you believe in magic, and that's a great thing for young kids.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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Highly Effective Film-making
Added 11/10/2009
The children's movie "Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium" is highly manipulative and highly effective film-making. Mr. Magorium (Dustin Hoffman) is a toystore wizard whose decided that it's time for him to depart from this world not because 243 years is a long time to live but because he's run out of his favorite shoes. Molly Mahoney (Natalie Portman) is his apprentice who once as a piano prodigy tried to compose a master concerto but now as Mr. Magorium's heir apparent must figure out what to do with a block of wood. To help her Mr. Magorium has hired an accountant or "a counting mutant" (Jason Bateman), who as a humorless workaholic represents all that's wrong with the adult world, and so kids instinctively like to step on him. Serving as the narrator and the conscience of the movie is nine-year old Eric.
With Mr. Magorium as the composer the wonder emporium is simply a visual symphony, with shiny fire engines popping out of dusty books and Lego construction workers causing fire hazards. Everything is so cute and cuddly, as are the characters. Dustin Hoffman is very good, Jason Bateman is his usual likable self even when he's playing the movie's antagonist, and Natalie Portman manages to yet again demonstrate the full range of her acting talents even in a movie as emotionally one-sided as this one. This is a feel-good movie, and even the supposedly weird narrator Eric is weird only because he has the wisdom of someone who has lived three centuries.
And as a feel-good movie it slides into conflict and climax without really doing so. Mr. Magorium's last day is one big holiday, his depature is treated as a non-event, and Molly Mahoney's "rise to the occasion" is so assured that we have to credit the movie with even pretending anything else was possible.
Yes, this movie may be predictable and plotless but it raises an interesting point about how children and the elderly benefit society. Modern economics views children and the elderly as "dependents," meaning they use important resources without helping to create wealth. Economists have long known that a population with a large proportion of working adults relative to dependents (Ireland, China, and soon India) benefit from fast and tremendous growth; the converse is also true, and so it's easy and quick to believe that the less children and elderly there are the better.
"Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium" suggests these so-called dependents have an instrinsic and priceless social value: in them lies humanity's collected wisdom that adults have too easily forgotten. The counting mutant never believed in the magic of faith to change one's world, and Molly Mahoney had forgotten to believe but Eric always believed, and he believed with such a stubborn passion that he, not Molly Mahoney, is Mr. Magorium's true heir apparent. Eric is the only one who understands the counting mutant is really a child at heart, that it is time for Mr. Magorium to leave, and that Molly Mahoney is the only one who can inherit the store. The adults must struggle to discover truths that come instinctively to Eric.
That's because this is a children's movie, and Eric is the true hero and protagonist. More than conversing with the Molly Mahoneys and the counting mutants of this world (who as caricatures don't really exist) this movie is telling the the lonely and underappreciated Erics of this world that everyday because they see color in a world of gray and have faith in an overly rational world they help blind adults see.
But is this really true? Well, as Eric and Mr. Magorium would say, you just have to believe.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
|
Very fun movie
Added 10/11/2009
A very fun movie to watch. It has a magical touch that in quite enchanting.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
|
Fantastic Fantasy!!
Added 9/18/2009
I absolutely ADORE this movie. I picked it up for my kids, unaware of what is was about, and rented it simply because it was rated G -which is hard to find, and found myself engrossed and in love with this movie. It is perfect for any age group and any individual who is in-touch with their inner child's imagination and who has an appreciation for the art of fantasy. I very rarely BUY movies-but after seeing this only once I knew that it had to become part of our regular library of entertainment. The cast is superb, the acting is great, and the story line is fantastically unique. Anyone who 'doesn't get' this movie has simply grown old and become so serious that they have forgotten the joy of dreaming and the small pleasures of childhood like pop wrap and glowing stars on your ceiling at night. As they said in the movie Hook, they "have forgotten how to fly". And for the rest of us, its a fantastic trip back to visit those fantasies.
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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