Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium 2007

Stephen Holden, New York Times: If the concept of Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium is ingenious, its execution is erratic. Read more

Andrea Gronvall, Chicago Reader: Like the store, the movie is chockablock with playthings -- puns, graphics, and music -- that make the life lessons easier to absorb. Read more

Moira MacDonald, Seattle Times: In a season filled with depressing movies for adults, someone's finally thought to give equal time to the kids. Read more

Scott Tobias, AV Club: The one happy side effect of the film's lack of energy is that it won't result in a raging headache, but that isn't much of an endorsement. Read more

Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic: Wonder is the key, and it's lacking in a major way. Should you decide to see it anyway, you might wonder what you're doing there. Read more

Wesley Morris, Boston Globe: Its insecurities do it in. Read more

Kevin Crust, Los Angeles Times: 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 more

Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune: The film is very sweet -- in fact it represents the dawn of a new sport, Extreme Whimsy -- but it doesn't look or feel like most other kid-friendly Hollywood products that make it to market. When it counts this fable is surprisingly moving. Read more

Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor: At its best, the movie makes you feel like a kindred spirit. Read more

Lisa Kennedy, Denver Post: Mr. Magorium is festive, to be sure. But it doesn't have the rhythm of an instant family classic. Read more

Tom Long, Detroit News: Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium should delight audiences in the mood for holiday magic. Read more

Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly: The toys all have prankish lives of their own -- which could have been fun, in a Harry Potter meets Flubber sort of way, except that when you actually see the playthings, they don't look fun at all. Read more

Terry Lawson, Detroit Free Press: With fine performances from Hoffman, Portman, Bateman and the sad-eyed Mills, and some ever-true observations about imagination and possibilities, Mr. Magorium is likely to work his magic given a chance. Read more

Ella Taylor, L.A. Weekly: Things grow tediously familiar. Read more

Bruce Newman, San Jose Mercury News: Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium is what happens when too many sappy sweet instincts chase too few original ideas. Read more

Jan Stuart, Newsday: The walls of multiplex theaters may not shake and weep upon its departure, but as a holiday alternative for kids, OD'ing on Willy Wonka, you could do worse. Read more

Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News: Never promise wonder when all you've got is manufactured whimsy. Read more

Lou Lumenick, New York Post: There isn't anything terribly exciting or original on offer... but there's nothing offensive either. Read more

Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel: Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium truly does inspire wonder. As in, 'Wonder why they made this? Wonder what they were thinking?' Read more

Carrie Rickey, Philadelphia Inquirer: Perhaps thinking in pictures led Helm to clutter his screen with TMVI -- too much visual information. Read more

Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: This isn't quite the over-the-top fantasy you'd like it to be, but it's a charming enough little movie, and probably the younger you are, the more charming. Read more

Peter Hartlaub, San Francisco Chronicle: 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 more

Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune: Instantly forgettable except that it contains the worst performance of Dustin Hoffman's long and illustrious career. Read more

Rick Groen, Globe and Mail: Helm knows his way around a screenplay. The guy can write. But directing is a whole other kettle of talent. Read more

Susan Walker, Toronto Star: As long as Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium sticks to magic, it is pretty engaging, but the lives on display are less than mesmerizing. Read more

Derek Adams, Time Out: Let's not be too Scrooge-like; there are pockets of charm, and some of the effects are quite good. Read more

Claudia Puig, USA Today: Writer/director Zach Helm achieves bursts of charm and whimsy, but not quite enough magic to elicit a consistent sense of wonderment. Read more

Brian Lowry, Variety: 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 more

Variety: Read more

Stephen Hunter, Washington Post: The movie means to approach the creepy wonder of Roald Dahl but gets only the creepy part right. Read more