Review of "Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium" by

Mr. Magorium's is unlike other toy stores. This one is truly magical. Weird and wonderful things happen there every day. Kids love to come to the store just to play, especially the unusual boy named Eric Applebaum (Zach Mills) who comes to the store each day wearing a different hat from his collection. Mr. Magorium (Dustin Hoffman) loves to help and watch the kids enjoy themselves. 23 year-old Molly Mahoney (Natalie Portman), a child prodigy on the piano, has worked at Mr. Magorium's since she was 15. She's been trying to compose a masterpiece for years, but she's "stuck" on the fourth bar, so she fills her days helping Mr. Magorium. But Magorium is 243 years old and believes his time is near, so to prepare for giving the store to Mahoney, he hires an accountant Henry Weston (Justin Bateman) whom he immediately nicknames "Mutant" because an accountant is a combination of "counting" and "mutant". When Magorium does finally leave, the store goes into a funk and refuses to be magical anymore. It takes the help of the boy and the mutant to help Mahoney find her "sparkle" and to realize her true potential.

Released in theaters for Christmas 2007, this charming children's movie was not well-received by critics, and its a shame because its truly a sweet movie with great performances by stars Dustin Hoffman, Natalie Portman, Justin Bateman, and especially child actor Zach Mills. You'll enjoy it at least as much as your kids will - perhaps more.