6/10
Believe In Yourself and the Magic Happens
2 April 2009
Molly Mahoney (Natalie Portman) is the manager of Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium, the awesome toy store owned by Mr. Edward Magorium (Dustin Hoffman). Molly was a promising composer and piano player when she was a girl, and now she is a twenty-three year-old insecure woman that feels stuck in her job. Among the costumers of the Emporium is the lonely hat collector Eric Applebaum (Zach Mills), who has only Molly and Mr. Magorium as friends. When the last pair of shoes that Mr. Magorium bought in Toscana is worn, he hires the accountant Henry Weston (Jason Bateman) that he calls Mutant to adjust the accounts of the Emporium. Further, he claims that he is two hundred and forty-three year old and his time to go has come; he gives a block of wood called Congreve cube to Molly and asks Henry to transfer the Emporium to her name. Molly tries to convince Mr. Magorium to stay in his magical toy store instead of "going".

"Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium" is a pleasant fantasy with a positive message that anything can happen, even magic, when you believe in yourself. The ambiguous story told by Eric may be metaphorically interpreted by the adults or just be seen as a magical toy store by the kids and the result is equally good. The sweet Natalie Portman is perfectly cast in the role of Molly, but Dustin Hoffman plays a quite boring Mr. Magorium. The special effects are amazing. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "A Loja Mágica de Brinquedos" ("The Magical Toy Store")
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