Dorkgasm Gonzo Is God

Not JUST a Kid’s Movie By Cheryl Kobs             Okay, so call me a kid at heart but I loved Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium. How can you not? Mr. Magorium (Dustin Hoffman) runs a magical Wonder Emporium filled with amazing treasures like self-flying paper airplanes, moving dolls and a doorknob that, when rotated, changes the interior of a magical room. Oh, and let’s not forget the biggest dodge ball you have ever seen. Seriously, it’s impossible to dodge. When Mr. Magorium reveals that he is departing and leaving the store to his assistant Molly Mahoney, the store is rather upset. How can a store be upset, it’s just a store right? That is exactly what the accountant Henry thinks. The store is just a store and nothing more. Of course, we also meet Eric Applebaum, an adorable nine-year-old boy who spends most of his days at the store with Molly and Henry. Eric has no problem believing in the magic of the store, and is the beacon of childlike hope throughout the film.             Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium is a lovely tale about believing that you are not just what you seem. The movie is a story told to us by young Eric as written by the man who lives in the basement of the emporium, Bellini the book builder. There are even pages and chapters. Dustin Hoffman as Mr. Magorium, Avid Shoe Wearer fills the movie with a delightful light that seems to glow right off the screen. He is a lovable character that seems to pull in influences from Raymond Babbitt and the great Captain Hook. He shines in this role, and you are truly heartbroken when he departs on his journey to the otherside. We see him as he teaches Mahoney, the Composer (Portman) to believe in herself, and therefore others.             I could rattle on about the acting talent in the film and how it truly made the movie what it is, but that would only be the half of it. I realize that it uses a tired plot device that has been used a thousand times. I know that every heartwarming family movie has a moral ending that doesn’t stray far from this point of self-confidence. Even Rocky tells us we can do anything we put our minds to if we just believe in ourselves. Okay, maybe that’s a stretch, but you get my point. So what?             The movie is a delight and brings a smile to the faces of people from the age of 0 to 92. Everyday we are faced with adult choices. How am I going to get to work if I can’t afford to put gas in my tank? Where am I going in life? Should I be working at this job or in this town or in this relationship? As Mahoney points out, when we are young, people look at us and praise us for our potential. We receive blue ribbons for spelling words correctly. We get rewards for getting the most answers right in school. We have people applauding us at the sidelines and telling us we have a great future ahead of us. As adults we no longer have that, and we are left wondering if they were wrong. Maybe we are not really as special as we thought we were when we were kids. This movie helps to remind us that we are. We can be. All we need to do is believe in ourselves and believe that we can do it, whatever it is. This film is a breath of fresh air. I rarely watch “kids” movies but this is not just a kid’s movie. It is a break and a joy and a load of fun that has left me with a smile on my face hours after I finished watching it. Rent it today or buy it. You need to see this film.