With last year’s Stranger than Fiction, writer Zach Helm made an impressive Hollywood debut.  The story of Harold Crick, a man trying to save his own life from that of an omnipotent narrator, was delivered with a whimsy that contrasted with its darker centre.  In Mr Magorium’s Wonder Emporium, his directorial debut, Zach Helm aims squarely at the family market, with a tale seemingly gift-wrapped and ready for the impending “holiday season”.  

Mr Magorium (Dustin Hoffman), replete with mad clothes and even madder hair, is to toys what Willy Wonka is to confectionary.  At 243 years old, and having long since qualified for his bus pass, he is more than aware that his time as owner of the Wonder Emporium is up.  In preparation for his departure, Mr Magorium looks to shop manager Molly Mahoney (Natalie Portman) to take over its ownership, but Mollly is unsure if she’s got what it takes to keep the store’s magic alive.  

It would be fair to say that Mr Magorium’s Wonder Emporium borrows heavily from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.  Whilst the latter succeeded in telling a story of moral triumph and the meaning of family, Magorium is far less successful because it lacks any real sense of drama.  Molly Mahoney’s journey from frustrated composer through to the films conclusion fails to add up, feeling as though she has somehow compromised her own interests for those of the shop.  

Given what should be a fairly child-friendly 90 minute running time, Magorium’s pace is too slow to engage younger audiences, lacking any real sense of what the film’s title might suggest.  Whilst most children’s stories wrap the major issues of life, death and purpose, in an allegorical tale, here they are laid bare and when much needed magic does happen it feels bolted on rather than any real part of the narrative.  

But in spite of all this, Mr Magorium’s Wonder Emporium still manages to convey a warm nostalgia that’s more than welcome at this time of year and Dustin Hoffman's performance as the shop's eccentric owner is as entertaining as you'd expect.  With a tighter script and stronger performances, particularly from Natalie Portman, it could have been so much more than what remains a small wonder.