While traditional cinema has gravitated toward big explosions and fast paced, barely believable plots, movies that focus on small wonders and a child’s imagination give a new perspective to Blockbuster films.

In Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium, the latest children’s fantasy, the main character Molly Mahoney (Natalie Portman) faces a different sort of crisis: what to do with her life. As a childhood prodigy still working at a child’s toy store, her sense of arrest in her own life is one of the main points of the movie.

Two sub-characters in the movie, Eric (By Zach Mills), the 9-year-old store clerk and the accountant Henry (Jason Bateman) add surprisingly little of their own character to the film. Seemingly only there to help Molly escape from the feeling of being trapped in her childhood, these two do not convey there own story as much as they accentuate Molly?s.

Introducing Mr. Magorium (Dustin Hoffman) by way of a magical door leading to a hidden house inside the store, the camera fall on the eccentric owner of the store for the first time in the company of none other than a zebra. Magorium, seemingly uncaring of Molly?s personal crisis, apparently cares about only one thing: hiring an accountant.

Inside the Emporium, the atmosphere is decidedly unique, with flying kites, live fish-mobiles and an assortment of other magical objects that can only be found in Mr. Magoriums wonderful little shop. With a menagerie of colors flitting in out of scenes, Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium can be called nothing if not a pleasant mix of idyllic scenes and family atmosphere.

Focusing on visual mastery and comical twists, the next few scenes are filled with magical happenings around the store exacting a few amusing banters, such as Molly Mahoney’s question to Mr. Magorium, “Do you know what an accountant is?” and his reply, “Well, no, but I assume from the name that it is some form of counting mutant.”

After Magorium hires the accountant Henry (whom everyone just refers to as ?mutant?), Mr. Magorium for the first time reveals the plot of the film. He wishes to transfer ownership of this magical toy store to his assistant manager Molly Mahoney, a fact he only conveys to the mutant.

Giving up ownership of the store, a seemingly big decision, is reached for a singularly odd reason – his last pair of shoes is wearing out. This odd allusion to death is quickly sidestepped in the story and, though funny, is not mentioned for the remainder of the film.

Capturing the life crisis of Molly and highlighting the Emporium’s seeming loss of magic, the film wraps up with Molly realizing the somewhat sappy theme of ‘there?s magic in everyone’. The film climaxes with a final cacophony of flying toys, whizzing gizmos and amazing colors as the store comes back to life.

Funny and sweet, Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium is, in my opinion, a family must-see. With physical comedy and a sense of magic the movie never seems to lose its originality, and ended appropriately with applause from the audience.

For theater show times, visit Fandango. To check out more reviews, visit Rotten Tomatoes.