You have to believe it to see it...Background: Zach Helm makes his directorial debut, after impressing with his script for Stranger Than Fiction, in this magical children's fantasy starring Natalie Portman as the manager of a magical toy shop, who is bequeathed the business by its eccentric owner Mr. Magorium (Dustin Hoffman).
Review: The trailer is the expected overload of special-effects in what amounts to Charlie & The Chocolate Factory but in a toy shop context. Hoffman looks to be having fun as man-child Mr. Magorium (despite being a Willy Wonka rip-off), while Portman looks elfin-like and entranced by the FX bouncing around the screen; from animated toys to magical pop-up books. But there's a worrying sense of formula here; not helped by the plot's strong parallels to Roald Dahl's classic book and sickly choice of music: "whoa, whoa, whoa it's magic...."
Prediction: It's difficult to say, but the trailer seems aimed at under-10s, so it should appeal to kids who liked Tim Burton's Charlie & The Chocolate Factory or Night At The Museum. But, for teenagers and adults, only Hoffman's performance is notable from the trailer -- with the rest looking silly, unoriginal, saccharine and cutesy.
Hi-Res (22 MB)
HD 480P (45 MB)
HD 720P (104 MB)
HD 1080P (169 MB)
