Some movies are essentially full-length toy commercials (Transformers, anyone?), whereas others just lend themselves well to marketing. Not since Toy Story has a movie lent itself so well to rebranding classic toys as Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium. A cross between Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and Toys, the film tells the story of a magical toy factory that refuses to be torn down.

But because the toy factory is an old-school toy factory, you won't find lead paint-bearing figures or high-tech gadgets from the magical toy factory, but you will find retro toys that can return to the toy shelves thanks to the magic of movie licensing. Thus far, Amazon features a sock monkey, tin top, Rubik's Cube, Lincoln Logs, and the seemingly obligatory Mr. Potato Head.

While I'm happy to see retro toys getting a resurgence, the same $10 Rubik's cube, minus the tiny Magorium logo sticker, can be purchased for $2.75. I can buy a lot of stickers for $7.25. Don't get me wrong. I don't mind paying for licensing--I like playing my Star Wars Battleship game more than the standard version--but these toys offer nothing new, and if you're going to spring for the name-brand version, get the original. If you want something to remember a movie, get the action figures, which have yet to surface.

Sadly, movie toys often fail to evoke a sense of wonder, often being to action figures, a board game, and of course mediocre video games, but I can't help but feel disappointed that a film about innovative toys produces no innovative toys for consumers. It reminds me of the parents whom we watched take their kids out of The Santa Clause movie early to avoid the post-movie traffic. Clearly, they didn't get the point of the movie. I hope one of the toy companies will get a taste of the magic, but experience tells me not to hold my breath.