It’s been 46 years since “Mary Poppins” was released. Four and a half years ago a new British nanny arrived in movie theaters. I didn’t see the original “Nanny McPhee” when it came out in 2006, or on DVD, because it looked like a bad rip-off of the Disney classic. And I had low expectations for this sequel – “Nanny McPhee Returns”, but, as I’ve learned several times before, you can’t judge a film by it’s trailer.
Emma Thompson reprises her role as the mysterious Nanny McPhee. This time she decides to visit a family that lives on a farm because the mother (Maggie Gyllenhaal) needs help trying to handle her three children while her husband (their father) is away at war. And two snotty cousins from the city have also shown up to live with them.
The kids need help, too. They won’t stop fighting with each other and generally being crazy. So Nanny McPhee decides to teach them some lesson, by having them help each other through some difficult situations. The big issue is trying to save the farm.
This sequel, like the original, is adapted from the popular Nurse Matilda book series. But, even thought the title character of the movie is Nanny McPhee, she isn’t the main focus of the story. The plot mainly centers around the mother and the kids, which surprised me.
The first half hour of “Returns” is just awful. It’s filled with the kids fighting and screaming, mud and poo jokes, and more fighting. But when Nanny McPhee arrives on the scene, she not only saves the day, but she saves the movie. Once “small “c” big “P” (as she calls herself) starts working her magic, the script starts working and we begin caring about the individual characters and their problems. Yes, it may be predictable and silly at times, but it’s also very sweet and enjoyable.
The performances are all pretty good. The five children each have their moments on screen to shine, and they’re all o.k. Veteran British actors Maggie Smith, Ralph Fiennes and Ewan McGregor all have small roles. The special effects are cheesy, on purpose. The swimming pigs are fun to watch.
It’s rated PG for some serious elements (which I wasn’t expecting, but most kids will understand). It’s appropriate for all ages and kids and parents will enjoy watching this one together.
“Nanny McPhee Returns”…and just in time. It’s one of the best family films of the summer. On The Official Kid Critic Report Card, it gets a B.
Thompson (who wrote the script and is one of the film’s executive producers) has confirmed that a third “NMcP” movie is in the works. After seeing “Returns” I hope we won’t have to wait another four and a half years for the next one.