Eine zauberhafte Nanny

This was a pleasant surprise, much better than I anticipated. I figured Emma Thompson would be good in the title role because you can usually count on her to be entertaining in form or another, cerebrally, emotionally or comically. What I didn't figure on was the fun, extremely colorful story, overall. This was like a banana split for your senses - all kinds of wild treats for the eyes and ears.....to taste, so to speak.

This film features outrageous color schemes from the word "go," from the interior of the "Brown's" house, to everyone's apparel to the scenery outside. It almost reminded me "The Cat In The Hat" with its crazy colors.

All the characters are as exaggerated as the colors, too. The kids may be brats but they aren't bad once they get some needed discipline and love from Nanny McPhee. They are still fun to watch, and all are quite different in appearance and mannerisms. Thompson is a howl as Mary Poppins-like McPhee and so are the supporting characters. There were no sappy songs, either. This is not a musical.

The only character annoying to me was the kids' dad, played by Colin Firth. The actor was fine but his character was so wishy-washy, so wussy, he was barely tolerable for much of the film. By the way, you might not recognize the famous Angela Lansbury in here. Everyone, including her, must have had a great time filming this movie.

Only the final wedding segment got carried away with juvenile silliness; the rest was fun for adults and well as the kids, who must have loved this all the way through.

This is simply good entertainment and highly recommended.

Emma Thompson fearlessly works with seven children and a barnyard of animals -- not to mention ugly-face make-up -- and she never once is upstaged.

My only complaint is about Colin Firth, who has a thankless role, but I've never found him all that interesting anyway.

My 9-year-old daughter, an avid Harry Potter fan, enjoyed the magic of the story and its rich layers of morality. At a key moment, creative obedience to an adult instruction leads to a slapstick showdown that delighted every kid in the theater, including me.

There are moments of peril and cruelty, a villain worthy of Dickens, even corpses in the father's place of business, but nothing presented here is worse than everyday life that all children endure. One of the most poetic understatements in any kid film occurs with the first shot: an empty chair, once occupied by a loving mother.

Nanny McPhee arrives to teach the unruly children, but the grown-ups have the most to learn about loss, honesty, and true love.

I almost missed this one because I was turned off by the commercials and previews, with their emphasis on the silliest parts (the dancing donkey, etc.). What a mistake that would have been -- I'd have missed one of the driest, archest, loveliest scripts in years. Emma Thompson can do more with a slightly quirked eyebrow and a quiet "Hm" than most actresses can with an entire Shakespearean soliloquy. The whole cast, children and adults alike, is pretty near perfect, some of the best of the British theater even in the tiniest roles (Derek Jacobi, Imelda Staunton et al). The kids are tough and tart, without a simper in the lot, unlike most US child stars.

Don't let the trailers keep you away -- this is well worth seeing, sort of what Lemony Snicket should have been but wasn't.

Seven children, seventeen nannies. Poor dad Cedric Brown (Colin Firth) has all but given up. Suddenly, enter Nanny McPhee (Emma Thompson) using her magical powers (both emotionally and literally) to kick them into shape. Remind you of something? I'd be concerned if it didn't. But thankfully, as Nanny McPhee progresses, it twists and turns in such a pleasant fashion that by the end, you'll be wondering 'Mary who?' Adapted for the screen by Thompson herself, this is a fun and inventive kids film that is guaranteed to make you smile. Firth does his usually stuttering British man shtick, but given he has little to do, makes the most of it. Imedla Staunton, Angela Lansbury and Celia Imrie ham it up shamelessly and are loads of fun. But most of the attention should be directed towards Thompson, an ugly but constantly entertaining lead.

The art direction, visual effects and Patrick Doyle's fabulous score all soar in a confident over-the-top direction, as is the tone of the film. The score, by-the-books though it may be, is perfect and bodes well for Doyle's work on the new Harry Potter movie.

Rather than basing its entirety on the naughty kids storyline, McPhee jumps from plot point to plot point, stuffing a whole lotta characters and twists into it's 97 minute running time. Thanks to this, Thompson's endearing loveliness and a cute array of kids (lead by Thomas Sangster, the kid from Love Actually), Nanny McPhee emerges triumphant as one of the better kids movies in recent memory, mostly because the adults will love it too. And anyone who isn't enchanted by the magical ending has to have a stone for a heart.

I went to see this film today with my daughter, who is 31 and her 5 year old daughter and it's a long time since I saw such a truly wonderful film in the cinema.(and I go often)

I went as a typical granny, ready to enjoy the day out for what it was, but I said to my daughter at the end that if it had been a DVD, I would happily have watched it again right away.

Apart from the brilliant performances from all involved, this was a beautifully filmed piece of work. The staging and vivid colours used were absolutely perfect and each set was full of things to catch your eye.

I've always liked Emma Thompson, but not in a 'big fan' kind of way, but I must say she gave one of the most understated, beautifully controlled performances, and her wonderful character was magically endearing within moments of her arrival on the scene.

I thought hard before giving a rating for this film, but couldn't find one thing to stop it from being absolutely perfect.