Nanny McPhee e as Lições Mágicas

Emma Thompson takes us back to the colourful world of Nanny McPhee. This time Nanny McPhee has a mission with a new family. I loved the first movie. Not only was it a refreshing tribute to classics like Mary Poppins, but it had heart and magic and its world looked surreal, a splendid movie for the entire family.

Here too the world is just as colourful and surreal and looks like a fun place. Yes, even Isabel's muddy farm looks like an enjoyable place to live at. The creativity in writing and art direction amuses me, for example, watching those piglets lying in the scratch machine was cute and hilarious. The new animal characters, especially the baby elephant, are a delight. The lighting and slightly yellowish tint gives 'Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang' a very sunny look. The humour works very well as it had me laughing out loud on various occasions.

However, unlike in the first movie, the story here felt rushed and there were some inconsistencies. The bomb sequence, as entertaining as it was, wasn't necessary and it only distracted from the main story. The child actors here are competent but their counterparts in the first film performed better. While the special effects here are very good they didn't appear as authentic.

Emma Thompson reprises the title role and she does a fine job. She mostly takes the backseat while letting the other actors perform. Maggie Gyllenhaal shows a knack for comedy and her English accent sounds authentic. Maggie Smith is a riot. Rhys Ifans does well as the greedy uncle.

'Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang' may not measure up to 'Nanny McPhee' but it's still a lot of fun and a good watch for the family. I was smiling after it finished (watch it through the closing credits as there's a very cute surprise).

I don't know what the critics here were expecting, but from some of the reviews I've read it seems that it wasn't a kids' film. In short, this is a lovely, well-written, beautifully cast film that's executed with great affection and makes maximum use of its chocolate-box locations.

Emma Thompson, aside from having no little talent for scriptwriting, is savvy enough to understand that the real stars of this film are the children and, in particular, Asa Butterfield and Eros Vlahos as Norman and Cyril respectively.

Rhys Ifans shows what an accomplished comic actor he is, even if his performance as Uncle Phil seems to draw much, both in characterisation and delivery, from that of Matt Dillon's portrayal of Healy in There's Something About Mary.

There's a lovely turn from Maggie Smith as Mrs Docherty and a reassuringly exuberant performance from Sam Kelly.

If there's a lull, it's when the action moves away from its countryside setting, although the scene played between Vlahos and Ralph Feinnes works nicely.

At a little under an hour and fifty minutes, it's quite long for children, yet my five- and eight-year-olds sat transfixed throughout. And in the end, that should be the yardstick by which any film aimed at younger cinema-goers should be measured.

As to Thompson herself, she is sublime when required, understated when the surrounding action demands. The reviewer who likened her performance to that of Roger Moore does not, I would suggest, appreciate either the characterisation of the Nanny McPhee role (much can be, and is, portrayed by simple facial expressions) or the very real acting ability of our erstwhile Bond. Comedy isn't all about snappy one-liners and the ability to convey comedy simply by saying nothing is an art in and of itself.

In the final analysis, this is a better film than its predecessor. It is more lovingly-crafted, less fantastic in the literal sense and more sharply observed. Watch it for what it is - a modern take on the old Mary Poppins story - and you won't be disappointed.

If you've seen the first Nanny McPhee movie, then you know the premise of the second: A harried single parent (this time a woman played by Maggie Gyllenhaal) is overwhelmed by her three children plus two cousins from London who come to stay at her small farm. World War II is raging, her husband is somewhere in the battle theater, and her brother-in-law (Rhys Ifans) wants nothing more than to sell the family farm out from under her.

Just as poor Isabel Green wonders how she'll manage to make a payment on the tractor, get the crops in, keep her senile boss (Maggie Smith) from destroying the store, fend off Phil Green's efforts to get her to sign away her rights to the farm, and still take care of five children, Nanny McPhee (Emma Thompson) arrives on the scene.

Nanny McPhee, of course, takes the children promptly in hand and wastes no time teaching them the lessons they need to learn. If Isabel and Phil learn something along the way, so much the better.

The script is fairly silly (penned by Emma Thompson, it's aimed at a very young audience), though it does have its occasional moments of cleverness and poignancy (and one especially silly moment that I must confess was hysterical no matter your age). There's also a heart-rending tie-in to the first film.

The acting is quite good though melodramatic (which, in fairness, is entirely appropriate here). As an aside, Maggie Gyllenhaal's English accent is pretty convincing! The children are just fine, but I must single out Eros Vlahos (who plays cousin Cyril) and Lil Woods (in the role of Megsie Green). Maggie Smith is, of course, her usual stellar self, and Emma Thompson manages to play a caricature of a character without overdoing it at all. A small part for Ralph Fiennes and a cameo from Ewan MacGregor cap off a very capable cast.

BOTTOM LINE: Nanny McPhee Returns was cute, but it wasn't all that good from my own perspective. I'll tell you, though, that every last four, five, and six year-old in the theatre giggled, gasped, laughed, and cooed right when they were supposed to. While I can't recommend this movie for your own grown-up (or even teen-agers') night out, your younger kids will just love it.

POLITICAL NOTES: Although Nanny McPhee Returns takes place during World War II and mentions of the war feature prominently, no details of the reasons for the fight or any political judgments whatsoever are made. Given the nature of that particular conflict, I'd say that there was some real skill exercised in writing about it!

FAMILY SUITABILITY: Nanny McPhee Returns is rated PG for "rude humor, some language and mild thematic elements." Frankly, children young enough to enjoy this movie take especial delight in rude humor like that exhibited here, and the mild thematic elements will likely be largely above their heads. Any real concerns should be easily addressed by Mom or Dad after the movie's over.

This film is about a group of spoiled children being tamed by Nanny McPhee's magical ways.

"Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang" has a simple plot that is accessible to both children and adults. The abundance of children and their misbehavior in the film should entertain and resonate with children. Nanny McPhee's mysterious ways of handling children is only limited by imagination, and also provide morality education in an engaging and fun manner. I find the ending rather touching, even though such an ending is expected as "Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang" is a children's film. It's a lovely fantasy tale for younger children.

Emma Thompson returns from the 2005 film "Nanny McPhee" for the sequel as she reprises the titular character of the movie in "Nanny McPhee Returns (formerly known as "Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang". The first movie was surprisingly good and was it was a pleasure to watch the movie. Now, the second movie has a different tale and how about it? It was great.

First, "Nanny McPhee Returns" is not set in a city but rather on the countryside. A mother who's husband is gone to war has three naughty children who helps her work in the farm. Suddenly, their cousins from the city had to stay with them for a while. Since they're environment is different, their way of living has to be different and so, they can't stand it and so trouble comes. With nothing else on hand, Nanny McPhee comes to the rescue to teach the children five lessons that would change their behavior forever.

From flying motorcycles to swimming pigs, "Nanny McPhee Returns" was still able to keep the magic pumping up from the first movie. This movie has more magical things than the first movie. But, the first movie has a stricter Nanny McPhee than the first one and the first one (I think) gives Nanny McPhee a harder job to handle them rather than handling the kids in the second movie.

Emma Thompson who previously portrayed Professor Trewlawney from the "Harry Potter" series denied to reprise her role in the final installments and instead chose to reprise "Nanny McPhee" back to the screen. She was still able to repeat her solemn character in this movie. Although Thompson was a bit less in depth on her acting, her acting can still be praised.

Maggie Gyllenhaal plays the troubled mother who has been encountering endless problems in her life. Here, she uses British accents on her lines and her acting was perfect. Maggie Smith who also played Professor McGonagall in the "Harry Potter" series plays Mrs. Docherty who is a friend of Mrs. Green, the troubled mother. She plays in more of a funnier role than her previous ones and her acting was great, brilliant. The actors/actresses who played the naughty kids were also shockingly awesome. There's nothing wrong with the acting.

The special effects, the script and the cinematography were all stunning. The flying pigs scene was breathtaking and the script was perfectly written. The cinematography was not a problem at all. They were all mesmerizing.

In all, "Nanny McPhee Returns" is a good family adventure. It's still able to recreate the magic of the first film. It was brilliant and I recommend this to all families. I guarantee that most kids who see this film will try to see this film again. I had no regret watching this film. Overall, this movie gets 7 stars out of 10. Thanks for reading my review.