Nanny McPhee Returns

Released back in March in the U.K., Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang, re-titled here as Nanny McPhee Returns, is the sequel to 2005’s Nanny McPhee. Both films were conceived by actress/writer Emma Thompson from Christianna Brand’s Nurse Matilda books. I didn’t see the first one when it came out, but I suggest you don’t miss this one.

Nanny McPhee (Thompson) is an ugly-looking variation of Mary Poppins. "When you need me, but do not want me,” she tells her charges, “then I must stay. When you want me but no longer need me, then I must go."

This time, she enters the household of Isabel Green (Maggie Gyllenhaal), whose husband is off in World War II, leaving her with her three naughty kids, their two rotten cousins and a scheming brother-in-law (Rhys Ifans) who wants her farm. Only Nanny McPhee can provide the magic that can bring on a happy ending.

That’s the basic plot of the film, but in the meantime, there is much to be seen. Such sights include a flying motorbike, a Busby Berkley number with piglets and even a baby elephant. These are just a few of the enjoyable scenes in this feature.

This feature also has a nice ensemble of actors in fine roles. Amongst the cast, the highlights are Ifans as a perfectly smug villain and Dame Maggie Smith as Isabel’s daffy employer. Meanwhile, Gyllenhaal as Isabel makes for a perfectly convincing Brit.

Thompson, who won an Oscar for writing Sense and Sensibility, and her director, Susannah White, have made this feature perfectly accessible to anyone who haven’t seen the first. They have also made it perfectly accessible to kids and adults alike, and that is a real accomplishment.