As sequels go, Nanny McPhee Returns is another one that does not improve on the original. While it does have some cute moments and a very strong scene involving Ralph Fiennes - it lacks the originals quirky fun. You have Emma Thompson back as Nanny McPhee but she seems to be more of a supporting character this time as she tries to help a woman with her 3 kids manage 2 additional kids as well.
The children are the usual cute little moppets albeit the youngest is a bit annoying with his cockney Chitty Chitty Bang Bang type accent, warranted this story takes place during WW2 and he can be excused a little. The story revolves around Mrs Green(Maggie Gyllenhaal) her 3 children and 2 cousins(her brothers snooty spoiled rotten kids) who are sent to the country to supposedly avoid the bombings in London. The farm they live at is losing money and they must sell piglets to have money to survive while the father is MIA in the war. So Nanny McPhee shows up to work her magic and help them out. The plot revolves around a slimy brother in law who owes money to some woman , his attempts to get his hands on the farm, the kids trying to capture the piglets that the brother in law sets free and also learning to live together. Somehow the way the kids bond , the snooty ones becoming nice, and even helpful comes way too fast and too convenient if not just to speed the movie along.
Maggie Smith has a rather minor role as an eccentric old woman whom we later find out was the infant Aggie from the first movie. I suppose that means Nanny McPhee is ageless or at least ages slowly. A shame her character is not explored more to find out whats been happening to her and the other kids since the first movie.There is a strong scene with Cyril - the snooty male cousin and his dad played by Ralph Fiennes that almost makes up for the rest of the movies plodding pace. It shows how adult the actor playing Cyril is in his acting and how much British children seem to be way ahead of the game than their American counterparts in acting skills.Overall the movie could have done better had Ms Thompson not taken on the task of writing the story by herself. The funny quirks and magic of the original are missing and your left with something that could have been direct to DVD instead of a theatrical release. 7/10.
The children are the usual cute little moppets albeit the youngest is a bit annoying with his cockney Chitty Chitty Bang Bang type accent, warranted this story takes place during WW2 and he can be excused a little. The story revolves around Mrs Green(Maggie Gyllenhaal) her 3 children and 2 cousins(her brothers snooty spoiled rotten kids) who are sent to the country to supposedly avoid the bombings in London. The farm they live at is losing money and they must sell piglets to have money to survive while the father is MIA in the war. So Nanny McPhee shows up to work her magic and help them out. The plot revolves around a slimy brother in law who owes money to some woman , his attempts to get his hands on the farm, the kids trying to capture the piglets that the brother in law sets free and also learning to live together. Somehow the way the kids bond , the snooty ones becoming nice, and even helpful comes way too fast and too convenient if not just to speed the movie along.
Maggie Smith has a rather minor role as an eccentric old woman whom we later find out was the infant Aggie from the first movie. I suppose that means Nanny McPhee is ageless or at least ages slowly. A shame her character is not explored more to find out whats been happening to her and the other kids since the first movie.There is a strong scene with Cyril - the snooty male cousin and his dad played by Ralph Fiennes that almost makes up for the rest of the movies plodding pace. It shows how adult the actor playing Cyril is in his acting and how much British children seem to be way ahead of the game than their American counterparts in acting skills.Overall the movie could have done better had Ms Thompson not taken on the task of writing the story by herself. The funny quirks and magic of the original are missing and your left with something that could have been direct to DVD instead of a theatrical release. 7/10.