Nanny McPhee Returns

Overview

A struggling mother receives some much-needed assistance tending to the family farm and raising a group of spirited children while her military husband is fighting overseas in this sequel to the whimsical 2005 fantasy comedy Nanny McPhee. Mrs. Isabel Green (Maggie Gyllenhaal) lives in a scenic valley with her two sons and one daughter. They each understand the importance of working together as a family, and things are going remarkably smoothly for the rural quartet until a pair of spoiled cousins arrives for an extended stay, effectively turning the quaint little farm into a virtual zoo. As the situation quickly gets out of hand, Nanny McPhee (Emma Thompson) suddenly appears on Isabel's doorstep claiming that she can bring a much-needed sense of order to the out-of-control household. In time the mysterious helper does just that, using powerful magic to teach her young charges the importance of getting along, and gradually winning their trust in the process. But when the piglets escape from their sty, the contentious kids must work together to recover the family farm's most valued assets, or risk losing everything their father worked so hard to build before he went off to fight in the war. Rhys Ifans and Maggie Smith co-star.

Product Details

Release Date:	12/14/2010
UPC:	0025192064296
Original Release:	2010
Rating:	PG
Source:	STUDIO DISTRIBUTION SERVS LLC
Region Code:	1
Sound:	[Dolby Digital Stereo, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround]
Language:	English
Time:	1:49:00
Sales rank:	6,456

Special Features

Deleted Scenes; Featurettes; A Look Inside; Feature Commentary with Director Susanna White

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Emma Thompson	Nanny McPhee
Asa Butterfield	Norman Green
Ralph Fiennes	Lord Gray
Maggie Gyllenhaal	Isabel Green
Maggie Smith	Agatha Rose Doherty
Rhys Ifans	Phil Green
Daniel Mays	Blenkinsop
Ewan McGregor	Rory Green
Rosie Taylor-Ritson	Celia Gray
Eros Vlahos	Cyril Gray
Oscar Steer	Vincent Green
Lil Woods	Megsie Green
Katy Brand	Miss Turvey
Sinead Matthews	Miss Topsey
Ed Stoppard	Lieutenant Addis
Toby Sedgwick	Enemy Pilot
Nonso Anozie	Sergeant Jeffreys
Bill Bailey	Mr. Dochtery
James Newton Howard	Composer

Technical Credits

Emma Thompson

Tim Bevan	Producer
Eric Fellner	Producer
Lindsay Doran	Producer
Emma Thompson	Executive Producer,Screenwriter
Debra Hayward	Executive Producer
Liza Chasin	Executive Producer

Editorial Reviews

Nanny McPhee was a charming, well-written family film full of good laughs, first-rate performances, and inventive costumes and art direction that had a strong moral for both kids and parents. The sequel, though still often amusing and full of good cheer, doesn't measure up. With World War II well under way, Isabel Green (Maggie Gyllenhaal) cares for her three children on a run-down, excrement-covered farm in the English countryside as her husband fights overseas. When her snooty niece and nephew arrive in order to avoid the bomb attacks on the city, the different sets of siblings immediately begin feuding. Before Isabel loses complete control of the house and the kidlets, magical Nanny McPhee (Emma Thompson) arrives to teach the kids important lessons and set everything right -- including Isabel's scheming brother-in-law, who's trying to sell the struggling farm out from under her. The first 20 minutes or so of the movie are everything the first Nanny McPhee wasn't -- loud, annoying, and full of poop jokes. However, once the setup is complete, the movie settles into a warm, reassuring rhythm where the kids learn the lessons they need to, and the adults in turn learn that they could be better parents. There are solid supporting turns by Dame Maggie Smith as their mother's dotty old friend; Ralph Fiennes as the strict military commander father of the bratty city kids; and Rhys Ifans as the unctuous brother-in-law. Thankfully, the kid actors become more appealing as the movie goes on, especially Eros Vlahos, who makes über-snotty Cyril a pocket-sized version of all upper-class British twits. And the script by Emma Thompson lets us know that bad kids usually have a reason for acting the way they do, making us like all the tykes even more. In an unexpected development, all of the bathroom jokes actually lead to a major plot point -- a deus-ex-burpia, if you will -- that makes you realize the script, and the movie, are better than you first thought. Nanny McPhee Returns can't hold a candle to the original -- which is worth seeking out if you're looking for smart and funny family films -- but anyone who was charmed the first time around should enjoy seeing the character yet again, and it's made with more care and craft than most family-oriented flicks out there.