Who payed the critics

Waste of time

Don't Believe the Hype

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

This is a lovely story with lots of fun and some special effects. Loved the the spiv-like Uncle Phil and kids, especially cousin Cyril (the young actor plays a great part). The location of the farm looks great too, unless it's a set!Unfortunately there was something wrong with the (over) acting of the woman playing the children's mother. I couldn't put my finger on it. Her voice and acting wasn't quite right. When I was told she was American that explained it. Maybe if she'd been cast as an American (no reason why not) she would have sounded more natural.Otherwise a lovely story and good, fun film

What I love about these Nanny Mcphee movies is that I don't even need the excuse of a child to watch them with! The actors involved are all perfection and though the story lines are simple the experience is rich, entertaining and beautifully executed. There's more special effects in "Returns" than in the first movie which adds to the magic. Maggie Gyllenhaal's British accent is so faultless that I didn't even realize it was her! The face was terribly familiar but she was so perfectly portraying the young harried country mother that I was pulled into her performance straight away and completely lost myself. What a delightful talent. Emma Thompson's portrayal of the quietly fierce Nanny complete with omni-brow and warts enchants us again, acting with mostly her eyes - and a tooth! The children are especially good (which you cannot say about the Narnia movies) and are directed with fun and intelligence. Great cameos - what a cast! I love these movies.

As I have said before when I review a family movie I look at it in a few different ways; first is it appropriate for my three kids, second is it entertaining to me and my kids, and thirdly is there a decent storyline. In the second installment of Nanny McPhee I believe it hit on all three of my requirements. With the feel of a modern day Mary Poppins, without the music, this movie turned into an instant favorite of my kids, 2 girls and a boy. As with the first Nanny McPhee the messages written into the movie were not lost on my kids so they could again understand the transitions of the characters. Emma Thompson renewed her role as Nanny McPhee with a classic acting approach and that is what this movie needs to stay on point.The cast of the movie has one of my favorite actresses in Maggie Smith; she delivers a part that you would expect from her in a family movie. The five children consisting of Oscar Steer, Asa Butterfield, Lil Woods, Eros Vlahos, and Rosie Taylor-Ritson share a great chemistry. It's evident right from the beginning that this is truly a bunch that needs Nanny McPhee. The pretty and natural looking Maggie Gyllenhaal plays a solid part that is miles away from the character she portrayed in Secretary. As the mother/aunt of this bunch she is not the star of the movie however she compliments the children well. If you are looking for a lot of special effects and CGI this isn't your movie. I would say this movie is closer in style to the Disney based movies of the 60's and 70's; and I am fine with that. The movie is fun and enjoyable and a great choice for any family movie night. Grade: B+visit our site at www.twodudereview.com

I saw the trailer for this sequel to the kids film based on the children's stories, and to me it looked like it was going to be lame, but then I saw the critics rating ti quite high, so I watched it. Basically young Isabel Green (Maggie Gyllenhaal) lives on her family farm with her three troublesome children, Norman (Asa Butterfield), Megsie (Lil Woods) and Vincent (Oscar Steer), and she also runs a village shop with Mrs. Docherty (Dame Maggie Smith). Sent from London to live on the farm, I guess because of the war, are the children's spoilt cousins, the Grays, Cyril (Eros Vlahos) and Celia (Rosie Taylor-Ritson), and the misbehaving only gets worse for Isabel. So in comes Nanny McPhee (Emma Thompson) to teach the children the valuable lessons to behaving well and learning to get on with each other. The first lesson is to stop fighting each other, which she does by making them all hit themselves against their will, and this makes a wart disappear. The next lesson is to share with each other, i.e. beds, and she makes them sleep next to the animals they name they would rather be sharing with, including a pig and a baby elephant, and this makes her other wart disappear. While learning these lesson, the mean Phil Green (Rhys Ifans) is trying to buy the farm off Isabel, since her husband Rory (Ewan McGregor) has been fighting in the war so long, but she won't give in. The children's third lesson appears when Nanny McPhee makes all the pigs go wild and try escape, and they must learn to work together to catch and sell them to Farmer Macreadie (Bill Bailey), they do and her unibrow disappears. Going on a picnic, Isabel receives the news that Rory has been killed in action, which Norman does not believe, so Nanny McPhee takes him and Vincent to the war office to confirm this, while Isabel is tempted to sell the farm to Phil. Norman confirms from Vincent's father, Lord Gray (Ralph Fiennes), that his father is only missing in action and the letter was forged by Phil, who gets handcuffed to a rail in the house. A big problem pops up when a bomb is dropped from the sky, due to a pilot sneezing on the trigger, and the children work together to defuse it, another lesson learnt and Nanny McPhee's hair goes from grey to brown. In the end, the final lesson of having faith is learnt when Rory comes home alive and well, and Nanny McPhee with her smaller nose walks away as they want her but no longer need her. Also starring Sinead Matthews as Miss Topsey, Katy Brand as Miss Turvey, Nonso Anozie as Sergeant Jeffreys, 'Allo 'Allo's Sam Kelly as Mr. Docherty and Plus One's Daniel Mays as Blenkinsop. Once again Thompson does well as the magical almost anti Mary Poppins, and Gyllenhaal sports a pretty good English accent, there was a tiny part thinking it is almost the same film again, but it is a much more interesting film and the kids will love it, a worthwhile period fantasy adventure. Good!