Nanny McPhee Returns

Nanny Mcphee Returns is the first genuinely amusing live-action kids movie I’ve seen in what feels like decades. Isabel (Maggie Gyllenhaal, looking like she just got off a three-day bender, as usual) is completely stressed out caring for her three kids while her husband is away fighting in World War II. With the arrival of her spoiled city-bred niece and nephew, things get even crazier, so Nanny McPhee shows up to whip the kids into shape. Through the use of magic, all of the children learn new lessons that help them get along with one another and work together to save Isabel’s farm from her shady brother-in-law (Rhys Ifans). A sweet, delightfully funny little comedy, it offers enough laughs for both kids (my 11-year-old nephew loved it) and adults alike, and can actually teach children some pretty decent life lessons. The movie features an all-star U.K. cast, including Harry Potter regulars Thompson and Dame Maggie Smith, with cameos by Ewan McGregor and Edgar Wright regular Bill Bailey. Not to be missed if you have kids and love light yet witty humor.