Nanny McPhee and The Big Bang (2010)
September 12th 2010 08:22
In the middle of England during World War II a young mother Isabel (Maggie Gyllenhaal) struggles to keep the family farm together amidst rationing and a dodgy brother-in-law Phil (Ryhs Ifans), determined to sell the family farm and save his kidneys. She is also trying to raise her three children; Norman (Asa Green), Meggsie (Lil Woods) and Vincent (Oscar Steer). As bombs fall on London, she is awaiting the arrival of her blue blooded niece and nephew Celia (Rosie Taylor-Ritson) & Cyril (Eros Vlahos).
Working part time in the village store for the senile Mrs Docherty (Maggie Smith) Isabel is stretched thin. After a particularly difficult day involving 17 drawers of Treacle, the items on the shelves begin to advise Isabel on how she will get things under the control.
Nothing like watching gum boots sing "the person you need is Nanny McPhee" to get the point across.
Arriving home, Isabel finds herself in a war zone, as the children are at each others throats, Phil is knocking on the door, the jam is ruined and into this chaos enters Nanny McPhee, warts, monobrow, stick and all. She determines the children have to learn 5 lessons before her job is done and with a bang of her walking stick sets the children to fighting only themselves in order teach lesson number 1; Stop Fighting.
As Nanny McPhee teaches the children what they need to learn, brother-in-law Phil has freed the Green family pigs which are due for sale the following day. Without the pigs to pay the months tractor repayment, the Greens will lose their tractor and with it, their chance to bring in the harvest.
The children, working together begin trying to catch them and with a little magic they witness tree-climbing, synchronised swimming pigs, and learn to work together in order to save the day, and the farm by capturing the pigs in the nick of time.
A family picnic and a telegram from the war office set the stage for Nanny McPhee to drive Norman and Cyril to the war office on her magical motorcycle and the children return with surprising news that sets the scene for the final lessons to be learnt and for Nanny McPhee to be on her way.
Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang is a wonderful family film. The cast are all fantastic, and there are some big names in the cameo performances. American actress Maggie Gyllenhaal does a good job as the harried English mother, and her accent is rather good. As the slightly senile Mrs Docherty Maggie Smith shines. The scene between Mrs Docherty and Nanny McPhee is wonderful and brought an unexpected tear to my eye, and it's a subtle way to link to the first film to the sequel.
The children in this film had big shoes to fill after the previous film and the adventurous Brown Children. Each of the young actors involved in this production did a fantastic job. The characters grow and develop as the film progresses and the actors portraying them were a joy to watch.
The magic in this film is wonderful and childlike in its innoncence. The scene where the goat, the cow and a baby elephant make their way to the childrens bedroom was rather cute. Mr Edlewiss, a small blackbird with a fascination for window putty and burping is a great addition to the goings on at the farm.
This isn't a film that requires much in the way of brain power. It is simply a wonderful film, filled with many funny moments that everyone in the family can enjoy. I had a look at IMBD today and there's no reference to a third instalment but I hope there will be.
This film is pure family entertainment, harkening back to a more innocent time. Actually it reminded me of the Disney movies I used to watch on a Sunday evening when I was a child.
Alot of films that come out for children today try to include too much of a message or require the children to be little mini adults. Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang sets out only to entertain the audience, nothing more or less and it achieves it goals admirably.
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