Critic Reviews
Nanny McPhee (2006) Rank 3 Reviews
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Christian Science Monitor (Peter Rainer)
What actors! The great Miriam Margolyes has a wonderful cameo as a scullery maid, and Colin Firth manfully endures a face full of frosting. And then there's Angela Lansbury, playing her first movie role in 20 years as the villainous Aunt Adelaide. ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at Christian Science Monitor (Peter Rainer)
San Francisco Chronicle (Mick LaSalle)
"Nanny McPhee" is a lively, colorful children's film, with a satisfying story and an arch sensibility that will especially appeal to adults. But it has something extra as well, something every children's story needs: a dark unconscious. Underlying the ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at San Francisco Chronicle (Mick LaSalle)
Movieman's Guide to the Movies (Chris Gonzalez)
I consider myself a fan of the recent films based in the UK and made up of a British cast like Bridget Jones's Diary, Love Actually, Chicken Run and About a Boy. When previews for Nanny McPhee hit theaters I sat there, rolled my eyes, and waited for it ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at Movieman's Guide to the Movies (Chris Gonzalez)
Empire Magazine (Jo Berry)
Frothy and fun yet deliciously dark... ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at Empire Magazine (Jo Berry)
filmcritic.com (Pete Croatto)
Thank you, Nanny McPhee, for restoring my faith in the family movie ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at filmcritic.com (Pete Croatto)
Peterborough This Week (Mike Sage)
The saccharine production design and nasty pink-and-red buxom costumes are as fabulous as the full palette of hysterical performances. ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at Peterborough This Week (Mike Sage)
The New Republic (Stanley Kauffmann)
I hazard the guess that quite small children--pre-science fiction, pre-heroics--will enjoy its fairy-tale quality. ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at The New Republic (Stanley Kauffmann)
Spirituality and Practice (Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat)
A delightful and macabre family film that celebrates the naughtiness of kids as a cover for their playful creativity. ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at Spirituality and Practice (Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat)
Orlando Sentinel (Roger Moore)
Nanny McPhee , though it drags a bit in its middle acts, finishes with such gusto that neither you nor your kids will need a spoonful of anything to make this movie medicine go down. ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at Orlando Sentinel (Roger Moore)
Cinema em Cena (Pablo Villaca)
Como toda boa fábula, pode servir como um bom impulso para que pais e filhos discutam temas importantes para o desenvolvimento emocional e psicológico das crianças. ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at Cinema em Cena (Pablo Villaca)
Providence Journal (Michael Janusonis)
Mr. Cranky Rates the Movies (Mr. Cranky)
Moviecentre.net
Unlike the iconic Mary Poppins (1964), Nanny McPhee is far from "perfect in every way". Still Emma Thompson is a treat as the eponymous childminder. She also penned this adaptation of Christianna Brand's Nurse Matilda book series about a brood of unruly ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at Moviecentre.net
Hollywood Jesus
In this dark and witty fable, Thompson portrays a person of unsettling appearance and magical powers who enters the household of the recently widowed Mr. Brown and attempts to tame his seven exceedingly ill-behaved children. The children, led by the ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at Hollywood Jesus
Christian Spotlight on the Movies
As a parent who also loves films, I have often asked myself if there would ever be a movie that âhad it all.â So often, a âfamily filmâ seems to simply be an adult film which has been dumbed-down to be semi-appropriate for children. Despite the ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at Christian Spotlight on the Movies
Palo Alto Weekly (Jeanne Aufmuth)
Emma Thompson's smart script and the uncanny dignity she brings to her Mary Poppins-esque children's nurse make up for a lot of flaws. ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at Palo Alto Weekly (Jeanne Aufmuth)
Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN) (John Beifuss)
Mary Poppins as imagined by Lon Chaney. ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN) (John Beifuss)
Tail Slate (Michael Sheridan)
zBoneman Movie Reviews (Kevin Jones & Adam Mast)
Much credit for the charm of the film belongs to Emma Thomson for her lively script. Nanny McPhee is pure magic from soup to nuts and a highly recommended night out for the family. ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at zBoneman Movie Reviews (Kevin Jones & Adam Mast)
Kalamazoo Gazette (James Sanford)
a delightfully odd tale... (Thompson) fills her story with amusing situations and an appealingly whimsical atmosphere. ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at Kalamazoo Gazette (James Sanford)
Movie Mom at Yahoo! Movies (Nell Minow)
The movie is a little too self-consciously charming and some of the humor seems forced or even creepy. But it is highly entertaining to see the children misbehave and the happy ending, if unsurprising, is welcome and satisfying. ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at Movie Mom at Yahoo! Movies (Nell Minow)
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Cathy Jakicic)
Nanny McPhee is a rare family film that manages to be funny without being gross, and heartwarming without being cloying. ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Cathy Jakicic)
St. Petersburg Times (Janet Keeler)
For example, Nicole Kidman in The Hours (big nose), Halle Berry in Monster's Ball (no makeup and bad hair) and Charlize Theron in Monster (fleshy, ruddy skin, permanent frown and, again, bad hair). They won Oscars for their efforts. ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at St. Petersburg Times (Janet Keeler)
Chicago Tribune (Michael Phillips)
With "Yours, Mine and Ours" and "Cheaper By the Dozen 2" lately cluttering up the multiplexes with teeming masses of onscreen children in search of a better agent, "Nanny McPhee" arrives as a jolly improvement. Emma Thompson's adaptation of the three ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at Chicago Tribune (Michael Phillips)
Jam! Movies
In a surreal version of Victorian England, a desperate widower with seven naughty children reluctantly agrees to let a bewitched nanny straighten out his bratty brood. ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at Jam! Movies
filmcritic.com
But our hero had a job to do, and he never shied away from danger. He swallowed his fear, hopped into his silver, gas-fueled chariot, and sped off through the rain and inky darkness to the multiplex, that house of horrors where Cedric the Entertainer and ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at filmcritic.com
Hollywood.com (Kit Bowen)
As far as movies about enchanting nannies go, Mary Poppins is certainly the classic favorite. But the delightfully quirky and heartwarming Nanny McPhee could be a close second. ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at Hollywood.com (Kit Bowen)
Salt Lake Tribune (Sean Means)
The script's wry humor survives even the hambone directing of Kirk Jones, who amps up the performances and the color scheme to cartoony extremes. ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at Salt Lake Tribune (Sean Means)
Arizona Daily Star (Phil Villarreal)
What initially feels like a knockoff of "Mary Poppins" blossoms into something else entirely -- an assured, spunky story with such a resonant feel that it seems to have been pulled from an ancient fairy tale. ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at Arizona Daily Star (Phil Villarreal)
Tyler Morning Telegraph (Texas) (Jonathan R. Perry)
This is just the type of fun, thoughtful escapism that should enjoy a long shelf life on DVD and television. In one of the most dismal cinematic Januarys in years, 'Nanny McPhee' is a sly little gem. ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at Tyler Morning Telegraph (Texas) (Jonathan R. Perry)
Zap2it.com (Hanh Nguyen)
"Nanny McPhee" is an irreverent tale that somehow becomes endearing by making discipline diverting. ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at Zap2it.com (Hanh Nguyen)
San Jose Mercury News (Bruce Newman)
Thompson never allows Nanny McPhee to become cute or cuddly, but manages to make the children -- and us -- love her, warts and all. ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at San Jose Mercury News (Bruce Newman)
Contra Costa Times (Randy Myers)
Everything about Emma Thompson's Nanny McPhee is pleasant. It's pleasantly amusing, pleasantly enchanting and just pleasant enough to take the kids to a matinee. ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at Contra Costa Times (Randy Myers)
Bangor Daily News (Maine) (Christopher Smith)
Its appeal likely will be for the youngest in the household. All others might wish that this nanny had recalled a bit of Bette Davis' nanny in 1965's "The Nanny." ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at Bangor Daily News (Maine) (Christopher Smith)
Globe and Mail (Kate Taylor)
Thompson's script is clever and, despite that monstrous makeup, her performance is deliciously balanced by the standards of what is, after all, a children's fable. ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at Globe and Mail (Kate Taylor)
Kansas City Star (Brian McTavish)
Dont expect to leave the theater singing -- Nanny McPhee isnt a musical -- but youll be grinning. You may not even care if your snaggletooth is showing. ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at Kansas City Star (Brian McTavish)
Seattle Times (Moira MacDonald)
Naughty (and nice) children of all ages, particularly little girls, should gobble this one up, and rightly so. ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at Seattle Times (Moira MacDonald)
Denver Post (Lisa Kennedy)
A winning tale of naughty children in need of love and the mysterious governess who comes to their aid. ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at Denver Post (Lisa Kennedy)
Los Angeles Daily News (Glenn Whipp)
Working as both a fantasy of wish fulfillment for parents and a raucous, broad live-action cartoon for kids, Nanny McPhee is an above-average family film. ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at Los Angeles Daily News (Glenn Whipp)
St. Paul Pioneer Press (Chris Hewitt (St. Paul))
Imaginative and funny, Nanny McPhee resembles a Julie Andrews film festival -- without Andrews. ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at St. Paul Pioneer Press (Chris Hewitt (St. Paul))
TV Guide's Movie Guide (Ken Fox)
Based on the series of Nurse Matilda stories for young adults written by the late Christianna Brand, this quirky, uncommonly intelligent adaptation is a strange delight. ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at TV Guide's Movie Guide (Ken Fox)
Minneapolis Star Tribune (Colin Covert)
Nanny McPhee casts a captivating spell. ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at Minneapolis Star Tribune (Colin Covert)
The QNetwork Film Desk (James Kendrick)
Nanny McPhee was based on a series of British children's books published in the 1960s by Christianna Brand. Emma Thompson, in her first screenplay since 2001's Wit, manages a nice balance between sauciness and lessons learned, which gives the story a ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at The QNetwork Film Desk (James Kendrick)
Chicago Sun-Times (Roger Ebert)
Will kids like the movie? I suspect they will. Kids like to see other kids learning the rules even if they don't much want to learn them themselves. ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at Chicago Sun-Times (Roger Ebert)
Qwipster's Movie Reviews (Vince Leo)
A mildly arresting family film, which probably would have been instantly forgettable if not for the quality of the main players, Nanny McPhee, based on the series of "Nurse Matilda" books, hits the right notes at the right times to overcome its inherent ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at Qwipster's Movie Reviews (Vince Leo)
Palo Alto Online (Jeanne Aufmuth)
Emma Thompson and Sam Honywood in Nanny McPheeEmma Thompson headlines and highlights this enchanting crowd-pleaser based on the popular Nurse Mathilda books by Christianna Brand. It's Sound of Music redux at the Brown household deep in the English ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at Palo Alto Online (Jeanne Aufmuth)
FilmFocus.Co.UK (Joe Utichi)
One could accuse Nanny McPhee of riding on the coattails of the Harry Potter phenomenon with its shared brand of children's fantasy. While the magic here remains the realm of just one person - the titular Nanny McPhee - you'd be hard pressed to find ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at FilmFocus.Co.UK (Joe Utichi)
DVD Talk (Phil Bacharach)
A flawed family picture, Nanny McPhee is nevertheless a fun movie-going experience that benefits mightily from its lush visuals. Moreover, the DVD makes the most of its extras, showcasing concise and relevant featurettes and two commentary tracks that ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at DVD Talk (Phil Bacharach)
TV Guide Entertainment Network, Movie Guide
Based on the series of Nurse Matilda stories for young adults written by the late Christianna Brand, this quirky, uncommonly intelligent adaptation is a strange delight. Now that his seven demonically disobedient children have driven a total of 17 ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at TV Guide Entertainment Network, Movie Guide
Cinema in Focus (Denny Wayman and Hal Conklin)
It is unusual for a whole family of children to act out at the same time. Usually there is one child who puts the familyâs grief or pain into expression and becomes the âproblem child.â However, in the Brown family, all seven children have ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at Cinema in Focus (Denny Wayman and Hal Conklin)
Three Movie Buffs (Scott Nash)
It's impossible to watch Nanny McPhee without drawing comparisons to that other British nanny, Mary Poppins, and while Nanny McPhee will never be considered a classic at the same level as that one, it is a light-hearted and enjoyable little film. ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at Three Movie Buffs (Scott Nash)
DVD Clinic ("Quigles")
Seven rambunctious children meet their match when a mysterious nanny takes control. ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at DVD Clinic ("Quigles")
ShowBIZ Data
The film received mostly positive notices, but few raves. Stephen Holden in the New York Times described it as "endearing but somewhat scatterbrained." However, he had high praise for Thompson, who also wrote the screenplay. So did Kate Taylor in the ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at ShowBIZ Data
Chicago Sun-Times (Roger Ebert)
There is a darkness in a lot of British children's fiction, from Roald Dahl to Harry Potter, and it provides both scariness and relief: The happy endings are arrived at via many close calls. ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at Chicago Sun-Times (Roger Ebert)
USA Today (Claudia Puig)
The film's look, fashioned by production designer Michael Howells, is noteworthy for its vibrant colors and fantastical feel. ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at USA Today (Claudia Puig)
TV Guide (Ken Fox)
This quirky, uncommonly intelligent adaptation is a strange delight. ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at TV Guide (Ken Fox)
Baltimore Sun (Chris Kaltenbach)
True, the movie tends toward the treacly at times, and the children's mischievousness seems a bit forced. But Thompson's turn as a glammed-down Mary Poppins with an even more no-nonsense attitude is hard to resist. ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at Baltimore Sun (Chris Kaltenbach)
Boston Globe (Wesley Morris)
Thompson adapted the screenplay from Christianna Brand's "Nurse Matilda" books, and she and director Kirk Jones balance the slapstick and levity with darker enchantments. At its most enjoyable the film feels like Roald Dahl's idea of "Mary ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at Boston Globe (Wesley Morris)
Portland Oregonian (M. E. Russell)
The cast is almost uniformly spectacular -- particularly Angela Lansbury as a wicked aunt and Raphael Coleman as the sardonic, bespectacled child who delivers hilarious, verbose asides and somehow makes it look effortless. ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at Portland Oregonian (M. E. Russell)
San Francisco Chronicle (Mick LaSalle)
Underlying the story is sadness, a sense of mystery and a quality of pain. Enjoy the movie for its surface pleasures, but when it's over, it's those subterranean qualities that will keep it lingering in the mind. ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at San Francisco Chronicle (Mick LaSalle)
The Globe and Mail (Toronto) (Kate Taylor)
It's a brilliant opening, but the difficulty with the familiar plot formula wherein a special stranger wins over a difficult household is that once the spell has been cast, all the plot tension, and much of the movie magic, dissipates. ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at The Globe and Mail (Toronto) (Kate Taylor)
ViewLondon (Matthew Turner)
Enjoyable children's fantasy story with an agreeably nasty streak and superb comic performances from its cast.The BackgroundNanny McPhee might as well be subtitled Emma Thompson: Back With A Vengeance, because, as with her Oscar-winning success ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at ViewLondon (Matthew Turner)
Boston Globe
Whenever I'm asked if there's a genre of movie I dislike, I usually claim to be "open to anything." I'm lying, apparently. Sitting through the first 15 minutes of "Nanny McPhee," I realized I hate movies about bad kids. Specifically, kids whose dead or ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at Boston Globe
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (Ed Blank)
She's a sight that would give pause even to blind mice, this "Nanny McPhee."
She has a single, long eyebrow that plays awning to her other daunting features: a bulbous red nose; a snaggle tooth that could pass for a fang; fleshy, drooping ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (Ed Blank)
Laramie Movie Scope (Robert Roten)
All the children give fine performances, especially the oldest, Simon Brown (played by Thomas Sangster of "Love Actually"). Emma Thompsen is perfect as Nanny McPhee. Thompsen also wrote the screenplay for the film. Celia Imrie gives a fine performance ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at Laramie Movie Scope (Robert Roten)
Variety.com (Leslie Felperin)
Working Title's latest attempt to crack the lucrative family market after the sputtering "Thunderbirds," "Nanny McPhee" finds the Brit shingle returning to a cozy comfort zone with a "Mary Poppins"-like tale of naughty well-heeled tykes tamed by a ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at Variety.com (Leslie Felperin)
Chicago Tribune (Michael Phillips)
Nanny McPhee maintains a satisfying, all-ages balance between broad comedy and human warmth. ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at Chicago Tribune (Michael Phillips)
Salon.com (Stephanie Zacharek)
"Nanny McPhee" is stuffed with so many terrific U.K. actors that it would be nearly impossible to shoehorn in even one more: Emma Thompson, Colin Firth, Kelly Macdonald, Derek Jacobi, Angela Lansbury, Imelda Staunton -- and that's only a partial list. ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at Salon.com (Stephanie Zacharek)
The King's Room (Clyde Ayles)
COLIN FORTH stars as a father with a very mischievous brood that has chased every nanny they have had out of the house. The poor man is at his wit's end trying to hold things together...He is a widower who is being helped money wise by his pompous ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at The King's Room (Clyde Ayles)
Reel Movie Critic (Pam and George Singleton)
Solid story telling (the script was written by Thompson), along with gorgeous cinematography featuring vibrant colors used in set pieces and costumes, as well as slapstick comedy, provide a magical tone to the movie that resulted in rousing applause as ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at Reel Movie Critic (Pam and George Singleton)
Cinema Blend (Joshua Tyler)
In Nanny McPhee Emma Thompson tries to break the forty-year stranglehold held on nanny related entertainment by Marry Poppins with her own take on the magical babysitter genre. Emma's entry owes a big debt to Julie Andrews, but differentiates itself ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at Cinema Blend (Joshua Tyler)
Film School Rejects (Neil Miller)
Oh those British nannies, they will forever be immortalized for their ability to control the most bratty products from the world of bad parenting. They have long been focal points of some of the great family stories to ever hit the silver screen. Cut ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at Film School Rejects (Neil Miller)
411mania.com -DVD Review (Chad Webb)
Nanny McPhee has a good and solid beating heart, but its body could use some shaping. It is Mary Poppins without the magic. Don't misunderstand me, there are plenty of startling magical tricks in this film, but the thought that will creep deep into your ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at 411mania.com -DVD Review (Chad Webb)
The Phantom Tollbooth
I love it when movies come along that surprise you with their wit and humor. Then what you think will be a simply fun kids film turns into a blast for the whole family. So is the case with the new, magical piece, Nanny McPhee. The screenplay is written ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at The Phantom Tollbooth
Home Theater Info DVD Review
There has been and always been a certain degree of warfare between parents and their children. All too often the children seem to have the upper hand and the parents must resort to sending for reinforcements. On television this aide comes in the form of ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at Home Theater Info DVD Review
Movieeveryday.com (Scooter Thompson)
Emma Thompson works her magic again. On the tails of finishing up her screenwriting efforts for Pride and Prejudice, she apparently sat down and wrote the screenplay for Nanny McPhee in which she also portrays the titular character. Billed as the next ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at Movieeveryday.com (Scooter Thompson)
Haro Online
When the cast of a film includes Emma Thompson, Colin Firth, Imelda Staunton, Derek Jacobi, Kelly Macdonald, and Angela Lansbury, people should take notice. When said film is a children's film, people should look even closer. This site often rails ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at Haro Online
Hollywood Gothique
Despite its British pedigree, this family-oriented fantasy film often succumbs to the Hollywood penchant for manic excess that is supposed to appeal to toddlers with attention deficit disorder. That's unfortunate, because the film actually works quite ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at Hollywood Gothique
Hoosier Revue
Nanny McPhee is a fantastic movie for children, which probably won't teach them to behave better, but will definitely entertain them for a few hours. ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at Hoosier Revue
IndependentCritics.com (Richard Propes)
Based on the British "Nurse Matilda" children's stories from the 1960's, "Nanny McPhee" is a visually delightful family film with a strong cast, fluid direction and a clear, concise story that will please young children and should involve parents enough ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at IndependentCritics.com (Richard Propes)
Audio/Video Revolution (Bill Warren)
âMary Poppins.â There, itâs been said as it must be in any American review of âNanny McPhee,â since the only British nanny most Americans have heard of is Mary Poppins. Forget âThe Nannyâ with Bette Davis, forget even the many âMary ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at Audio/Video Revolution (Bill Warren)
DVD Times
The widower Mr Brown (Colin Firth) is at the end of his tether. A quiet visit to the funeral parlour for his work has ended in yet another nanny running away from his seven children, convinced that they have eaten the youngest, who is only a baby. ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at DVD Times
A Nutshell Review
Nanny McPhee, based on the Nurse Matilda books, tells the story of the Brown family. Mr Brown (Colin Firth) is a widower who has to single handedly bring up seven children. Make that seven mischievious children who has driven away a record 17 nannies. He ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at A Nutshell Review
Film Blather Review
Oh, what a horrible idea that CGI-animated baby was. The entire baby was not animated -- that may have been tolerable, if odd -- but rather just the mouth, so that it looked like that hideous, frightening gravelly-voiced thing in the Quizno's commercials. ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at Film Blather Review
Eric D. Snider
When a nanny runs screaming from an old English house and the narrator says it's because the children are brats, you think: I don't care how naughty the kids are, the nanny's not going to run screaming from the house. She may fume and sputter, and she ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at Eric D. Snider
Pajiba (Jeremy C. Fox)
Production designers rarely get the credit theyâve earned. Their work â creating the visual style of a filmâs particular universe â is essential; without good design, even the best performances and most thoughtful direction can seem adrift on ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at Pajiba (Jeremy C. Fox)
The Rewind Forums DVD Review
âNanny McPheeâ may not be an earth-shaking cinematic event, but it does perhaps act as proof that film makers are finally beginning to understand what Pixar have known for some time: a childrenâs movie need not be mindless fluff. It may well be ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at The Rewind Forums DVD Review
Variety (Leslie Felperin)
Under the surface, the movie has a streak of Roald Dahl-style darkness that dilutes the sugar. ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at Variety (Leslie Felperin)
The New York Times (Stephen Holden)
In the endearing but somewhat scatterbrained British film Nanny McPhee, Emma Thompson creates an indelible character reminiscent of Mary Poppins as conceived by the author P. L. Travers and the illustrator Mary Shepard. ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at The New York Times (Stephen Holden)
Dallas Observer (Staff (Not credited))
Kirk Jones (Waking Ned Devine) directs with skill, Thompson's screenplay (this is a labor of love) is witty, and the classy cast includes Colin Firth (as the kids' baffled widower-father), Angela Lansbury, Imelda Staunton, and Celia Imrie. Good fun. ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at Dallas Observer (Staff (Not credited))
Los Angeles Times (Gene Seymour)
A spicy little pastry with just the right proportions of flakiness and gooeyness. ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at Los Angeles Times (Gene Seymour)
Exclaim! (Erin Oke)
Thereâs always a good amount of darkness in British childrenâs stories, marking them in contrast to American stories of feel-good optimism. Itâs Dickens versus Disney and Nanny McPhee is true to its cultural roots. ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at Exclaim! (Erin Oke)
Qwipster's Movie Reviews (Vince Leo)
A mildly arresting family film, which probably would have been instantly forgettable if not for the quality of the main players, Nanny McPhee, based on the series of "Nurse Matilda" books, hits the right notes at the right times to overcome its inherent ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at Qwipster's Movie Reviews (Vince Leo)
The Onion A.V. Club (Scott Tobias)
There's no reason Nanny McPhee shouldn't be a fine children's movie. Based on Christianna Brand's beloved Nurse Matilda books, and adapted capably by Emma Thompson, who plays the lead, the film positions itself nicely as the anti-Mary Poppins. It takes a ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at The Onion A.V. Club (Scott Tobias)
Flipside Movie Emporium (Rob Vaux)
To those of you who always wanted to refer to Mary Poppins as "the hot one," your hour has come! And with no less a presence than Emma Thompson as chaperone. Nanny McPhee is a retake on the tried-and-true magical governess notion, with a script penned by ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at Flipside Movie Emporium (Rob Vaux)
Flipside Movie Emporium (Rob Vaux)
Thompson, of course, does a lot to mitigate those problems. Her performance is a delight -- as is Firth's -- and a supporting cast of great British character actresses (including Lansbury, Kelly Macdonald, Imelda Staunton, and Celia Imrie) bravely ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at Flipside Movie Emporium (Rob Vaux)
Guardian/Observer
A bafflingly humourless and patronising sub-Mary Poppins ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at Guardian/Observer
Decent Films Guide (Steven D. Greydanus)
Frays in the second half… Fancy Darcy as a limp romantic lead! ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at Decent Films Guide (Steven D. Greydanus)
Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Hap Erstein)
Based on Christianna Brand's Nurse Matilda kid's book series, one can see how the material might have had potential, if the cast were not pressing so much for laughs. ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Hap Erstein)
Moviefreak (Sara Michelle Fetters)
As an off-screen voice whispers these words to beleaguered single father of seven Mr. Brown (Colin Firth, âBridget Jonesâ Diaryâ), I never would have thought they would have been talking about a necessity affecting more than just the manâs need ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at Moviefreak (Sara Michelle Fetters)
moviereview (Colin Fraser)
Adapted from a series of childrenâs stories by Christianna Brand, Nanny McPhee arrives as a garish update of Mary Poppins vs The Sound of Music (without the music). Colin Firth trots out his amiably hopeless routine as the single-father of a brood of ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at moviereview (Colin Fraser)
FromTheBalcony (Bill Clark)
I love family films that are not condescending. Todayâs kids are subjected to, for the most part, recycled tripe that probably even seems old to them by now. Nanny McPhee contains all of the key ingredients of a successful family film as well as some ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at FromTheBalcony (Bill Clark)
Decent Films - faith on film (Steven D. Greydanus)
Colin Firth (Darcy in the 1995 BBC âPride and Prejudiceâ) plays Cedric Brown, a widower and hapless father of seven children whose ingenious talent for mischief has driven nearly a score of nannies screaming from the house. Mr. Brown loves his large ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at Decent Films - faith on film (Steven D. Greydanus)
Reel Talk (Betty Jo Tucker)
At one time or another, every child probably needs someone like the magical governess in Nanny McPhee, a first-rate family comedy starring Emma Thompson, whoâs practically unrecognizable in the title role. Thompsonâs Nanny McPhee looks quite creepy ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at Reel Talk (Betty Jo Tucker)
OhmyNews (Brian Orndorf)
Widowed undertaker Mr. Brown (Colin Firth) is living in a perpetual state of exasperation due to the disorderly antics of his seven children, who spend their days trying to get rid of any nanny that attempts to discipline them. Worried about his ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at OhmyNews (Brian Orndorf)
Cinematical (Christopher Campbell)
Emma Thompson won't be winning another adapted-screenplay Oscar for her sophomore script, but she has written a most enjoyable combo of familiar plots and themes for the film of Nanny McPhee. Based very, very loosely on Christianna Brand's Nurse Matilda ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at Cinematical (Christopher Campbell)
Planet Sick-Boy
It isnât difficult to pick the lone winner in the crapfest we call the January release calendar. Hereâs a hint: It doesnât involve a crazy black guy in a fat suit, and itâs not based on a videogame. If that didnât narrow the focus a bit, ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at Planet Sick-Boy
Shadows on the Wall (Rich Cline)
Based on Christianna Brand's Nurse Mathilda books, this whimsical and wonderfully nasty children's tale is thoroughly enjoyable, if not hugely notable. And it has an edgy unpredictability that raises it above most kids' movies. ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at Shadows on the Wall (Rich Cline)
Filmstarts.de (Deike Stagge) (German)
In England gehörte ein anständiges Kindermädchen seinerzeit zum guten Ton und war für viele Haushalte unersetzlich. Der traditionsreiche Beruf existiert in vielen Facetten. Wenn eine Nanny allerdings Magie einsetzen muss, um in Kirk Jones' âEine ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at Filmstarts.de (Deike Stagge) (German)
Floatation Suite (Sheila Seacroft)
Based on the little known Nurse Matilda series of children's books from the early 60s by Christianna Brand (otherwise known as a thriller writer), Emma Thompson plays the central figure of the mysterious and magical nanny who comes into troubled and ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at Floatation Suite (Sheila Seacroft)
ReelViews (James Berardinelli)
An excellent movie⦠if you're a seven-year old girl. That's less a negative evaluation than it is a statement of fact. This isn't a "family film;" it's a "children's ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at ReelViews (James Berardinelli)
Miami Herald (Peter Debruge)
This is, after all, "Mary Poppins" turned on its head. ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at Miami Herald (Peter Debruge)
New York Daily News (Jami Bernard)
There's magic afoot, even if the movie is more serviceable than magical. ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at New York Daily News (Jami Bernard)
Philadelphia Inquirer (Carrie Rickey)
Nanny McPhee is a child-care professional that Roald Dahl could love. She speaks firmly and carries a big stick. And she's not afraid to use it. ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at Philadelphia Inquirer (Carrie Rickey)
Reel.com
Nanny McPhee will bring out the inevitable comparisons to Mary Poppins (y'know—Brits, nannies, magic) but the spoonfuls of sugar in this shrill, overblown kids' fantasy generally go down the wrong pipe. Emma Thompson, who stars as the rather ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at Reel.com
Austin Chronicle (Marrit Ingman)
âThere should be more movies like this,â opined one grandmotherly type to another at our screening. Based on Christianna Brandâs Nurse Matilda books and featuring an A-list cast of British character actors, Nanny McPhee is indeed something of a ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at Austin Chronicle (Marrit Ingman)
Must See Flix (Craig Brown)
A new kind of Mary Poppins comes to town in Nanny McPhee, and she is not doling out spoonfuls of sugar or singing songs. She is a wart-dotted, snaggletoothed old hag, who mysteriously arrives near the start of this family-friendly would-be fairy ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at Must See Flix (Craig Brown)
FlickFilosopher.com (MaryAnn Johanson)
With full and uncomfortable knowledge the kind of crap that passes for children's entertainment these days, I figured I was in for an excruciating time of it when Nanny McPhee opened with Colin Firth -- Mr. Darcy himself! -- taking a pratfall down a ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at FlickFilosopher.com (MaryAnn Johanson)
The BigScreen Cinema Guide - Reader Reviews
A new nanny enters the household of the recently widowed Mr. Brown and attempts to tame his seven exceedingly ill-behaved children. The children, led by the oldest boy Simon, have managed to drive . ...read the complete Nanny McPhee movie review at The BigScreen Cinema Guide - Reader Reviews
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