Review: Nanny McPhee Returns (2010)

2011-01-26T03:21:43Z

I watch a lot of movies, one way or another, some are brilliant, some are entirely second rate. But even so, it's rare thing that a film elicits the amount of praise that I feel the latest installment of Emma Thompson's Nanny McPhee saga deserves.

To start with, it has an incredible cast including Emma Thompson, Maggie Smith, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Ralph Fiennes, Rhys Iffans, and, rather surprisingly, Ewan McGregor. Who knew?!

As fun as the previous installment undoubtedly was, I did spend the entire time wanting to strangle the costume designer. Jacqueline Durran is fabulous - she's Academy Award nominated for heaven's sake - but the colors! They're migraine inducing. Fortunately, with the shift in time period for the new movie, you no longer require sunglasses when watching.

Time has moved on apace since the last installment (which probably occurred in the later half of the Victorian/early Edwardian era). Now, it is WWII. The Blitz has come to London and "The Cousins" have come to the country. While the first installment starred some serious up-and-coming young actors - Thomas Sangster springs to mind - Nanny McPhee Returns doesn't. (One possible exception being Asa Butterfield, last seen in BBC's Merlin as the young and faintly menacing Modred.) Good news is though, they may all be new to the world of acting, but they've done a good job.

The thing is, as silly and fantastic as this film is, it is clean. It has a ridiculous but effective villain in the form of Rhys Iffans, who in turn is terrorized by the equally ridiculous and menacing Katy Brand and Sinead Matthews. But there isn't a scary moment. Worrying, yes. But you know, you just feel it, in your bones, that Nanny McPhee and the children, will save the day.

The other thing that happens in this film is something that I adore in sequels. It gives a little nod to its older sibling. I can't tell you what - that would be a spoiler - but I can tell you that it brings tears to the eyes. Just have some onions on hand in case your roommates walk in and ask why you're crying while watching a children's movie.

All in all, I loved this film. And by all means, if you haven't seen the original, go borrow it from Netflix before seeing the latest installment. You don't have to of course, because Nanny McPhee Returns (or Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang to our British readers) is intended to stand on its own. And it does. Brilliantly.

4 stars out of 5

Friends-locked

2008-08-17T15:40:28Z

Hi guys! Some of you will have already noticed, but this journal is now entirely friends only.

There's a reason for this - I was getting a lot of spam on the journal entries that were still public even after I had mostly locked it.

If you'd like to have access to this journal please comment and I'll add you. If you're just looking for graphics, please wander over to ogeecons. Thanks for your understanding!

joy.

complete dvd list

2006-11-24T06:02:17Z

I am posting a complete list of my dvds. I have divided them (for the most part) into regular films, disney, musicals, and TV.

These are all here at school with me and are therefore eligable for request... I will be adjusting this list every now and then as I purchase new movies.

All Oscar nominees are indicated by a single *, winners with two **

I have also linked each one to its page on the Internet Movie Database in case you want to know more about it. Please comment on the post with any questions!

I'M UPDATING THIS LIST CURRENTLY - LINKS ARE NOT UP AT THE MOMENT.

UPDATED LIST

1776
12 Angry Men
27 Dresses
50 First Dates
84 Charing Cross Road
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
A Man and a Woman (Un homme et une femme)
A Midsummer's Night's Dream
A Walk To Remember
About a Boy
Adams Family
Adams Family Values
Agatha Christie's Poirot: Classic Collection 2
Aladdin
Alice in Wonderland
Amadeus
Amazing Grace
American President, The
An Ideal Husband
Angel and the Badman
Anna and the King
Anne of Green Gables
Anne of Green Gables The Sequel
Annie
Arsenic and Old Lace
As You Like It
Auntie Mame
Avengers, The
Avengers: The Complete Emma Peel Megaset
Babette's Feast (Babettes gæstebud)
Bandits
Beauty and the Beast
Beauty and The Beast
Bedknobs and Broomsticks
Bell, Book and Candle
Bend It Like Beckham
Beowulf & Grendel
Big Sleep, The
Black Adder II
Black Adder IV
Black Adder V
Black Cauldron, The
Blazing Saddles
Blue Collar Comedy Tour
Blue Collar Comedy Tour One For the Road
Blue Collar Comedy Tour Rides Again
Bride & Prejudice
Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason
Bridget Jones's Diary
Brigadoon
Bright Eyes
Broadway's Lost Treasures Vol. I-II, The Plays
C.S. Forester's Horatio Hornblower Complete Adventures
C.S. Forester's Horatio Hornblower The New Adventures
Cabaret
Calendar Girls
Camelot
Can-Can
Captain Horatio Hornblower
Casablanca
Casino Royale
Cat Ballou
Cats
Center Stage
Chariots of Fire
Charlotte Church: Enchantment Live From Cardiff
Charlotte Church: Prelude
Chicago
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Chocolat
Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe
Chronicles of Riddick
Cinderella
Clash of the Titans
Copying Beethoven
Count of Monte Christo, The
Court Jester, The
Crimson Pirate, The
Curious George
Daddy Long Legs
Dangerous Beauty
Dark Passage
Dead Again
Dear Frankie
Designing Woman
Devil Wears Prada, The
Die Another Day
Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights
Dirty Dancing: Ultimate Edition
Doctor Zhivago
Donizetti: La Fille Du Regiment
Donovan's Reef
Dorothy L. Sayers Mysteries: Gaudy Night
Dorothy L. Sayers Mysteries: Have His Carcase
Dorothy L. Sayers Mysteries: Strong Poison
Dr. No
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
Dragonheart / Dragonheart 2: Legendary Tales
Dreamer: Inspired by a True Story
Duellists, The
Easter Parade
Eastern Promises
Eddie Izzard: Circle
Eddie Izzard: Dress To Kill
Eddie Izzard: Glorious
Eddie Izzard: Unrepeatable
Eddie Izzardd: Definite Article
Elizabeth
Emma
Enchanted April
Enchantment
Eragon
Ever After
Evita
Fantastic 4
Fever Pitch
Finding Neverland
First Wives Club, The
Flame and the Arrow, The
Flower Drum Song
For Whom the Bell Tolls
Force 10 From Navarone
Fort Apache
Four Weddings and a Funeral
Foyle's War Series 1
Foyle's War Series 2
Foyle's War Series 3
Foyle's War Series 4
Foyle's War Series 5
Foyle's War Series 6
From Russia With Love
Funny Face
Funny Girl
Gaslight
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
Ghost Rider
Gigi
Girl With the Pearl Earring, The
Going My Way
Golden Eye
Goldfinger
Gosford Park
Grease
Great Race, The
Guess Who's Coming To Dinner
Guys and Dolls
Gypsy
Hairspray
Hamlet
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Hatari
Hell Boy II
Hello Dolly!
Hercules
Hidalgo
High Society
History Boys, The
History of Violence, A
Hobbit, The
Holiday Inn
Holiday, The
Hook
How To Marry a Millionaire
How To Steal A Million
Hunt for Red October, The
Ice Princess
Illusionist, The
Importance of Being Earnest, The
Incredibles, The
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Arc
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
Indiana Jones Special Features
Indiscreet
Inspector Lewis Series 1
Inspector Lynley Series 5
Inspector Lynley Series 6
Into The Woods
Italian Job, The
Jane Austen Book Club, The
Jane Eyre
Josh Groban In Concert
Josh Groban: Live At the Greek
Joyeux Noël
Jungle Book, The
Kate & Leopold
Keeping Mum
Key Largo
King and I, The
Kingdom of Heaven
Kiss Me Kate
Knight's Tale
Last Legion, The
Laura
Laws of Attaction
League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, The
Legend of 1900, The (La leggenda del pianista sull'oceano)
Legend of Zorro
Lilo & Stitch
Lion in Winter, The
Lion King, The
Little Mermaid, The
Littlest Rebel, The
Liza With a "Z"
Lord Of The Rings: Fellowship of the Ring
Lord Of The Rings: Fellowship of the Ring (German)
Lord Of The Rings: Return of the King
Lord Of The Rings: Return of the King (German)
Lord Of The Rings: Return of the King (Natl. Geo)
Lord Of The Rings: Symphony
Lord Of The Rings: Two Towers
Lord Of The Rings: Two Towers (German)
Lord Peter Wimsey: The Nine Tailors
Lost in Austen
Love Actually
Love in the Afternoon
Love's Labour's Lost
M*A*S*H
M*A*S*H Season 1
M*A*S*H Season 10
M*A*S*H Season 11
M*A*S*H Season 2
M*A*S*H Season 3
M*A*S*H Season 4
M*A*S*H Season 5
M*A*S*H Season 6
M*A*S*H Season 7
M*A*S*H Season 8
M*A*S*H Season 9
Magnificent Seven, The
Mamma Mia!
Mark of Zorro, The
Marlene Dietrich Collection: Golden Earrings
Mary Poppins: 40th Anniversary Edition
Mask of Zorro, The
Master and Commander: Far Side of the World
Maverick
McLintock!
Meet Me in St. Louis
Memoirs of Geisha
Miss Congeniality
Miss Pettigrew Lives For a Day
Mona Lisa Smile
Monster's Inc.
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Mr. Smith Goes To Washington
Much Ado About Nothing
Mulan: Special Edition
Murder on The Orient Express
Music and Lyrics
Music of The Heart
My Big Fat Greek Wedding
My Darling Clementine
My Fair Lady
My Man Godfrey
Nanny McPhee
National Treasure
National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets
Never Been Kissed
Newsies
No Reservations
North & South
Northanger Abbey
Notting Hill
Oklahoma!
Oliver!
On Any Sunday
One Night With The King
Operation Petticoat
Out of Africa
Paint Your Wagon
Parent Trap, The
Patriot Games
Patton
Pavarotti: The DVD Collection 3
Persuasion
Peter Pan
Peter Pan
Phantom of the Opera, The
Pink Panther Film Collection 5
Pirates of Penzance
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl
Pirates of The Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
Possession
Pretty Woman: 10th Anniversary Edition
Pride & Prejudice
Pride and Prejudice
Prince and Me, The
Princess Diaries
Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement
Quiet Man, The
Quigley Down Under
Ratatouille
Rebecca of Sunnybook Farm
Remington Steele Season 1
Remington Steele Season 2
Remington Steele Season 3
Remington Steele Season 4 & 5
Return of the Pink Panther
Rio Bravo
Rio Grande
Robin Hood Men In Tights
Robin Hood: Most Wanted Edition
Robin Williams: Live on Broadway
Rocketeer, The
Roman Holiday
Rome Season One
Rowan Atkinson Live!
Rumor Has It
Rumplestiltskin
Sabrina
Sabrina
Saint Ralph
Saint, The
Same Time, Next Year
Sarah Brightman: La Luna - Live in Concert
Save The Last Dance
Scarlet Pimpernel, The
Seabiscuit
Secondhand Lions
Secret Garden, The
Sense and Sensibility
Separate Tables
Sever Brides For Seven Brothers
Sex and The City Seasons 1-6
Sex and The City: The Movie
Shakespeare In Love
Sharlock Holmes Feature Film Collection
Sharpe's Complete Collector's Edition
Shootist, The
Shrek
Shrek 2
Simon and Garfunkel: Concert in Central Park
Singin' in the Rain
Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants
Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants 2
Sleeping Beauty Special Edition 2
Some Like It Hot
Sons of Katie Elder, The
Sound of Music, The
South Pacific
Spaceballs
Spanglish
Spice Wold
Stagecoach
Star Wars: A New Hope
Star Wars: Return of the Jedi
Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
Stardust
Stripes Extended Cut
Swiss Family Robinson
Take The Lead
Taming of the Shrew
Tea With Mussolini
The Cadfael Collection
The Clock
The Four Musketeers
The Ghost and Mrs. Muir
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
The Mummy
The Mummy Returns
The Music Man
The Princess Bride
The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming
The Scorpion King
The Transporter
The Whole Nine Yards
Thomas Crown Affair, The
Thoroughly Modern Millie
Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines
Three Coins In The Fountain
Three Musketeers
To Catch A Thief
To Have And Have Not
To Sir, With Love
To The Manor Born Silver Anniversary Special
To The Manor Born The Complete Series
Tom Jones
Tomorrow Never Dies
Top Gun
Triumph of Love, The
True Grit
Twelfth Night
Twelve O'Clock High
Two For The Road
Two Weeks Notice
Under The Tuscan Sun
Underworld
V For Vendetta
Van Helsing
Vanity Fair
Victor Victoria
Vikings, The
Wackiest Ship In The Army
Waiting For God 1-4
Walk The Line
War and Peace
Water
Wedding Date, The
What a Girl Wants
White Christmas
Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken
Wimbledon
Wind and the Lion, The
Wives and Daughters
X-Men
X2
X3: The Last Stand
Yours, Mine and Ours
Zorro, The Gay Blade

Queensjoy

Review: Nanny McPhee Returns (2010)

Friends-locked

complete dvd list