The Return of Nanny McPhee – In Theaters Today

Confession: I never saw the original Nanny McPhee movie.

When I was contacted to see if my family wanted to go see the sequel, “Nanny McPhee Returns” I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect. We’d seen the trailers and Pumpkin went gaga over the pigs (you can watch the trailers HERE), but Nanny McPhee (small c, big P) was an unknown entity for me.

I am undecided on Emma Thompson, but I’m a huge Maggie Gyllenhaal fan (even though I couldn’t make myself watch “Crazy Heart” all of the way through).  [TRIVIA: Did you know that Emma Thompson and Maggie Gyllenhaal both appeared in the Will Ferrell flick “Stranger Than Fiction”? It’s the only Will Ferrell movie I’ve ever liked – they were all amazing in it]. I decided we’d give Nanny a try.

In short: the whole family enjoyed it.

This movie finds Nanny McPhee (Emma Thompson) showing up to help a frazzled mom (Maggie Gyllenhaal) who is trying to keep her family afloat while her husband is away at war. To add fuel to the fire, her children’s cousins have come to stay with them – adding another element of chaos. Nanny McPhee uses some incredible magic to teach the five kids some lessons.

Initially, I was afraid the movie would be “too dark” for my kids – but I was quickly reassured by the quirky magic, fun effects and synchonized swimming piglets. By the time we left, my kids were still giggling over those cute pigs (and yeah, I was too).

You need not have seen the first Nanny McPhee movie to enjoy this one — though I may now look for the original on Netflix. Both my five and eight year old were enthralled and the movie held their interest all the way through. Definitely a fun way to beat the heat over this weekend, by catching a showing of Nanny McPhee and eating some popcorn in an air conditioned theater.

Complimentary movie passes were provided for me and my family, but the opinions as always are my own.