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Nanny McPhee Returns Movie Review Summary

Actors: Emma Thompson, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Asa Butterfield, Maggie Smith,

Detailed plot synopsis reviews of Nanny McPhee Returns


The film is the sequel to the original "Nanny McPhee" that was released in 2005. The Nanny McPhee films are based on a character called Nurse Matilda in the book by the same name authored by Christianna Brand. Emma Thompson returns to play Nanny McPhee, who uses magic to control the children under her charge. The setting is during World War II in England.
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Maggie Gyllenhaal, as the character Isabel Green, tries her best to raise her three children: Vincent (played by Oscar Steer), Norman (played by Asa Butterfield), and Megsie (played by Lil Woods) and take care of the family farm while her husband is away at war. To make matters worse, their cousins Cyril and Celia Gray (played by Eros Vlahos and Rosie Taylor-Ritson) come to live with them as well. This causes more troubles as the children immediately begin fighting with each other. Isabel wishes for some help. There is a big storm that night. Nanny McPhee arrives at the door. Nanny tells them she will stay as long as required, but will leave when they no longer need her. The children continue their trouble-making until they realize they must deal with Nanny's magical powers. When Nanny slams her walking stick down, strange magical things happen. The children resist but soon come under Nanny's influence because everything Nanny does is proper and full of consideration for the children's well-being as well as the correct up-bringing. When they refuse to share, she magically puts large animals in their beds. The mother Isabel, is so relieved to have some help and that Nanny has gotten the children to behave.

Their Uncle Phil is a bad man, who has gotten into trouble for gambling debts and needs Isabel to agree to let him sell the farm of which he owns half, otherwise he will be killed by two "hit-men" who are actually women. He plots to make the Isabel sell the farm by letting all the pigs run loose. But the children, with Nanny's help, retrieve them. Then he brings a fake telegram to Isabel telling her that her husband has been killed in the war. The young boy Norman refuses to believe his father is dead.

The boy children get Nanny to drive them to London in Nanny's crazy motorcycle with a side car attached. They go to the military command in London where the father of Cyril and Celia works to find out the truth. The find out the telegram was a fake. Isabel is about to sign the papers to sell the farm, before they can get back to tell her the truth. Nanny uses her magic to have a bomb drop into the field near the farm but not explode. This delays Isabel enough. When Nanny and the boy's rerun, they disarm the bomb. Nanny uses more of her magic to harvest the crops and to get the Uncle out of trouble with the hit-women. The children's father returns from the war. In the excitement of having him suddenly come home, Nanny leaves quietly without saying good-bye, as her services are no longer needed.
Best part of story, including ending: Nanny McPhee is just wonderful. She knows exactly what to do to teach the children lessons and has all the magic she needs to accomplish her goals.

Best scene in story: I like the scene when the children are forced to share their beds with large animals when they did not want to share with each other.

Opinion about the main character: The quote from Nanny McPhee is really the best when she says "When you need me, but do not want me, I must stay. When you want me, but no longer need me, then I have to go."

The review of this Movie prepared by Willi Vision a Level 31 Creepy Stalker Barn Owl scholar

Script Analysis of Nanny McPhee Returns

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Plot & Themes

Comedy, primarily    -   Yes Time/era of movie:    -   1930's-1950's Comedy or Parody about    -   taking care of zany kids

Main Character

Identity:    -   Female Profession/status:    -   mage/magician Age:    -   40's-50's Has magical powers?    -   Yes Magical/mental powers of main character:    -   can cast many different spells Ethnicity/Nationality    -   British

Setting

Europe    -   Yes European country:    -   England/UK Farm/Ranch?    -   Yes Farm/Ranch:    -   farm

Writing Style

Accounts of torture and death?    -   no torture/death Any profanity?    -   None Is this movie based on a    -   book

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