"Greetings, oh covered-in-poo people! Do you speak English?"The Nanny McPhee sequel relocates to a golden-hued if rose-tinted wartime countryside, but overall the formula remains intact, retaining the original's whimsical charm and gentle fantasy. The slightly dark edge of the 2005 film is here replaced by a threatened sobriety of the impact of war which is quickly dissipated (also evident in Emma Thompson's less sinister performance), and occasionally the tweeness is pushed to the limit (synchronised piglet swimming, the children defusing an UXB). Maggie Gyllenhaal works well as the mother in this film needing Nanny McPhee's particular brand of help, with good turns from Maggie Smith and Bill Bailey. The sub-plot of brother-in-law Rhys Ifans being chased by Sinead Matthews and Katy Brand calling in bad debt is far less successful in characterisations and performances, but it does not detract from the overall success of the film. The child actors work well with some occasionally challenging material. A live-action children's film today that deals with real issues, a bit of history and promotes positive values may be a rarity, and to be this successfully entertaining even more so.
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