Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead, Mary Poppins and Mrs. Doubtfire are just a few of the "nanny" movies that have thrilled us, made us laugh and made us cry. Nanny McPhee is no exception. With a gang of rowdy Brits running around to make chaos for the nannies that their stereotypical newly-widowed father hires to replace their beloved dead mother, only Emma Thompson, as the unsightly and austere Nanny McPhee, can save the day. One still prefers Home Alone, but fine acting by the children of this movie make it more than just a flick designed for rambunctious pre-schoolers. Angela Lansbury plays cranky Aunt Adelaide, but you would never know it was her under 500 pounds of makeup.
The plot is riveting for a child's tale, and Colin Firth (of Bridget Jones's Diary fame) is, well, British. Take your kid brother along for the ride and maybe your parents will bump up your allowance, otherwise you'll be the oldest person in the theater and likely viewed as a pedophile. On a more serious note, this film trumps nearly all kiddie films the I've been forced to see over the past 10 years, and its lack of animation is a real treat.
