Leading Ladies: January 2006

Nanny McPhee

Stars: Emma Thompson, Colin Firth, Angela Lansbury
Director: Kirk Jones
Rating: PG

The female critics are split on Nanny McPhee, the caretaker (Thompson) whose spoonfuls of sugar are laced with a bit of poison and whose gnarly snaggletooth, mono-brow and warts make her decidedly anti-Mary Poppins. That would be okay, say the movie's detractors, if the film weren't trying so hard.

Salon's Stephanie Zacharek says, "The director... seems to be going for the ghoulish, wobbly roller-coaster madness that Tim Burton (at his best) pulls off so well, but his labors simply become exhausting to watch."

The New York Daily News's Jami Bernard says, "The tone is whimsical, boisterous and occasionally sly, even while not being altogether successful. It lacks the warmth that makes for a children's classic, and strains too hard to wring laughs from dumb sight gags -- like animals in human clothing and creepy-crawlies in the tea sandwiches." And the Arizona Republic's Kathy Cano Murillo says, "The fun is doled out in small portions and the film is so passive that younger kids will probably fidget in their seats."

On the flip side, USA Today's Claudia Puig says, "The movie, based on the Nurse Matilda books by Christianna Brand, is not startlingly original with its motherless children and evil stepmother story line. But those well-worn storybook features are woven effectively into an appealing tale of youthful empowerment and whimsy."

And the Austin Chronicle's Marrit Ingman says, "Parents might appreciate a lighter hand with the barnyard whimsy and food fights, but overall the movie doesn't condescend about heavy matters (grief, healing, and blended families) and is pleasantly diverting."

Female consensus: It's not supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, but it's not quite atrocious, either

next : Big Momma's House 2