(Adventure/Fantasy: 1 hour, 38 minutes); Starring: Emma Thompson, Colin Firth, Kelly Macdonald, Celia Imrie, Imelda Staunton, Thomas Sangster and Angela Lansbury; Director: Kirk Jones; Rated: PG (Crude humor and mild violence)
Movie Review: Cedric Brown (Firth) is the widowed father of seven children. He finds controlling his children an impossible task. After numerous nannies quitting on him, Brown finds the perfect nanny, Nanny McPhee (Thompson). The Brown kids soon find McPhee is magical and can control them with a tap if her cane.
This tale is another story where the children are very bad to a point Chucky — the killer doll — would not play with them. While antics of the children are nothing parents would ever like their tots to imitate, “Nanny McPhee” is an enjoyable, fantastical adventure for children. Emma Thompson plays a witch with poise and a certain charisma which are unmistakably beguiling in a mysterious manner. Firth is his usual agreeable self. MacDonald is charming. Lansbury, child actor Sangster (“Love Actually,” 2003), and Staunton (“Vera Drake,” 2004) add extra comedy. While not very complicated, “Nanny McPhee” provides excellent and adventurous entertainment.
Grade: B- (A good nanny for your small fries)
Movies
Nanny McPhee
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No need to ‘Switch’ theaters
“The Switch” (Comedy: 1 hour, 28 minutes); Starring: Jason Bateman, Jennifer Aniston, Thomas Robinson and Patrick Wilson; Directors: Josh Gordon and Will Speck; Rated: PG-13 (Thematic elements including sexual material, profanity, nudity, brief violence, and drug-alcohol usage)
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Find some Other movie, Guys
“The Other Guys” (Comedy/Action: 1 hour, 47 minutes); Starring: Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg, Michael Keaton, Samuel L. Jackson, and Dwayne Johnson; Director: Adam McKay; Rated: PG-13 (Violence, profanity, sexual innuendo and mature themes)
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Like ‘Salt’ in a wound
“Salt” (Action/Thriller: 1 hour, 30 minutes); Starring: Angelina Jolie, Liev Schreiber and Chiwetel Ejiofor; Director: Phillip Noyce; Rated: PG-13 (Intense sequences of violence and action including brief torture and profanity)
Movie Review: The Cold War officially ceased about 20 years ago. Too bad, “Salt” would have been a hit at its height. -
Movie reviews: "Knight and Day," "Grown Ups"
“Knight and Day” (Action: 1 hour, 50 minutes); Starring: Tom Cruise, Cameron Diaz, Peter Sarsgaard, Paul Dano and Viola Davis; Director: James Mangold; Rated: PG-13 (Violence and profanity)
“Grown Ups” (Comedy: 1 hour, 42 minutes); Starring: Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Chris Rock, David Spade and Rob Schneider; Director: Dennis Dugan; Rated: PG-13 (Thematic elements, sexual innuendo and strong language)
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‘Toy Story 3’: Third time still charmed
“Toy Story 3” (Animation/Adventure/Family: 1 hour, 43 minutes); Starring Voices: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Ned Beatty and Don Rickles; Director: Lee Unkrich; Rated: G (Violence and some suggestive humor)
Movie Review: Woody (voice of Hanks), Buzz Lightyear (voiced by Allen), and the rest have not been played with in sometime. Their owner, Andy (John Morris), is now a young man, heading to college. Andy’s mother donates his toys to Sunnyside Daycare Center. Woody, Buzz and the gang of toys just want some human to play with them, so the toys are thrilled to be at a daycare center where they will bring joy to several children. -
The 1980s are back
“The Karate Kid” (Drama/Martial Arts: 2 hours, 20 minutes); Starring: Jaden Smith, Jackie Chan and Taraji P. Henson; Director: Harald Zwart; Rated: PG (Violence, including bullying, and strong language)
Movie Review: Dre Parker (Smith) and his mother, Sherry (Henson), move to Beijing, China. Dre does not like China, but his mother’s job is an improvement for their lives. As Dre adapts to a new culture, he is bullied by martial arts students at his school. Enter Mr. Hun (Chan), the maintenance supervisor at Dre’s apartment complex. Dre becomes Mr. Hun’s padewan, training Dre kung-fu. -
What a pity, new ‘Sex and the City’
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Seek a different ‘Back-up Plan’
“The Back-up Plan” (Romantic Comedy: 1 hour, 38 minutes); Starring: Jennifer Lopez, Alex O’Loughlin and Anthony Anderson; Director: Alan Poul; Rated: PG-13 (Profanity, mature themes, and sexual innuendo and some crude mature themes)
Movie Review: While this may be Jennifer Lopez at her best, the plot for this romantic comedy is one mess. Lopez stars as Zoe, a lady thinking she will never find “Mr. Right” with whom to have children and live happily ever after. As fate should prescribe, Zoe meets Stan (Australian actor O’Loughlin), a cheese farmer. -
Visit ‘Shutter Island’
“Shutter Island” (Thriller/Mystery: 2 hours, 18 minutes); Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley, Michelle Williams and Max von Sydow; Director: Martin Scorsese; Rated: R (Violence, profanity, disturbing imagery and nudity)
- A movie as endearing, and as flimsy, as a ‘Valentine’s Day’ card
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