For a movie written by and starring Emma Thompson, one of the most charming people on- or off-screen, what is sadly missing from her children's fantasy film "Nanny McPhee" is an abundance of charm. Colorful, noisy and brimming with special effects, the picture may please young audiences simply looking for loud action, but its corny storyline and brittle lack of warmth may discourage both parents and children. In a biscuit-box Victorian setting, Colin Firth plays the handsome but distracted Mr. Brown, who has been left a widower and finds it very difficult to keep staff that can manage his seven children.

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