Mary Poppins Returns demonstrates that it's never too late to release a sequel to a film. With some wonderful performances and moving themes, fans will find it a worthy successor to the original.
“The magic continues in Disney’s classic as Mary Poppins (Emily Blunt) helps the Banks family remember the joy of being a child. Together with her friend Jack the lamplighter (Lin-Manuel Miranda), fun is brought back to the streets of London in a celebration that everything is possible…even the impossible.”
Mary Poppins Returns opens with the Banks children all grown up, Michael (Ben Wishaw) with children of his own: John (Nathanael Saleh), Annabel (Pixie Davies), and Georgie (Joel Dawson), and his sister Jane (Emily Mortimer) helping out around their childhood home that Michael lives in after his wife passed away. One morning, lawyers from Fidelity Fiduciary Bank come knocking on the door, informing Michael that he’s past due on his loan payment and unless he pays the loan amount in full in a few days the bank will take their home. While Michael and Jane search for their father’s certificate of shares in the bank that would be enough to save the family home, Michael’s children head out to the market for groceries, cutting through the park. As the wind picks up, it blows Michael’s old kite he’s thrown out into the park where Georgie grabs ahold of it, pulling with all his might to keep himself on the ground. Jack the lamplighter grabs Georgie just in time before he’s pulled into the sky, and as they both battle the kite the sky clears and down floats Mary Poppins. As the children bring her back to the house, Michael and Jane are elated to see her, although they have forgotten the magic they witnessed as children. Mary insists she will nanny the children and begins with getting the children ready for a bath, thus beginning the children’s adventure into the impossible with Mary Poppins to guide them. As before, Mary’s visit isn’t simply to take care of children, but to take care of their father as well. With the certificate of shares nowhere to be found, it will take a lot of magic to turn this story into a happy ending.
I’ll preface by saying the original Mary Poppins has always been my favorite musical and Disney film since seeing it as a child. From the impossible things Mary Poppins could do, the Sherman Brother’s songs, the story of a father’s relationship with his children, all embodied the magic that Disney always boasted. Growing up, I wished they would have made a sequel, it’s just unfortunate that it took 54 years for that to happen. I’ve always read how P.L. Travers disliked the film, which is even further validated by the film Saving Mr. Banks, and the fact her last will and testament specifically mentions prohibiting the Sherman Brothers from writing additional songs for any future Mary Poppins production. Despite this, the original holds a lot of special memories for me and countless others that were captivated by the magic of the characters.
Mary Poppins Returns does a lot of things right when it comes to paying homage to the story of the original and its continuation. Taking elements not used in the books the movie is based on, there are many adventures in store for the audience, just as wild and wonderful as the first. Director Rob Marshall fought hard to stay true to the atmosphere of the original film, insisting that there be animated sequences included in the release and fighting the initial denial of that request. There are many things that fans of the original film will catch that others may not, filled with cameos from surviving members of the cast. The respect this film gives the original is what I enjoyed about it the most. I may not have loved everything about this go-around, but they made sure the atmosphere was where it needed to be.
The theme is basically identical to the first film, although Michael Banks isn’t as closed off from his family as George Banks was, it’s still about getting Michael to relate to his children and see things through the eyes of a child again. In that aspect there isn’t anything new or exciting, and the fact that Michael lost his wife is really only explored in a short song sung by his children. Although it is particularly moving, it doesn’t seem like Mary Poppins has any care or sympathy for Michael in that area of his life despite saying he’s here for the Banks children, meaning him. It’s hard looking at the film on its own without comparing the two, but the original hit all the right notes as far as story went, tugging at the heart strings for all children who want a better relationship with their father. Mary Poppins Returns plays heavily on musical numbers with songs that don’t even seem to relate to the story the way the original does.
The musical sequences for me were very hit or miss. The last half of the film has some truly great ones, with the final sequence on par with the last sequence of the original. But, as I said, there are a lot of musical numbers. Yes, this is a musical, but there has to be some time for the story to develop. The sets were indeed impressive, but felt a lot like a theatre production instead of a scene from a film.
Emily Blunt was probably the best choice they could have made to play the character. Although no one can quite replace Julie Andrews, Emily Blunt totally embodies the character, taking elements from the film and also the book into consideration during her performance. She has a beautiful singing voice and her musical numbers are exceptional. Lin-Manuel Miranda I’m not a fan of, and I really don’t know why. I thought he was the weakest part of the cast and is featured way too heavily for my taste. While Burt only partook in some of the adventures with Mary Poppins and the children, Jack is featured in almost every single one, seeming to be way too forced at times as he shows up out of the blue lighting a lamp in some desolate location. Ben Wishaw and Emily Mortimer do exceptional jobs as the former Banks children, delivering great performances. All the children are also quite impressive in both their acting and singing abilities. Colin Firth and Meryl Streep have small roles but have monster presence, especially Meryl Streep in her portrayal as Mary Poppins’ cousin. My favorite moment by far, is the sequence with Dick Van Dyke, which will bring a smile to anyone’s face.
Video
Mary Poppins Returns is presented in 4k 2160p Ultra High Definition Widescreen 2.39:1. If there is any film out there that should be seen in 4k, it’s this one. There are so many vibrant colors in the animated sequences, the high dynamic range explores the brilliant brights and deep darks to its fullest potential. The transfer is exceptionally clear and detailed with no issues of note.
Audio
The audio is presented in Dolby Atmos and is simply stunning. The musical numbers utilize the full range of surrounds. My favorite moments are the short sequences of original music, adding flavor and definite nostalgia to the story. Although the new songs won’t quite reach the level of catchiness as the Sherman Brothers, they are still worthy inclusions into the world of Mary Poppins
Special Features
A great set of extras located on the Blu-Ray disc. These include:
- Back to Cherry Tree Lane: Dick Van Dyke Returns
- Practically Perfect Bloopers
- “Seeing Things from a Different Point of View”: The Musical Numbers of Mary Poppins Returns
- Deleted Song – “The Anthropomorphic Zoo”
- The Practically Perfect Making of Mary Poppins Returns
- Deleted Scenes
Mary Poppins Returns may not reach the same brilliance as the first, but it does succeed in captivating that same kind of magic that take children and adults alike on a ride they soon won’t forget. Full of wonderful themes and beautiful musical numbers, the film is a worthy successor to a film that was the staple of childhood to countless people.
