Mary Poppins Returns
Year: 2018
Rating: PG
Length: 130 minutes / 2.17 hours
While it’s a somewhat rare occurrence, it usually doesn’t take Disney over five decades to release a sequel to a critically-acclaimed movie (like how Fantasia 2000 (1999) came out sixty years after Fantasia (1940)). The original Mary Poppins (1964) was a triumph in live-action for a studio known for its animation—which also makes an appearance. It raked in the Oscar Nominations, even gaining a nod for Best Picture. As far as sequels go, Mary Poppins Returns (2018) is a sharp and polished upgrade compared to the original but hits most of the same beats for the sake of nostalgia.
Emily Blunt was more than passable as the title character, even if her representation seemed a bit more on the sarcastic and irritated eye-rolling side of the spectrum from Julie Andrews’ measured patience in the original. The songs in Mary Poppins Returns were certainly catchy—a trait undoubtedly inherited from Lin Manuel-Miranda—but didn’t seem to have quite the timeless quality that keeps us singing the songs from the original. I did find the choreography, especially with the lamp-lighters and bicycles to be quite excellent, and an improvement from dancing on rooftops with chimney sweeps.
If Mary Poppins Returns didn’t have the original to compare to, it would still be a fantastic movie in its own right. This film shows how incredible the special effects were back in 1964. That being said, I loved a lot about this movie. The sequence in the bowl was particularly dazzling, both in its cel-shaded visuals and in its physics. It was also fun to see a cameo appearance from Dick Van Dyke, the one actor who carried over from the original, albeit in a different role. Overall, this movie felt very modern in its visual representation, but also maintained a fair amount of respect and loyalty to the source material.
A visually-upgraded and loving tribute to the original Mary Poppins, I give Mary Poppins Returns 3.5 stars out of 5.
1/2
