Mary Poppins has (finally!) made its way to Australia on the 1st of January.
I only just watched the first Mary Poppins just a few days before seeing Mary Poppins Returns and I am not going to start this review by comparing the two, this might be a segment on this blog later to come where Daniel and I might compare sequels and live-action adaption films in a different blog post. So I am going to write this review as if I’ve never seen the first movie. But in saying that, I loved the first Mary Poppins film, it made me smile throughout the film just one of those ‘feel good’ movies.
Before I write this review…
Please NOTE that this review CAN and MAY contain SPOILERS!
Read with Caution!
Okay… let’s get started!
Mary Poppins Returns is set a few decades after the first where the Banks’ children from the first film have all grown up. Mary Poppins returns to help Michael Banks with his own children and helps the family itself rediscover happiness and the wonder that is missing from their lives at their current moment that is filled with much sadness and sorrow.
Lin-Manuel Miranda opens up the film as ‘Jack‘ who is a Lamp Lighter, rides his bike around the town, singing about the city’s beauty (‘Underneath The Lovely London Sky’) in the 1930’s Great Depression.
Michael Banks played by Ben Whishaw who still lives in his childhood home that his parent’s lived in, with his own children. John (Nathanael Saleh), Annabel (Pixel Davies) and Georgie (Joe Dawson) as well as their housekeeper Ellen (Julie Walters). Michael’s sister Jane (Emily Mortimer) comes around and tries to help her brother with things around the house. There are lawyers out the front of the house who leave a notice of re-procession on their front door and exclaim that Michael has failed to pay back a loan and his house will be taken by the bank unless he pays it back by Friday when Big Ben plays his last tune (midnight).
Michael and Jane try to help find their father’s certificate of ownership that proves that he had shares in the bank. Michael then attempts to look upstairs with no luck. However, he finds the kite he had from his childhood (the kite from the first film) and discards it.
One of Michael’s children, Georgie, finds it and flies the kite in the wind at the park and then gets carried away by strong gusts of wind. John and Annabel run after their brother to try to help him out of his current predicament. Jack, who has seen what is happening, catches Georgie and helps him fly the kite with a bit of a struggle. Then out of nowhere the clouds separate and Mary Poppins (Emily Blunt) grabs hold of the kite and floats down, addressing the children when she lands and then guides them home. Michael and Jane are surprised when Mary Poppins enters the house. With their same characteristics from the first film (Michael – mouth open) and Jane (giggling). Mary Poppins sets to help out Michael with his kids as he tries to find his father’s certificate until the “next door opens”.
I found the beginning of the film quite interesting and I do like where the story is leading (with the Banks’ trying to save their home). I do really like the opening song that Jack sings in the film and the songs that Mary Poppins sings as well. Although there were a few songs that I didn’t like or enjoy very much in the film. I really loved the scene where Mary Poppins and the kids jump into the bathtub with the song “Can You Imagine That” and the scene where Mary Poppins transports herself, Jack and the kids into the Royal Doulton Bowl. I particularly love that scene very much as the cartoon animations come to the screen and the song “Royal Doulton Music Hall”. Where you meet the villain of the film, which also has characteristics to a character in the non-animated world. I do really like the song “A Cover Is Not The Book” sung by both Mary Poppins and Jack as they put on a performance with the other animal characters in the Royal Doulton Bowl world.
I really loved to see more of the animation in the film but what I did get I was in awe.
Emily Blunt played a fantastic Mary Poppins and Lin-Manuel Miranda played a really great part of Jack as both were really great singers as I really enjoyed their songs that they sing in the movie. The choreography was also amazing as it made me wish I could dance. Although I didn’t really care too much about Michael Banks and his children as it sort of annoyed me a little bit in a few scenes of the film. I found Michael’s sister Jane a bit better with her character. Although it wasn’t the actor who played Michael that was the problem as I felt like it was more of the writing with him and his kids.
The villain of the film, well, I don’t understand why and I don’t think it was mentioned very well as to why he wanted Michael Banks to lose his home? As you do see him lie to Michael’s face about the records of his father shares to the bank, and when he leaves you do see Michael’s father’s name on the records of which they lied of ever having the bank president then rips the paper and throws it into the fireplace. Unless they mentioned very briefly as to why he did this? Although I do like this villain better in the teleported world that Mary Poppins takes Jack and the kids to.
I do really like Meryl Streep’s character Topsy who is Mary Poppins’ cousin, she made me laugh quite a bit. I wished I saw a bit more of her but I did like the message of this part of the film with the song “Turning Turtle” with seeing things from a new perspective.
I do like the adventure in the film with the kids finding out about the bank’s president’s scheme and trying to tell their father and getting him into trouble. I like how Jack and his lamp-lighting gang helps Mary Poppins and the kids find their way home as it got quite dark and couldn’t find their way. “Trip a Little Light Fantastic” was quite a catchy song and I do like the sense of imagery through the choreography.
I felt the last part of the film was stretched out a bit too far over time and dragged on a bit too much. It would have ended better if it just faded to black after the house is saved and the door opens (Mary Poppins’ time to leave) and have her realize that it’s time to go, have her say something to herself as she gets ready to depart and have the kids quietly to themselves thank her for her all the things she has done, *slowly fade to black* as she floats up to the clouds. That would have been a better way to end it than the ending we got.
I did like the little connections from the first Mary Poppins (1964) in this film. A do like this film but not as much as the first one. But still, a great film for families to enjoy. Most of the songs are really catchy and the animations are amazing! I did quite enjoy myself throughout the film. I cannot tell you if you should watch the first one before watching the sequel or watch it after this film, because we all have our own opinions and you might like this film better than the first film or vice-versa.
But I do applaud Emily Blunt for her role as Mary Poppins, she was fantastic and I enjoyed her as Mary Poppins, it would have been hard for her to play as people have high expectation of her to portray this character that Julie Andrews played before her in the 60s. But she was amazing! Lin-Manuel Miranda was also terrific in this film too!
They were both made this film really!
Now showing in cinemas.
Inner Disney 