BLU-RAY REVIEW: Mary Poppins Returns

Courtesy of Disney

When Disney announced a sequel to its beloved Mary Poppins, most people reacted with shock and unease. However, this delightful follow-up turned out to be much more than a cynical cash grab thanks to its refreshing sincerity and genuine sense of wonder.

It takes place in Depression-era London, where siblings Jane (Emily Mortimer) and Michael Banks (Ben Whishaw) – now adults – are taking care of Michael’s three children (Pixie Davies, Nathanael Saleh and Joel Dawson) after the death of his wife.

What’s worse, they’re facing eviction after a number of financial setbacks. That’s when they’re visited once again by the magical Mary Poppins (Emily Blunt). Along with her lamplighter friend Jack (Lin-Manuel Miranda), the enigmatic nanny helps the family rediscover their sense of joy.

Blunt is phenomenal, evoking Julie Andrews’ iconic take on the main character without trying to copy her outright. The result is a modernized version of Mary that allows her to connect with a newer generation of young moviegoers. Miranda is endearing as Jack, winking at Dick Van Dyke’s chimney sweep Bert while utilizing his strengths as a performer to do something a bit different.

Other big names in the cast – including Julie Walters, Colin Firth, Meryl Streep and Angela Lansbury – pop up for a few minutes here and there, clearly having a blast. Director Rob Marshall turns out to be a solid choice for a project fraught with expectations and peril. Every choice feels like the right one, striking the right balance between paying homage to the original classic and updating the story for modern sensibilities and attention spans.

Critics who have been less-than-enthused with Mary Poppins Returns have pointed out that it’s basically a beat-for-beat recreation of the first movie’s plot, with only some slight alterations. While that’s not exactly incorrect, you could say the same about plenty of other popular children’s stories. Was a sequel to Mary Poppins necessary? Probably not. But I’m glad it exists, especially since it’s far better than anyone could’ve expected.

Special Features: sing-along mode, two extensive making-of documentaries, “Dick Van Dyke Returns” featurettes, bloopers, deleted scenes and a deleted song.

Mary Poppins Returns is rated PG for some mild thematic elements and brief action.

Grade: A-