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Mary Poppins Returns (2018)
Mary Poppins Returns (2018)
2018 | Family
Feel good musical in the spirit of the original (0 more)
Can't think of anything! (0 more)
Mary Poppins Returns (with a bang!)
Went with my husband and (nearly 20 year old) daughter, the main draw for her was Lin-Manuel Miranda (she is a big "Hamilton" fan), but the original with Julie Andrews was also a favourite growing up. What can I say? It was lively, engaging, amusing and had clever graphics and spectacular musical numbers in the spirit of the original film. Would definitely watch this again, Emily Blunt was really good. And it had Julie Walters. And Meryl Streep!! What more can you ask for?
  
Mary Poppins Returns (2018)
Mary Poppins Returns (2018)
2018 | Family
Plodding...
I had heard and seen all the mediocre reviews for this, but I still wanted to give it a try for myself with my wife last night.

Basically Mary Poppins returns to the Banks household for additional assistance. The original children are grown up and now have problems of their own including unruly children and the bank trying to foreclose and repossess their house. What are they to do?

The film had some fun musical numbers like when Mary send the kids to go take a bath; however, none of the musical numbers hold a candle to the original.

It honestly felt the entire film they were trying too hard to be too close to the original story in almost every way without much variation or surprises at all. I know others had mentioned the Meryl Streep scene as being unnecessary and I completely agree. Her character brought nothing to the story and the entire film could've been like 20 - 30 minutes shorter. The middle and 3rd act dragged on incessantly and was a lot darker like the sequence where all the guys are climbing the clock near the end.

I love Emily Blunt as well, but she really seemed like she was trying to do her Julie Andrews impression instead of making the character her own. Maybe that is asking too much.

The movie had some fun cameos which were a delight, but overall not enough to save this somewhat dull and unnecessary film.

  
Mary Poppins Returns (2018)
Mary Poppins Returns (2018)
2018 | Family
Practically Adequate In Every Way
I wish there was a world where there was not the shadow of the previous, beloved, MARY POPPINS film existed so I could review MARY POPPINS RETURNS on it's own merits.

But...that's not the world that we live in...so most of this review is going to be - "insert name" is no "insert name".

For example...Emily Blunt is wonderful in the role, but she is no Julie Andrews (who was "practically perfect in every way").

Lin-Manuel Miranda is fine as Mary's sidekick, but he is no Dick Van Dyke (though the 2 share the same inability to affect a plausible English accent)

The musical numbers by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman are perfectly adequate for this film, but they are no Sherman Brothers tunes (no SUPERCALIFRAGILISTIC... anywhere to be seen).

You get the point.

And that's the issue I had with this film - it tried to pay homage (not duplicate) the previous film but fell just short in every aspect because it was constantly reminding us of the previous film.

As for this film on it's own, it's practically adequate in every way. The performances are "fine". The musical numbers are "fine" the direction flows the film in a perfectly acceptable way and the plot of the film is okay. So if you have a children in the target age of this film, they'll enjoy it well enough.

It just isn't the first film and I, for one, will skip a rewatch of MARY POPPINS RETURNS and, instead, will pop in (for the umpteenth time) the original MARY POPPINS.

Letter Grade: B

7 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
  
Mary Poppins Returns (2018)
Mary Poppins Returns (2018)
2018 | Family
Following up a beloved classic is never easy task but that is what Disney is attempting to do with “Mary Poppins Returns”. This time out Emily Blunt takes on the magical umbrella of the no-nonsense but whimsical Nanny made famous by the series of books by PL Travers and of course the beloved classic starring Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke.

When hardship strikes the Banks family; Mary returns to assist Michael and Jane as well is Michael’s young children in much the magical way that she helped Michael and Jane all those years ago.

Joining her is local lamplighter Jack (Lin-Manuel Miranda), who remembers Mary and Jane Banks from his childhood.

Shocked that Mary has returned after all these years and not looking a day older; Michael Michaels three younger children are with delay on a magical adventure that only Mary Poppins can provide. Along the way they will dabble in animated environments, meet all manner of quirky characters, and of course bring the house down with magical and show stopping musical numbers as they attempt to help Michael and Jane save their beloved family home from ruthless bankers.

The film captures much of the joy and magic that you remember from the characters and it is likely to evoke an emotional response from you throughout the film.

Blunt does an amazing job taking over the role and her singing and dancing is very impressive. Miranda while struggling much as Van Dyke did with the Cockney accent; throws himself into the various musical numbers with passion and energy that helps take the scenes to a new level.

As I was watching the film and enjoying it thoroughly; I thought to myself the only real quality it lacked where the show stopping tunes that made the original such an unforgettable event. The Sherman Brothers set an impossibly high standard to follow as the score for the original film is peppered with Disney mainstays that have endured the test of time. No sooner had I thought that to myself; than to amazing musical numbers lit up the second half of the film to the point where I found myself not only humming one of them after the screening, but singing parts of them for several weeks after.

 

“Mary Poppins Returns” is a magical and musical film that the entire family can enjoy and takes viewers back to the simpler and nostalgic times of old. Let us hope that there will be new adventures for Mary to grace the cinema screen in the not-too-distant future as her absence has been far too long and dearly missed.

http://sknr.net/2018/12/12/mary-poppins-returns/