Movie Review: Mary Poppins Returns

Elizabeth Clark, Writer

Last night, I got the opportunity to attend an early screening of the new, highly anticipated film Mary Poppins Returns. The film is based around Mary Poppins coming back to help Michael and Julie Banks, along with Michael’s own children through a difficult time in their life. Mary Poppins is there to help the family rediscover the joy and wonder that lacks in their life.

*This review is spoiler-free*

Notable Cast

Emily Blunt as Mary Poppins

Ben Whishaw as Michael Banks

Lin-Manuel Miranda as Jack

Meryl Streep as Topsy

Dick Van Dyke as Mr. Dawes Jr.

 

My Review/Thoughts

⭐⭐⭐⭐

  • This movie was a great addition to the original, including many classic elements (sadly no supercalifragilisticexpialadocious song). The songs in it were new and insightful, and some classic characters from the original movie made cameos. It had the nostalgia from the classic Mary Poppins, while still including new, insightful takes.

 

  • Fantastic animation weaved in, so you feel like you’re right there with Mary and the Banks children. It makes their adventures seem so realistic. The cinematography in these scenes was truly breathtaking and shows the advancements in our technology

 

  • Great acting & singing by Lin Manuel Miranda and beautiful job by Emily Blunt. The soundtrack, in general, is fantastic. Emily Blunt perfectly captures the magical essence of Mary Poppins & is hard to compare to Julie Andrews.

 

  • Not necessarily exciting for young kids due to many long scenes talking about banking, or serious subjects those very young kids may not understand. That being said, there are plenty of cartoon-ish, cute scenes that kids will love, and nothing in it is inappropriate for children. In this sense, it has similarities to Christopher Robin.

 

  • I find it remarkable that Dick Van Dyke came back to Cherry Tree Lane for Mary Poppins Returns, even though it was just a small part. He told People Magazine “I had some misgivings, because almost traditionally sequels don’t work. They’re never quite as good as the original,” he says. “[But] This is an homage to Walt and the original movie. I was so impressed that their heart was in the right place. They wanted to pay respect to the original. And I was so tickled when they asked me, because it was kind of like bookends for me.”

 

  • The ending was exciting, with many emotional elements. 

If you love Mary Poppins, or Disney, in general, this movie would be practically perfect for you! 

Mary Poppins Returns hits all theatres on Wednesday, December 18th!