Mary Poppins Returns

photo courtesy of ign.com

SPOILER-FREE REVIEW

     It’s been 54 years since Julie Andrews first brought P.L. Travers’ classic character Mary Poppins to the big screen. Mary Poppins became a major hit for Disney, earning five Academy Awards, including Best Actress for Andrews. In Mary Poppins Returns, a sequel set 20 years after the original, Emily Blunt takes over the role. The movie sees Mary Poppins, together with a friendly lamplighter named Jack (Lin-Manuel Miranda), arrive to help the Banks siblings—now adults—at the moment of their greatest need.

     The setup may sound like a sequel, but in actuality Mary Poppins Returns operates much more like a remake. The perceptive viewer will recognize the trick from The Force Awakens and a number of high-profile sequels in its wake: Mary Poppins Returns alters the look of things on the surface—lamplighters, not chimney sweeps; topsy-turvy lady (Meryl Streep), not laughing man; the Banks siblings are adults, not children—while hitting the same basic beats in much the same order.

photo courtesy of variety.com

     In other words, Mary Poppins Returns is an extremely nostalgic vehicle, to the point that it appears to be aimed at adult fans of the original more than at children. (Do today’s children have the patience for Mary Poppins? Perhaps, but I’m not sure.) There’s nothing inherently wrong with nostalgia, of course, but in this case it feels a bit greedy considering that the creator, P.L. Travers, famously opposed and prevented a sequel as long as she lived.

     Still, a remake is no easy feat, and Mary Poppins Returns puts a great amount of enthusiasm and love into the effort. For the most part, the filmmakers succeed: Mary Poppins Returns achieves the same spirit that animates the original Mary Poppins—that sense of innocence, joy, wonder, and empathy. It has an infectious charm.

photo courtesy of vox.com

     Blunt proves to be the perfect choice for the lead role. She absolutely knocks it out of the park, which shouldn’t really be surprising given that she shines in nearly every performance. Miranda and Ben Whishaw (who plays Michael Banks) give the best non-Poppins performances, but the entire supporting cast (including Julie Walters and Colin Firth) impresses.

     A big part of Mary Poppins is the spectacle—the wide-eyed wonder of it all—and Returns has spectacle to spare. The sets and set pieces are fanciful, colorful, lovely; the dance numbers elaborate and immersive. True to the style of the original, Returns features a delightful 2-D animated sequence that mixes cartoon characters with live actors.

photo courtesy of variety.com

     Also like Mary Poppins, Returns is a bit slow in places and a bit light on plot. Of course, these movies aren’t really about plot; they’re about the adventure, the music, the moral, the childlike curiosity. And while Returns delivers on most of those non-negotiables, its music doesn’t quite measure up. Blunt and Miranda ensure that the songs feel perfectly engaging in the moment, but the movie struggles to produce any songs as memorable as “Spoonful of Sugar” or “Chim Chim Cher-ee.” Instead, it relies on the strength of Blunt’s performance and the magical (and familiar) quality of its set pieces.

Mary Poppins is rated PG.

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