Review - Mary Poppins Returns (2018)

        Hey guys, Chuck here, and as we all know, Disney's Mary Poppins is a cinematic masterpiece that is Practically Perfect in Every Way. So, it's not a surprise that they'd want to make another one... a whole fifty-four years after the original came out. Mary Poppins Returns, which marked the third directorial collaboration between Disney and Rob Marshall, was released in December of 2018, where it faced stiff competition from the DC superhero film Aquaman. This movie stars Emily Blunt, Lin Manuel Miranda, Ben Whishaw, Emily Mortimer, Julie Walters, Colin Firth, Meryl Streep, with Dick Van Dyke, and Angela Lansbury. 

        Set in the midst of the Great Depression, the movie sees Michael Banks living at the house at 17 Cherry Tree Lane, along with his children John, Annabel, and Georgie. Unfortunately, Michael's wife Kate passed away, leaving him struggling to keep up with bills and loan payments. His sister Jane, meanwhile, has become a union organizer, following in her mother's footsteps of being an activist. Unfortunately, Michael is informed that his employer, Fidelity Fiduciary Bank, needs him to repay his loan, or else he'll lose the house. 

       It's around this time that, while flying Jane and Michael's old kite, Georgie almost loses control of it, only for the kite to be brought back to him by Mary Poppins. And, although she's definitely not Julie Andrews, I like Emily Blunt's version of Mary Poppins just as much. And, from what many have said, Emily's Mary Poppins is more in line with how P.L. Travers wrote the character in the book.

        Now, much like Bert in the original movie, Mary Poppins Returns has a character named Jack, who works as a lamplighter, and it portrayed by Lin Manuel Miranda. Now, while the fake Cockney accent is pretty obvious, it does grow on you after a while, and he is easily one of the more entertaining people in this movie. And, he gets a lot of time to shine, both with his acting and his singing, throughout the movie. 

        So, much like the original movie, Mary Poppins is at the Banks's house to (a) look after the children, and (b) guide the family to repair itself after being in such disarray from the passing of Michael's wife Kate. And, of course, we see John, Annabel, and Georgie have all manner of adventures with Mary Poppins, such as an undersea bath time adventure, seeing a music performance within the artwork on a Royal Doulton ceramic bowl, meeting Mary Poppins' cousin Topsy, and learning about Jack and his job with the various lamplighters of London. 

       Meanwhile, the manager of Fidelity Fiduciary Bank, William Weatherall Wilkins, is pretty much obsessed with taking away the Banks' house, even to getting rid of any evidence regarding to shares that Jane and Michael's father George left in the bank for them. Almost last minute, Michael finds the share certificate being used to patch up his childhood kite, and he and Jane rush to the Bank to showcase the share certificate to Wilkins. Unfortunately, Georgie lost the piece having signatures on it, and Wilkins basically dismisses the Banks' for having no shares. However, he pushes it by calling the children liars, which infuriates Michael. But, Wilkins' uncle, Mr. Dawes Jr., arrives and reclaims his running of the bank, sick of his nephew squandering the last of London's good will towards Fidelity Fiduciary Bank. As for the shares, Dawes allows Michael to keep them...and the house. 

       And, it's here where Dawes tells a story of when Michael was a child, and he wanted to give his tuppence to the Bird Woman. However, Michael instead gave the tuppence to his father George, who in turn gave the tuppence to Fidelity Fiduciary, making them promise to "guard it well." And, that's just what the bank did. In addition, after some clever investments, the tuppence grew into a decent sum... enough to pay off Michael's loan. Now, I'm going to say this, because it's true. Dick Van Dyke as Dawes Jr. was easily a major highlight in this movie. At his age, seeing him dance around on top of a desk was easily a ton of fun, and he shows he's still got some moves. I was so happy to see him again in the movie. 

        On their way back to the house, the Banks' head to a carnival in the park, where they meet the Balloon Lady, who even convinces Michael to pick up a balloon for himself, and upon looking into it, Michael finds himself flying in the air, followed by John, Annabel, Georgie, Jane, Jack, and many others like Ellen, Admiral Boom, the lamplighters, and so forth. Unfortunately, Wilkins picks the wrong balloon and is stuck on the ground. With everyone in the air, the Balloon Lady gives one last one to Mary Poppins, and after seeing her reflection in the red balloon, Mary Poppins remarks "practically perfect in every way." The Banks' return to their home, Mary Poppins departs, and all is well for everyone. 

          Now, one thing many people have noticed about the Balloon Lady is that, while she was portrayed brilliantly by Angela Lansbury, the role was initially intended for Julie Andrews. And, that is true. The writers of Mary Poppins Returns intended for Julie Andrews to be the Balloon Lady. However, Julie Andrews declined the offer out of respect and reverence to Emily Blunt, who was playing Mary Poppins. It wasn't a script issue, nor was it because of scheduling with some minor voice over in Aquaman. It was because Julie Andrews wanted the film to be "Emily's show," and felt her appearance would serve as a distraction. But, it's luck that Angela Lansbury, who was a genuine Disney legend, stepped up and took on the role, and she was absolutely fantastic, especially with her singing "Nowhere To Go But Up." 

         Speaking of which, while the songs in Mary Poppins Returns aren't NEARLY as iconic as the ones in the original Mary Poppins, there are still a few great ones. "Trip a Little Light Fantastic," "Lovely London Sky," "Where the Lost Things Go," and the aforementioned "Nowhere To Go But Up" are all really good, with a personal favorite of mine being "The Cover Is Not The Book." And, the songs do include instrumental leitmotifs from the songs in the original movie.

        The performances were fantastic, and not just the aforementioned likes of Emily Blunt, Lin Manuel Miranda, Dick Van Dyke, and Angela Lansbury, but also the likes of Julie Walters, David Warner, Colin Firth, and Meryl Streep were enjoyable as well. Now, I do need to mention that this was the final film performance of David Warner, who passed away in 2022. Both Ben Whishaw and Emily Mortimer were great as the adult versions of Michael and Jane, and gave absolutely wonderful performances. And, I really enjoyed a brief cameo from Karen Dotrice, who portrayed Jane Banks in the original Mary Poppins. And, I will say that the three kids playing John, Annabel, and Georgie did a good job. Nothing standout, but pretty much just okay.

         The animation in some of the sequences was really good. I especially loved how the Royal Doulton bowl sequence gave the appearance of hand drawn animation, and seeing how Emily Blunt, Lin Manuel Miranda, and the three children interact with the world inside of the bowl was pretty unique. 

        Now, that's not to say that Mary Poppins Returns is practically perfect in every way. Because, while it's certainly a fun and fantastic follow up to the original Mary Poppins, I do think that it pales in comparison to the original classic. But, I do believe that over time, it could become just as iconic as the original classic. But, for now, I'm giving Mary Poppins Returns a rating of 4.45/5. 

       Anyway guys, this is Chuck signing off, and I'll see you guys next time.