Review of Mary Poppins Returns (2018) by Anne W — 14 Jan 2019

Mary Poppins Returns is charming. That really is the best word to describe it. I dare you to watch it without a smile on your face. Delightfully reminiscent of the original, it is a magical and heartwarming story for the whole family.

Emily Blunt makes a wonderful Mary Poppins. She looks the part, for certain, and her voice is perfection. She nails the iconic character's quirks; her briskness, her no-nonsense nanny-ing, her unapologetic self-admiration, her mysteriously knowing smile. Lin-Manuel Miranda plays a lamplighter named Jack, who is an unexpectedly delightful character. With his mischievous smile and easy charm, he wins you over immediately. Ben Whishaw and Emily Mortimer are also lovely as the grown-up Banks children. The newest generation of Banks kids are all delightfully, amusingly precocious. And the rest of the cast, including Colin Firth, Meryl Streep and Julie Walters, are all unsurprisingly fantastic as they portray a wide variety of eccentric characters.

I've read that some people were less than impressed with the soundtrack. Yes, it is true that it does not quite compare to the legendary songs of the first movie, and some of the numbers are disappointingly mediocre. Others, though, are much catchier and memorable, with 'A Cover Is Not the Book' probably being my favorite.

Overall, this is a fun, whimsical and light-hearted film. Yeah, it is a bit cliche and predictable. But with the colorful 2D animation and plenty of other nods to 1964 original, it is a great film to watch if you want to feel a bit warm and fuzzy.