Allan Watched "Mary Poppins Returns"
Undeniably enjoyable with nostalgia packed into every scene, Mary Poppins Returns is certainly not the best film of the year, but no movie has left me happier in 2018.
Gut Feeling
The worst part of Mary Poppins Returns is when the lights come on and you remember you are not seven again. This beautiful film takes you back to the magic of musicals and rushes you with the feelings of wonder you had when you were a child watching a colorful world burst into life in front of your eyes. Its stars do not disappoint and with its numerous nods that musical fans will eat up, Mary Poppins Returns is everything you want it to be, even when it feels too much like a replica.
The One, The Only, Mary Poppins
Emily Blunt does the impossible as Mary Poppins. She takes a legendary character, originally played by one of the most important performers in history, and delivers a performance that feels familiar enough to satisfy who the character is, while adding enough fresh touches to make it her own. She without a doubt earned her Golden Globe nomination for best actress, and will be up for many more awards before this awards season ends.
The one issue I have, which is less with Blunt and more the script, is that Mary Poppins the character gets lost in the action for the last hour of the movie. Because she is really the straight role among wacky and extravagant supporting characters, she ends up being more of a facilitator instead of the star. There are long stretches when you actually forget she is part of the story.
Supporting Is An Understatement
I don’t need to convince you that Lin-Manuel Miranda is a genius and a gift to us all. But if you did not know that already, watch him as Jack and just enjoy. He makes Jack so earnest and sweet in the moments of acting, and as a musical performer he takes over the show. Even when paired with Meryl Streep, he shines brightest. I understand that when you decide to bring in a power house like Miranda you are going to tee him up as much as possible, but it almost reaches a point where he takes center stage more than Blunt. Since he was nominated as Best Actor at the Globes, not supporting actor, he will have a tough time taking home the award, but he is certainly worthy. I don’t think we need to feel bad about his lack of hardware, though.
The performances that will be most overlooked are from Ben Wishaw (Paddington) and Emily Mortimer (The Newsroom, Shutter Island), who play the now grown up Michael and Jane Banks. Mortimer gives Jane a very modern makeover and probably should have been in the film a little more. Jane is a fully realized character, even with her limited screen time, and Mortimer plays her brilliantly.
Wishaw gives the most emotional performance, and he is a powerful force as the father of three who recently lost his wife. Michael is vulnerable and naive, but is able to rise to the occasion for his family (with a lot of help). Wishaw delivers on every beat of the story’s main plot points, and will likely make you cry in just the second song of the film.
A Slice From the Golden Age
The most effective part of Mary Poppins Returns is the music, without question. You would think you were watching a musical from 50’s or 60’s, with a mix of somber ballads like “A Conversation” and “The Place Where the Lost Things Go” and classic-feeling showstoppers like “A Cover Is Not The Book” and “Trip a Little Light Fantastic”. The film’s tone is set beautifully by Miranda’s “(Underneath the) Lovely London Sky”, and Streep’s “Turning Turtle” is a bit insane, but gives the offbeat performance you need as you sprint towards the dramatic third act. This could finally be the EGOT for Marc Shaiman, who also wrote the music and co-wrote the script of Hairspray.
Random Thoughts
I love a good choreographer-director. It takes you back to the days of Fosse. Rob Marshall does a great job in this role, although if the Globes are an indication, he will not be seeing nominations for any Best Director awards like he did for Chicago.
It is impressive that the score feels so much like the original, without having to rely on any of the original book. It really is an achievement, and makes me happy that we still can have classic feeling musicals.
That Mary Poppins side-eye is Blunt’s career-masterpiece.
The children in this movie are really great. Pixie Davis, Nathanael Saleh, and Joel Dawson add so much to the magic as the new Banks children.
We are all Georgie.
The cartoon world you get thrusted into is very effective, and again is a time the movie pays tribute to its original, without being a carbon copy.
For big musical fans, there are a lot of nuggets and opportunities to get giddy. They did a great job of paying respect to the Golden Age, and every nod hit me hard.
Quick Hits:
How many times have I seen this movie?
First time!
Where was I watching it?
In theaters with Kellye, sippin on diet root beer and eating so much popcorn. I was, however, sitting next to a family that three of the four were snoring so loudly I wanted to throw popcorn at them. When the teenager, who was the only one who didn’t fall asleep, would nudge them and say that they were snoring, they would get mad at the poor kid. We should be able to vote people out of movie theaters.
Did Kellye Watch it? If Yes, did she like it? If no, would she like it?
Kellye really liked it, but she thought there were “too many songs”… Don’t be insulted musical fans, she's not like the rest of us. She also agreed that Blunt took a back seat too often, but was happy with Blunt dropping a little “Mary Poppins sexiness” every so often.
Favorite fact I learned from Wikipedia
The first time Disney tried to make this movie was 1964.
Favorite part
I love love loved the cartoon sequence. I’ll take a little bit of Chris O’Dowd wherever I can get it, and the whole stretch has a Disney ride ready to be made for it.
Least favorite part
I genuinely can’t think of a particular part that I did not like, but my only issues with the film are the lack of Jane, not enough Poppins in the final hour, and the storyline is almost too simplistic, even for a Disney movie.
Would I recommend this movie?
Even if you do not usually go for musicals, you should watch this film. There is something for everyone, and it will make you feel like a kid again.
So What Does Allan Give It?
One Gold Thumbs Up! Overall, a score of 84. This sequel 50 years in the making takes what it needs from the original, survives its shortcomings, and delivers a movie that made me very happy. Now here’s a gif of Mary Poppins checking herself out.
