Mary Poppins Returns

Official Australian release date: 1/1/19. Viewed: 21/12/18.

Director: Rob Marshall

Actors: Emily Blunt, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Colin Firth, Ben Whishaw

Genre: Musical / Fantasy

Rating: G

     

‘Mary Poppins Returns’ is the longest-gap between an original film and it’s sequel – 55 years! It obviously begs the question: did we need a sequel? From Marshall, director of ‘Chicago’, ‘Into The Woods’ and ‘Pirates of the Caribbean 4’, this sequel is as much as homage to the original and doesn’t necessarily add anything new. The plot’s simple – Michael (Whishaw) and Jane (Mortimer) are now grown-up (~25 years later, ~1930) and Michael has three kids of his own, but the bank’s trying to repossess his house, so they need to find a certificate of shares to save the house.

Since everything’s chaotic, Mary Poppins (Blunt) shows up to help look after the kids – John (Saleh), Anabel (Davies) & Georgie (Dawson) – and teach the kids some lessons, such as how to have baths and fix broken bowls. The maid Ellen (Walters), the Admiral (Warner) and Dawes Jr (van Dyke) are all back, adding familiarity straight away. The film starts with a song – leaving no doubt this is a musical – by Jack (Miranda), a protégé of Bert’s, who met Mary as a kid.

There’s some good animated (traditional cartoons, not CGI, which is nice) scenes, but overall nothing truly exciting or original seems to happen. None of the songs seem that memorable, with the best probably being the ‘Trip a little light fantastic’ one from all the lamplighters, but like the chimney sweeps in the original, it goes for way too long. The poignant ‘Place where lost things go’ song and scene with the kids & Michael is touching. The other 6+ songs I could’ve done without! For some reason, there seems to be sections of the film where Mary Poppins is barely on-screen. If anything, the film probably needed more of Mortimer. Both Blunt & Miranda are good, without being outstanding. Predictable nice ending.

Overall: An inoffensive kids film, but nothing spectacular.

Gav's Rating: 3 stars.