Mary Poppins Returns (Emily Blunt)

(Amazon UK link)

When the film ‘Mary Poppins Returns’ was released a few years ago, I didn’t think I would want to see it. But after re-watching the original 1964 ‘Mary Poppins’ a few months ago, and reading some reviews, I decided to put this sequel on my wishlist. I was given it for my birthday, and we watched it last night.

I knew that the story was about the next generation of the Banks family: mainly Michael Banks, who was a child in the original film, and his children. I also knew that Mary Poppins was played by someone different - obviously Julie Andrews was too old to be in the role again but I wasn’t at all sure how anyone else could take it on. 

Emily Blunt, however, succeeds. She doesn’t look like Julie Andrews - even her hair is a different colour - but her costume, her way of relating and even her speech patterns are the same. It didn’t take me long to adjust to her in the role - which she does excellently, dancing and singing as well as playing the strict nanny. She doesn’t have quite the voice that Julie Andrews did, but it’s still very pleasant.

Lin-Manuel Miranda is also extremely good in his role as Jack, the young man who rides a bicycle around and does any odd job that needs doing. Jack mentions that he was a young lad when Michael and his sister Jane were young, and that he worked with Bert, the equivalent in the first film. 

The three children (Pixie Davies, Nathaniel Saleh and Joel Dawson) are confident, believable and at times amusing. Julie Waters is perfect for the role of Ellen.  Ben Whishaw is the grown-up Michael Banks, father of the children, and we quickly learn that his wife Kate died a year earlier. No details are given, but he’s still grieving. He’s also struggling financially, and has failed to keep up payments on a loan. His sister Jane (Emily Mortimer) doesn’t live with him but is often at the family house to help out. 

The underlying story is about the potential loss of the family home. There’s much that mirrors the original film, including several visits to the bank. Colin Firth is the apparently genial manager; indeed, the minor characters are something of an all-star cast. We loved seeing Meryl Streep as Mary Poppins’ eccentric cousin, and Angela Lansbury as the balloon lady at the end. It was also amazing watching Dick van Dyke in a cameo role towards the end. He was 93, apparently, but still full of life.

Like the original, some of the song sequences felt a tad over-long to me, but perhaps that was deliberate. There are a couple of lengthy fantasy scenes which work well with animated sequences interacting with the real characters. I don’t suppose PJ Travers would have liked them, but she’s no longer around. And the animations emphasised the nature of the surreal parts of the story that were more for children.  

I thought some of the songs were good, again reminiscent of the originals, but different. We didn’t think they were quite as catchy as, for instance, ‘A Spoonful of Sugar’, or ‘Let’s Go Fly a Kite’, but then we’ve only heard them once. Perhaps, if we hear them again a few times, they will start to feel just as memorable.

Overall we thought this was a very enjoyable and well-made film, one that adults can appreciate as much as children, if they don’t mind some silliness and animation. The rating is U in the UK, PG in the more cautious United States, possibly because there are some mildly perilous scenes towards the end (there was one scene where I had to look away as I am somewhat phobic about heights).  But there's really nothing inappropriate for young children. 

Definitely recommended if you like the original ‘Mary Poppins’. 

Review copyright 2024 Sue's DVD Reviews