Movie Review ~ Mary Poppins Returns directed by Rob Marshall

In my own circles, and at a grocery store, I received unsolicited rave reviews about Mary Poppins Returns starring Emily Blunt as Mary Poppins. All of these reviews were from children over the ages of 65. Smiles and laughter emanated along with firm direction: 'You must see this movie.' I would have gone to see it anyway as the original Mary Poppins is one of my all time favourites. So yesterday afternoon was designated my movie outing to follow my youthful heart. Bag of buttered popcorn in hand I settled in to watch this movie that has joined the original Mary Poppins as the twin of my all time favourite.

Imagine my dismay when I read reviews this morning obviously written by children that were far too grown up. Well, pish posh to that! What I loved about this movie is that snippets of the original story were carried into the new story of Michael Banks and Jane Banks, sister and brother, grown and with grown up lives. Michael Banks, played by Ben Wishaw, is a newly widowed father with three children played by Joel Dawson (George), Pixie Davies (Anabel) and Nathanael Saleh (John) living in the family home at the fictional address of 17 Cherry Tree Lane. Jane Banks, played by Emily Mortimer, lives alone in an apartment. In a nod to her mother in the original Mary Poppins, Jane is the organizer for SPRUCE (The Society for the Protection of the Rights of the Underpaid Citizens of England).

Without going into too much detail, a tattered kite flown by young George Banks gets away from him and is returned by none other than Mary Poppins. Mary Poppins has returned to her early charges when trouble at the bank, managed by William W. Weatheral, played by Colin Firth, threatens to take their home away. From the opening of the movie, Jack, a lamplighter by trade, played by Lin-Manuel Miranda, weaves the same magic that Dick Van Dyke as Bert did as a chimney sweep in the 1964 movie. His lamplighter colleagues, Leeries as they are called, have a lovely dance scene reminiscent of Bert’s chimney sweep colleagues. 

Topsy, played by Meryl Streep, plays with upside down worlds every other Wednesday but can fix everything. Dick Van Dyke, at 91, tap dances on his nephew’s desk - and fires him as bank manager. Angela Lansbury, the Balloon Lady, appears in the last scene with her own bit of magic. There are many more hints from the past, all of them tucked lovingly into the story. Did I say I loved this movie!? Yes indeed I did and I do hope that you love it too. It could be in my all too resilient imagination though.

“Practically perfect in every way.”

 ~ Mary Poppins

Directed by Rob Marshall

Screen play by David Magee

Story by Magee, Marshall, and John deLuca 

Partial Cast

Emily Blunt - Mary Poppins

Dick Van Dyke - Mr. Dawes, Jr.

Angela Lansbury - The Balloon Lady

Lin-Manuel Miranda - Jack, lamplighter

Ben Whishaw - Michael Banks, 

Emily Mortimer - Jane Banks

Meryl Streep - Topsy

Julie Walters - Ellen, house keeper

Colin Firth - William Weatherall Wilkins, nephew to Mr. Dawes, Jr.

Joel Dawson - George Banks

Nathanael Saleh - John Banks

Pixie Davies: Anabel