Fifty-four years after Disney brought Mary Poppins to life on the big screen, the magical
British nanny is back!
Yippee-ki-yay, movie lovers, I'm Jan and in this video I'm comparing Mary Poppins Returns
to the 1964 classic, revealing the biggest differences and whether it's a worthy sequel.
When Julie Andrews made her film debut as Mary Poppins over half a century ago, she
lit up the screen with her take on author PL Travers' no-nonsense nanny.
I'm sure it must be daunting for any actor to step into Andrews' practically perfect
shoes, but if anyone's the right person to slip on Mary Poppins' very particular footwear,
then it's Emily Blunt, who's repeatedly shown what an incredibly versatile and meticulous
actress she is.
This latest version of Mary Poppins isn't exactly the same as the original movie and
it's certainly not an impersonation of Julie Andrews either.
Blunt took her Poppins cues from the character PL Travers created in her books, which means
she's somewhat sterner, sharper, and ruder than in the first film.
And then, there's Mary's new accent, which I wasn't sure about when I heard it in the
trailer.
But, pish-posh to that, quite frankly, as when I saw the film, I've gotta say the accent
wasn't an issue for me.
Yes, Blunt has gone many times posher than her own Received Pronunciation, or Julie Andrews'
for that matter, but her performance sold her clipped, heightened tones, inspired by
British royalty, and made it work in the 1930s context of the film.
As for the song-and-dance numbers, Blunt looks like she's having a total blast which makes
watching her a real joy.
So, while she takes her Mary in a different direction to Andrews, each actress is beguiling
in the role in her own way.
And just seeing Mary Poppins come floating down through the skies once more may well
bring a tear to your eye.
In the original Mary Poppins, Dick Van Dyke was such an absolute ball of energy as the
all-singing, all-dancing chimney sweep, street-artist, and one-man-band Bert that he practically
burst off the screen.
Though a new addition to the story, Lin-Manuel Miranda's character Jack the lamplighter is
given a brief backstory woven in with the original characters as it turns out that he
used to be Bert's apprentice.
Van Dyke's larger-than-life performance as Bert is so memorable that it's a really tough
act to follow, but Miranda is an accomplished musical performer and plays Jack with a good
deal of charm.
In fact, Jack not only inherits Bert's child-like wonder and optimism, but also his interesting
take on a Cockney accent!
"As I live and breathe!"
Miranda's attempt is a touch better than Van Dyke's though he's helped by the fact that,
unlike the 1964 film, the sequel opens with Jack singing rather than speaking, so the
faulty accent doesn't hit you quite as immediately.
"Comical poems suitable for the occasion, extemporised and thought up before your very
eyes."
Speaking of Dick Van Dyke, he makes a very welcome return in the sequel!
This time, we're told that jack-of-all-trades Bert is off travelling in 'parts unknown'.
So, instead, Van Dyke makes a cameo as Mr Dawes Jr, who also appeared in the first film,
though played by a different actor.
In fact, Mr Dawes Jr is the son of former Bank Chairman Mr Dawes Sr, who was the second
character Van Dyke played in the original film!
And, let me tell you, it really is amazing to see the 90-something-year-old actor singing
and dancing with incredible gusto once more and, amazingly, he looks pretty much just
like he did when he appeared as Mr Dawes Sr in full old-man make-up back in the 1960s!
With the sequel taking place around 25 years after the original movie, the Banks children,
Michael and Jane, are now the adults of the story.
These days, Jane follows the activist path of her mother, and Michael works for Fidelity
Fiduciary Bank, just like his father did before him.
Also, much like his dad, Michael's problems and preoccupation with work mean he's lost
his child-like joy, and both films are about getting that back and appreciating your family.
While Michael does lose his temper with his children, similar to his father, overall,
he's less stern and markedly gentler with his kids, and also much less prim and proper
than his dad.
Ben Whishaw brings a lovely, delicate touch to the role of the grieving Michael and his
performance of the melancholy song, 'A Conversation', proves a real tearjerker.
And Emily Mortimer is delightful as Jane, mixing can-do spirit with moments of shy sweetness.
So many of the songs composed by the Sherman Brothers for the 1964 movie became well-loved
classics still remembered fondly by children and adults today.
Whether it's the Oscar-winning Chim Chim Cher-ee, A Spoonful of Sugar, Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious,
Jolly Holiday, Let's Go Fly A Kite, or Feed the Birds, if you're watching this video then
you likely know at least the tune if not a good number or even all the lyrics of those
songs.
Obviously, following the Sherman Brothers is a tall order then.
Still, Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, who composed the musical Hairspray, have done
a top-notch job capturing the tone of the original movie and recreating the kind of
tunes that reflect the style and era.
It's tough to say if the songs are as iconic as the originals, given how many times we've
heard those in comparison, but many of them are definitely very catchy and others certainly
grow on you.
My favourite song among the new batch is 'A Cover Is Not The Book', which is a dazzling,
humorously innuendo-laden vaudeville number brought to rollicking life with spirited performances
by Emily Blunt and Lin-Manuel Miranda.
As well as the fast-paced fun of 'Trip A Little Light Fantastic', 'Can You Imagine That?',
and 'The Royal Doulton Music Hall', we also get the delightfully lilting '(Underneath
The) Lovely London Sky' and the heartfelt lullaby, 'The Place Where Lost Things Go'.
And although the new cast don't perform any of the songs from the original movie, you
will hear traces of their melodies carefully woven into the score at several suitable points
throughout the film.
Mary Poppins Returns is a real love letter to the 1964 movie made with obvious affection
by all involved.
In fact, it reminds me in some ways of Star Wars: The Force Awakens which likewise re-kick-started
a popular property after a long absence.
But, is it as original as the classic movie?
Well, no, in many ways it can't be because it takes us back to a place we already know
and reminds us of that throughout with numerous echoes of the original film in story beats,
characters, visuals, and songs.
But director Rob Marshall and screenwriter David Magee's nostalgia-filled film does manage
to put enough of its own twist on things and finds added inspiration in PL Travers' various
Mary Poppins books.
Of course, there are so many wonderful moments of magic in the 1960s movie, from Mary and
the children tidying the nursery, to Uncle Albert's airborne tea party, to the Step In
Time roof-top dance sequence, and, of course, who can forget the artful mix of live-action
and animation where Mary, Bert, and the children jump inside a chalk drawing of the typical
English countryside?!
Mary Poppins Returns also has some appealing magic scenes, including the children's bath
time which turns into an underwater fantasy and the sequel's take on the Step In Time
scene is a fun reverse of the original where the children go down in the world via a London
lamp-post rather than up on the rooftops.
Best of all though is the gorgeous Royal Doulton china bowl sequence which features a raucous
music hall and mixes live-action and hand-drawn animation.
And I also really love the genius touch of having the characters' clothes appear hand-painted!
In fact, Oscar-winning costume designer Sandy Powell's work throughout this movie is simply
stunning.
While the sequel does gift us special appearances from Dick Van Dyke and Karen Dotrice, who
played Jane Banks in 1964, sadly, the original Mary Poppins, Julie Andrews, doesn't appear
because, according to the movie's director, she didn't want to distract from the sequel
being "Emily's show".
However, we do get a charming cameo from another screen legend, Angela Lansbury, who makes
an appearance as the Balloon Lady, a character from PL Travers' books.
Lansbury even gets to sing a song in her inimitable style, and her presence in the film feels
practically perfect especially given her musical history with Disney, starring in their live-action
film Bedknobs And Broomsticks and the animated Beauty And The Beast where she voiced Mrs
Potts and memorably sang the title song.
Another new addition to the sequel is Meryl Streep's character, Topsy, who, like Lansbury's
Balloon Lady, is adapted from PL Travers' books.
This is Streep's third film with Emily Blunt, following The Devil Wears Prada and Into The
Woods, and she's clearly having a ball totally hamming it up with a deliberately OTT accent
as Mary's eccentric cousin.
Streep's appearance in the movie includes a deliciously jazzy showstopper called Turning
Turtle, and the whole scene feels like a fun call-back with a twist to the first film's
laugh-filled, floating scene with Uncle Albert.
By the way, I've got a video about all the sequel's easter eggs which I'll link to here
and in the video description.
At times, Mary Poppins Returns is a little more melancholy than the original; after all,
Michael has lost his wife and the children their mother, and they're about to be evicted
from their home.
In that respect, it's similar to another recent musical sequel, Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again,
which, coincidentally, also starred three of this film's cast.
Nevertheless, there's still plenty of uplifting, cheery fun as well as hope and happiness to
be had with Emily Blunt's Mary.
Sure, bringing the magical British nanny back on screen after over 50 years' absence is
no easy task as generation after generation has grown up with Julie Andrews' classic performance
and watching that movie feels like getting a big old hug.
But, if you let yourself experience the sequel with the kind of child-like wonder that Mary
Poppins advocates, then you'll likely enjoy its genuine warmth and delightfully old-fashioned
appeal.
It certainly put a big smile on my face!
And I'll happily watch it again and listen to the soundtrack as well!
Now, how do you think Mary Poppins Returns compares to the first film?
And what are your favourite moments or songs in the new movie?
Let me know in the comments below.
Tap left to watch my Mary Poppins Returns easter eggs video, or tap right for another
Mary Poppins video you're sure to like.
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Thanks for watching and see ya next time.
Yippee-ki-yay, movie lovers!