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- As I live and breathe.
- [Jacki] When a movie is practically perfect in every way,
the idea of any sequel seems like a recipe for disaster.
Luckily, with a dash of mischief, a dollop of whimsy,
and yes, a spoonful of sugar,
Mary Poppins Returns seems less like a cynical cash grab
and more like a visit from an old friend,
even if her reappearance doesn't quite live up
to your memories of the good old days.
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- Mary. - Poppins.
- [Jacki] Set 25 years after the events of Mary Poppins,
the sequel sees the beloved nanny
dropping back in on the Banks children
when they're all grown up.
Feisty Jane is following
in her activist mother's footsteps as a union organizer
and shy Michael is mourning the death of his wife
and trying to take care of their three children
while struggling to solve a stressful financial problem.
- Everything's falling to pieces since your mother.
- [Jacki] Needless to say,
Mary Poppins arrives at just the right moment,
once again determined to remind both generations
of Banks kids that there's nothing more valuable
than time spent together.
- Don't you remember that kite?
We used to love flying that with mother and father.
- [Jacki] While the film is full of magic and heart,
the tone can feel a little muddled at times.
Michael's money troubles are designed
to add urgency to the story,
but the children's adventures with Mary Poppins
are so fantastical and increasingly bonkers,
the film sometimes undermines the seriousness
of what the family is facing.
- It is wonderful to see you.
- Yes it is, isn't it?
- [Jacki] But for the most part,
the story skips along smoothly,
effectively recreating 1930s London
with a few touches of fantasy thrown in.
Plus there's a thrilling detour into an animated world
that comes close to recapturing the magic of the original.
- The one, the only...
Mary Poppins!
- [Jacki] Emily Blunt plays a sterner
and vainer Mary Poppins,
which is more faithful to P.L. Travers' book
but also adds weight to the film's more emotional moments.
It takes a while to warm up to Blunt's performance
just because she's not Andrews,
but something clicks around the time
that Mary and the children take a trip
to a zany animated musical.
After that, we have a better sense of Mary's real self
as she lets the children see past
her prim and proper exterior.
Blunt makes the role her own
with a little more sass than Andrews probably would have
been allowed to play in 1964.
- My goodness, Anabel.
What have you done to your clothes?
- [Jacki] In place of her old pal Bert,
Mary's new platonic partner in crime
is his former apprentice,
a lamplighter named Jack who is every bit
as charming as his mentor with a cockney accent
that's only slightly more convincing.
- Nice to see you, Jack.
- Good to see you too, Mary Poppins.
- [Jacki] While Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke
had a flirtatious chemistry,
Blunt's take on the character is definitely more austere
while Lin-Manuel Miranda's Jack has eyes for someone else,
giving the duo a chummy but less magnetic vibe overall.
- May I say, you look lovely as always.
- Do you really thing so?
- [Jacki] Still, they're a perfect match
in the song and dance department,
performing a showstopping shared number
around the halfway point that seems to be
begging the audience to applaud when it's over.
♪ Nothing's gone forever ♪
♪ Only out of place ♪
- [Jacki] At times though,
Mary Poppins Returns feels less like a homage
and more like a recreation of the 1964 classic.
Just set to a slightly different tune,
which is especially true of the music.
While none of the songs are as instantly
ear warm-y as the first film's,
each is charming in its own way.
Blunt performs one of the most moving
Disney ballads in recent memory
and Miranda gets a chance to make his mark
with a Step in Time style dance number
that's exhilarating to watch.
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- [Jacki] What stands out most
about Mary Poppins Returns is its heart.
It aims for sentimentality, but its earnest intentions
never tip it too far into eye roll territory.
Although its life lessons may be a bit
too on the nose for some adults,
it's clear that Mary Poppins still has plenty to teach us.
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Mary Poppins Returns isn't practical or perfect
and it sometimes trips itself up
by relying too heavily on your nostalgia for the original,
but between a heartfelt performance from Blunt,
an irresistible turn for Miranda,
and a touching desire to spark your imagination,
it is still a jolly holiday treat
that won't ruin your appreciation of the original.
- Off we go.
- [Jacki] And don't forget to check out
our reviews of Bumblebee and Aquaman.
And as always, be sure to follow
and subscribe to IGN wherever you like to watch.