My Viewing This Stevening... 'Mary Poppins Returns'

When Mary 'olds your 'and, you feel so grand, your 'art starts beatin' like a big brass band!

Never has a film so perfectly and consistently defined my childhood than Mary Poppins. Initially released more than 20 years before I was born, it's one of my earliest memories of watching a film, captivated by the music, the colours of the animated sequence, and the jollity of the overall story. It was, and still is, one of the peaks of every childhood, and will likely remain so for generation after generation. Despite being released in 1964, two years before good old Walt Disney passed away, it is, quite literally, a timeless classic. That is due to, in no small part, the performances of Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke, so why even bother trying to make a sequel? Sure, the character of Mary Poppins is derived from a seven-book series by P. L. Travers, but when the original told a story so complete, and so meaningful for many generations, was it really worth revisiting the Poppinsverse? Of course, the sequel more than 50 years after the original was a cynical cash-grab by Disneycorp, but thankfully, the sequel managed to retain the magic and spirit of the original, while introducing something new along the way.

The sequel tells the story of the now grown up Jane (Emily Mortimer) and Michael (Ben Whishaw) Banks, and the young children of Michael Banks; Annabel (Pixie Davies), John (Nathaneal Saleh) & Georgie (Joel Dawson). Struggling financially during the "Great Slump" of 1930s London, Michael finds himself at the end of his rope. The childhood home of Jane and Michael faces repossession by the bank run by the stereotypically evil banker, William Wilkins (Colin Firth), and Michael must find the shares his father held in the bank by the stroke of midnight on Friday in order to save the house. Just when everything becomes a bit much for grown-up Michael, and a tad scary for the young Banks children, good old Mary Poppins (Emily Blunt) comes back to help make everything a little bit more magical. With some assistance from Jack the Lamplighter (Lin-Manuel Miranda), what follows is quite an enjoyable ride that made me very nostalgic for the original Mary Poppins.

One thing to point out from the offset is that, while this is a sequel to the original Mary Poppins, there is no attempt at imitation or replication in this film. The music is new, the setting still has the same look and charm of the original, but the adventures and the magic are still very distinct from the classic. In fact, while there may have been a temptation to try and replicate Julie Andrews' portrayal of Poppins, Blunt decides to go her own way with the character, creating something that is both unique—yet familiar. Naturally, the musical numbers are what most people will care about the most when thinking about a Mary Poppins sequel. From the opening Overture and sons, to the final "Nowhere to go but up," each and every song so perfectly manages to capture the moods of the moment, and create within the necessary emotions to keep you absolutely sold on the adventure.

I had some major reservations when a sequel was first announced, and I have to admit, the trailers didn't exactly sell me on the idea of a sequel. That being said, when I went into the cinema, within about 10-15 minutes, I was comfortable, I was happy, I was a kid again. Each musical number "Underneath the Lovely London Sky," "A Conversation," "The Place Where the Lost Things Go," among many others, each had a message, each had an emotion that wanted you to feel, and they did it perfectly. In fact, the creative team behind the sequel had just as much of a passion and love for the original as many of those full-grown adults watching it will have had, and it shows.

My hope is that, if Disney decides to move ahead with another sequel, that the team behind that are just as committed and passionate about the magic and the memory of the original. My worry is that, if another sequel comes up in the next few years, and further sequels after that, eventually the magic and the message will be lost in the clamour to squeeze about as much money as humanly possible out of a beloved childhood classic. That being said, it was great when I watched it in the cinema, and it was great the three or four times I have watched it since. Check it out if you haven't already, it truly is worth it.

Score: 8.5/10