Travers became notorious for butting heads with Disney in the film's early stages, attempting to stifle its spoonful's of sugar, and for years tossing relentless criticism for its deviations, showcased in the watered-down 2013 film Saving Mr. Banks. As a result, Travers refused any sequels Walt and the company wanted to make, but fifty years later finally coercing her estate to let them go ahead with one in the form of Mary Poppins Returns, with Chicago director Rob Marshall leading the charge, and Emily Blunt taking over for Andrews. Finally, we have the chance to see if we can adore it in grateful chorus, or in short we have a ghastly mess. Personally, I'm inclined to believe the former.
20 years have passed on 17 Cherry Tree Lane, and the grown up Banks children (Ben Whishaw's Michael and Emily Mortimer's Jane) are under threat of losing their house to the Fidelity Fiduciary Bank. It's another weight on Michael's shoulders in particular, taking the task of raising his three children (Pixie Davies' Annabel, Nathanael Saleh's John, and Joel Dawson's Georgy) after the passing of his wife. But from high above the clouds and on the string of a kite, their magical nanny Mary Poppins (Emily Blunt) comes back to look after the Banks children. And Michael's children, too. Taking them on unbelievable adventures, and joined by the faithful leerie Jack (Lin-Manuel Miranda), Poppins may not only bring peace to their troubled lives, but help them in saving their childhood home.
There really is no dancing - or flying - around the fact: Emily Blunt IS Mary Poppins. It's simply perfect casting from every angle, and after this film, I struggle to think of anyone who could fill Andrews' void as well as her. And much of what makes this performance so perfect is how well of a line Blunt walks in her treatment. She wisely chooses not to play a cheap imitation of Andrews' inimitable luminous nature, carving out her own niche in her attempt on the character, and placing greater emphasis on her famously candid demeanor and stern voice. But she so effortlessly manages to recapture that iconic exuberance, carrying herself with such graciousness and poise, and an almost irrepressible level of charisma and vibrancy. Whether she be laying out vital lessons for the children through her tender heart to hearts, or carrying on with Lin-Manuel Miranda in any number of dance scenes, she utterly dominates this film, honoring the character while firmly making it her own, and for an actress as talented as Blunt, that this is a career highlight for her is really saying something. Cheeky!
But speaking of Lin-Manuel Miranda, he is having the time of his life in this movie. Jack is a lamplighter who serves the same function as Dick Van Dyke's Bert from the original film, who operates as the resident expert of Mary's unexplainable magic. And for this film to work, it depends intently on that sense of magic and whimsy. And so much of that really is owed to the performances, especially for that of Miranda. He feels like such an effortless fit for Mary Poppins, so clearly enveloped in the world surrounding him with a consistently awestruck sense of wonder, and feeling naturally at home within his element. He's such a relentlessly charming ray of sunshine throughout this whole film, serving as a perfect enthusiastic double act to Blunt, and in fact it really does seem like the two of them are in fierce competition to see who can have the most fun, which is saying something given how infectious their enthusiasm is. And before the fans of his prior Hamilton ask, yes. They find a perfect place to make use of his rapping skills.
That same sense of magic is overflowing throughout the entirety of this movie. What serves to differentiate this film from the original is in drawing the line between what was real, and what was pure childlike imagination of that film. Having grown into adults, Jane and Michael have now convinced themselves that those days, of jumping into chalk drawings on a jolly holiday, and having floating tea parties on the ceiling were all just concocted fantasies. In Great Depression era London, both seem to have forgotten how it feels to be a child, as Michael struggles in a grind in his father's old bank, while Jane has taken to rallying for labor rights, in the vein of her mother for women's votes. As a result of their father's stressed mind, his children have had to pick up some of the slack, themselves still experiencing grief at the loss of their mother, providing a strong offset to the magical side with a great deal of dramatic and emotional weight.
But that magic is back, and feels very much real. It's almost impossible to resist the wonders of the adventures with Mary and the children, turning bread and water into tea and cakes. There are a number of truly eye-catching and absorbing fantasy sequences laced through this film, especially in regards to the big musical numbers. In a midway highlight, we have a spiritual successor to the Jolly Holiday sequence, as the characters step into the hand-drawn world of their mother's Royal Doulton Bowl. Not only featuring one of the best and most infectious song numbers with "A Cover is Not the Book", but a glorious return to the studio's roots of 2D animation, and oddly made me hungry for another feature length film in that vein. And it doesn't let up as we keep experiencing new treks at every corner, from paying a visit to Mary's head-spinning (Russian/Bulgarian/Croatian/etc.) cousin Topsy, to Jack and his squad of leeries lighting the way home in "Trip a Little Light Fantastic." Coo! What a sight.
But if there is one slight issue with the film, it's that it does depend heavily on the format of its predecessor. It's not exact, but it is eerily similar. In addition to Blunt and Miranda, this movie has a stellar ensemble cast, including Ben Whishaw, Emily Mortimer, Colin Firth, and Meryl Streep. The problem is that many of these players, and certain sections of the film, feel directly catered to recall and play up the nostalgia of that film. Jane now fights for the underprivileged like Winifred, Topsy recalls Ed Wynn's Uncle Albert, Jack fills Bert's sidekick status, the Fidelity Fiduciary Bank places a stranglehold on the Banks home under the ownership of Firth's William W. Wilkins similar to George Banks, Jolly Holliday and Royal Doulton Bowl, a Balloon Lady in place of the Bird Woman, and other such similarities. Almost distractingly can this be noticed, and it is the only real unfortunate blemish on an otherwise thoroughly enjoyable film.
But it's not an issue great enough to sink the film, as that nostalgia feels perfectly tuned, if sometimes too pronounced. In essence, it is still a worthy expansion of very different context and intention, like Blunt - taking those classic inspirations to heart, while injecting this wonderful new life to them. And you can really feel that sincerity and enthusiasm in Rob Marshall's direction, with how breezily this film moves from scene to scene, and how meticulously, faithfully, prudently fashioned every image of the film feels. Mary Poppins Returns is a pure visual treat, complementing its solid story and magical touch with an unbridled sense of spectacle, featuring some of the most entertaining sequences I've seen in a film all year.
But what would Mary Poppins be without great tunes? Mary Poppins Returns features new songs from the duo of Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, best known for their musical adaptation of Hairspray. While it is difficult to craft music that so much as touches the original works of the Sherman Brothers, these two come close with the best possible outcome we could have expected. Almost every song in this film is an instant earworm, the likes of "Can You Imagine That?", "The Place Where Lost Things Go", and "Trip a Little Light Fantastic" each able to stand as the centerpiece number of their own films. There's such a boundless enthusiasm and creative passion behind them all, especially when it comes to the melodies. Shaiman's orchestral score, in particular, is fantastic, weaving those original melodies through the film like a gorgeous tapestry, but especially for his seamless integration of callbacks to the Sherman Brothers' songs.
It may have taken more than a single spoonful of sugar to help the medicine go down, but Mary Poppins Returns largely succeeds at taking us back to the whimsical world of its predecessor. Mayhaps it's all under the illusion of rose-tinted glasses, but that's precisely the point of the film. We may have to grind, grind, grind at that grindstone, but there's a beauty and importance in recapturing that childlike innocence, the feeling of sending a kite through the atmosphere, up where the air is clear. As Poppins herself puts it, "Perhaps we've learned when day is done, some stuff and nonsense could be fun." Stuff and nonsense it could be, but fun it absolutely is, an adorably charming and richly entertaining adventure. Goodbye for now, Mary Poppins. Don't stay away too long...
****1/2 / *****
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