Practically perfect in every way and ready to cure any problem with a spoonful of sugar was the original Mary Poppins, in a role that won Julie Andrews an Oscar. The Banks family got more than a nanny for children Michael and Jane as they swept through the streets of Edwardian London, flying kites and dancing alongside chimney sweeper Bert (Dick Van Dyke). This time it’s Emily Blunt in the titular role, picking up twenty-five years later and right in the thick of the Great Depression. Starring Ben Whishaw as the adult Michael and Emily Mortimer as the adult Jane and under the direction of Chicago’s Rob Marshall a whole new generation of Banks children are guided by the stern but scintillating nanny in a story that literally leaps off the page.
Financial troubles hit hard for a bereaved Michael Banks, who faces losing the beloved Cherry Tree Lane home. A banker just like his father, he is somewhat demoted and lacks stature as he copes to control his household. There’s also a loss of his childhood spirit, felt most by his precocious children who are intelligent but lack imagination and a sense of wonder. In no time at all, they’re sliding down their bathtub to the ocean below during playful number ‘Can You Imagine That’, with Mary denying any explanation of her magic nor discouraging their schemes to raise funds to keep their home in the new age ‘Jolly Holiday’ homage, ‘The Royal Doulton Music Hall.’ 2D animation by today’s standards is risky for a CGI filled kid appetite, but stepping in time to the sketches of children’s imagination rouses the nostalgia without overkill. Marc Shaiman’s score is a stirring delight that is at times euphoric, a reminder that you can leave with the same silly smile that was the drawcard of the original.
Emily Blunt is her own Mary, bringing a cheeky spirit that even borders on risque in one sequence, ‘A Cover Is Not The Book’ (with a sporting bob haircut). Like a new Bond inhabiting 007, she understands the essence of the role and does not poorly imitate her predecessor. Lin-Manuel Miranda is solid as Jack, the lamplighter and former apprentice to Bert whose Hamilton background enables him to effervescently show the optimistic side of what is otherwise a very grim London. Colin Firth is charming yet deceptive as the head of Fidelity Fiduciary Bank with a steely determination to repossess the family home.
A seamless transition from a classic tale to a new generation, with the same uplifting spirit as a kite ride.
Verdict: 8/10
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3jsfXDZLIY
Walt Disney Studios
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