Barry Strudwick

Ignore the grumpy "she's not as good as Julie Andrews" reviews. 1. Mary Poppins was a character in books first. What do actors do? they go back to the original character and use that to develop their own interpretation. Good. Well done Emily Blunt. 2. If Blunt simply tried to follow Andrews' approach, we would all say she's not as good as Julie. 3. This film was made in 2018, so its going to have a different feel to the original. Good. That means it will stand on its own two feet over time. 4. There are loving nods to the original throughout...but if you don't notice them, it doesn't matter. The music, the title sequence, etc. 5. Blunt is a totally different nanny to Andrews. Why? Think about it - who actually needs Mary: the children.....or Michael? 6. The dancing by Lin and Emily isn't up to Dick and Julie's standard - but who is there nowadays who can sing / dance / act equally well? It made no difference to my enjoyment. 7. And finally: the dolphin...turtle head...big ben...leery dance...penguins...cover is not the book...broken bowl...cameo's by dick and angela...kite reappearance...votes for women sash...cartoon sequences... need I say more? Go and watch it as a film in its own right, spot the references to the previous film, enjoy the story and the wonder and the brilliant sequences. Remember: the cover is fine but the cover is not the book! 10/10.