Grace Lumpkin

When the words “Mary Poppins” are said the first thing to come to everyone’s mind is Julie Andrews in the role of a beautiful nanny. Most reviews will tell you how horrible Emily Blunt did but all in all it boils down to one thing, the fact that Emily Blunt is not Julie Andrews. No, she isn’t Julie Andrews, she’s Emily Blunt who is also phenomenal. As the Baker’s Wife in “Into The Woods” she astounded millions with her beautiful singing, as we already knew she could act. Instead of attempting to copy Julie Andrews, Blunt chose to take Mary Poppins the in direction of the book which meant for a much more matter of fact nanny. Travers would have been astounded and loved the performance, as record shows she was not to happy with Andrews softer portrayal of the character. And while yes, the original is better than the sequel, that doesn’t mean we should fully discredit it. Another bad review this movie is getting is that it’s to long for children. Mary Poppins Returns clocks in at 2 hours and 10 minutes, while the original is 2 hours 20 minutes. If they can sit through the original, I promise they can make it through the sequel. While not as flashy as the original, the sequel has beautiful dream sequences in the dream world that is Mary Poppins. The film also touches on some darker, heavier topics, but isn’t the world a darker, heavier place today in 2018 than it was in 1964? New issues have arisen, and Disney has done a fantastic job at addressing them, while still keeping the film fun. The musical numbers are fantastic, and so are the costumes. Meryl Streep makes an appearance as Mary’s cousin for one song and she’s hilarious and adorable throughout. Dick Van Dyke also makes a surprise appearance, but I’ll leave his role for you to watch and find out about yourself. Mary Poppins Returns is truly a fantastic work of art, and is a high recommend for all ages. I went twice, once with my 16 year old best friend, and the second with my 10 year old sister and parents. Both times us and the rest of the audience was astounded, clapping as the credits began to roll in. Nobody is to old for the magic of Mary Poppins, and this film surely still pulls out the child in even the grouchiest and oldest.