Robin Cameron

*CONTAINS SPOILERS* I absolutely enjoyed this movie. I'd give it a 10 out of 10 no question. Emily Blunt does a fantastic job of walking that fine line between a posh, strict, no-nonsense nanny as well as a woman who understands the necessity of fun, imagination and well, nonsense from time to time. It does make a lot of nostalgic call-backs, but they are never out of place. In fact, it's utilised in a way that captures how the grown-up Banks children feel when they start remembering all the magical things that happened to them as children. There are also a few cameos in this movie, and we all knew Dick Van Dyke was going to be in this movie. But they feel, to me at least, more like a natural part of the story rather than a shoehorned excuse to bring back an actor from the original. There is another cameo who I didn't realise was a cameo until I looked the original actor up online and found she was also in this movie. Although, truth be told I might have said differently if Julie Andrews had made an appearance, which she doesn't. I do love the actress in the original too, but I'm glad they didn't feel the need to bring her back for this as it would've definitely taken me out of the movie. But even if you haven't seen the first movie, the sequel still has enough originality to stand up on it's own. There are many new elements and ideas explored in this movie which despite being new, still feel like they could have been explored in the original. All the songs in the movie are original as well (or at least if some were in the first movie I never noticed it), but once again they're in keeping with the tone of the first movie. My favourites have to be either "Turning Turtle" or "The Cover Is Not The Book". The three main children do feel like children who've had to grow up so quickly after their mother died, and they do question the things Mary Poppins does in their own unique childlike way that's in keeping with the characters. My favourite is probably Georgie, who manages to be clearly juvenile but never irritating in my opinion. (I also think he has ADHD which I personally can relate to). There were enough call backs to take hold of audience nostalgia yet just enough was changed to be its own unique story, though it still manages to keep in tone with the original, and the acting from all the cast including the children was just spot on. As a continuation of the movie that many grew up watching, one might say it's practically perfect in every way.