An old friend returns just when she's needed
Over five decades ago, “Mary Poppins” was released by the Disney Company and made a movie star of Julie Andrews. Created by P.L. Travers in a series of books published between 1934 and 1988, Mary Poppins was a magical nanny who never explained how unusual things happened on her watch.<br /><br />“Mary Poppins Returns” takes place thirty years after the first movie. It’s the Depression. Michael Banks (Ben Whishaw), now an adult with three children, is grieving over the recent death of his wife. Jane Banks (Emily Mortimer), his sister and a union activist, stays by his side as Michael faces foreclosure on the family home at 17 Cherry Tree Lane. Just when circumstances look hopelessly bleak, Michael’s former nanny, Mary Poppins (Emily Blunt), makes her signature entrance from the clouds with open umbrella and turned out feet.<br /><br />With brisk efficiency, she goes about setting things right and begins a fantasy-filled journey for Michael’s children while Michael desperately searches for a document proving he owns shares in the bank that’s threatening to take his house — the only possible way of preventing foreclosure.<br /><br />With the children, Mary Poppins turns routine duties into magical experiences. A bath becomes an undersea adventure with the kids cavorting with dolphins and other sea creatures in the musical number “Can You Imagine That?” A walk in the park turns into a fantastical event when Mary and her high-spirited friend Jack the lamplighter (Lin-Manuel Miranda) whisk the children inside the pastoral painting on a bowl and they all interact with animated characters (“The Royal Doulton Music Hall”). However extraordinary their adventures, Mary goes about them matter-of-factly, as if they were everyday occurrences.<br /><br />Since Julie Andrews made such an indelible impression as the magical nanny, Ms. Blunt has a hard act to follow but is an excellent fit for the role. She delivers Mary’s signature phrases, such as “Spit spot” and “Pish posh,” without irony in a performance that honors the character, balancing whimsy with beneficent sternness and a bit of sentiment. In the plaintive “The Place Where Lost Things Go,“ a heartfelt ballad about how things start to look up for the Banks family when Mary offers her special perspective, Ms. Blunt’s voice is pleasant, not overly trained, and suits the character. She’s a nanny singing a lullaby to children, not doing vocal calisthenics.<br /><br />Mr. Miranda provides sparks that truly ignite many scenes, whether leading a chorus of lamplighters in the big production number “Trip a Little Light Fantastic” or displaying growing affection for Jane. Jack once worked for Bert the chimney sweep (Dick Van Dyke in the original film) and possesses a similar bag of talents. Mr. Miranda’s enthusiasm and charm contribute both warmth and fun.<br /><br />Colin Firth plays the elegantly dressed villain of the film, the greedy banker eager to snatch the Banks’ home away. If he had a mustache, he’d be twirling it. Julie Walters plays longtime housekeeper Ellen. David Warner is Admiral Boom, who has a fondness for firing a cannon from the roof of his home, next door to the Banks. Meryl Streep has one scene as east European-accented Cousin Topsy. Angela Lansbury figures prominently as the Balloon Lady in the film’s final scene.<br /><br />The most nostalgic casting is 93-year-old Dick Van Dyke, who played both Bert and the senior Mr. Dawes in the earlier film, as Mr. Dawes, Jr. He is a welcome connection to the original and even gets to perform a little song and dance, a reprise of “Trip a Little Light Fantastic.”<br /><br />Production design is opulent in every frame, from the watercolor paintings under the opening credits to the houses on Cherry Tree Lane to the animated worlds visited by Mary and her charges.<br /><br />The songs, by Marc Shaiman and Scott Whittman, include a quiet, reflective ballad (Michael’s “A Conversation”), a Broadway-style number (“A Cover Is Not the Book”), a happy solo (Jack’s “Lovely London Sky”), and Meryl Streep’s weird “Turning Turtle,” in which Cousin Topsy seems to have wandered in from a Lewis Carroll novel. The songs don’t have the charm of the Sherman brothers’ score from the original but they are enjoyable, if not especially memorable.<br /><br />Rated PG, “Mary Poppins Returns” is a sequel that has taken many years to come to the screen. The result has been worth the wait. With its on-the-money casting of Emily Blunt, a solid supporting cast, and the wonders of the Disney animation department, the film is a delightful excursion into a world in which anything is possible.<br /><br />Bonus materials include a behind-the-scenes making-of mini documentary, deleted scenes, bloopers, deleted song, and two featurettes.
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 {"Genre": "Musical", "Format": "NTSC, Subtitled", "Contributor": "Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, Emily Blunt, Meryl Streep, Pixie Davies, Colin Firth, Dick Van Dyke, Rob Marshall, David Magee, Jim Norton, Julie Walters, Noma Dumezweni, Angela Lansbury, Tarik Frimpong, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Nathanael Saleh, Jeremy Swift, David Warner, Sudha Bhuchar, Ben Whishaw, Joel Dawson, Emily MortimerKobna Holdbrook-Smith, Emily Blunt, Meryl Streep, Pixie Davies, Colin Firth, Dick Van Dyke, Rob Marshall, David Magee, Jim Norton, Julie Walters, Noma Dumezweni, Angela Lansbury, Tarik Frimpong, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Nathanael Saleh, Jeremy Swift, David Warner, Sudha\u2026  See more", "Language": "English (Dolby Digital 2.0), Spanish (Dolby Digital 5.1), English (DTS-HD High Res Audio)", "Runtime": "2 hours and 10 minutes", "Aspect Ratio": "2.39:1", "MPAA rating": "PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)", "Product Dimensions": "0.6 x 5.3 x 6.7 inches; 2.4 Ounces", "Director": "Rob Marshall", "Media Format": "NTSC, Subtitled", "Run time": "2 hours and 10 minutes", "Release date": "March 19, 2019", "Actors": "Emily Blunt, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Ben Whishaw, Emily Mortimer, Julie Walters", "Dubbed": "French, Spanish", "Subtitles": "Spanish, English", "Studio": "WALT DISNEY PICTURES", "Writers": "David Magee", "Number of discs": "2"}

Here is a brief synopsis of the title : The magic continues in Disney's classic as Mary Poppins (Emily Blunt) helps the Banks family remember the joy of being a child. Together with her friend Jack the lamplighter (Lin-Manuel Miranda), fun is brought back to the streets of London in a celebration that everything is possible...even the impossible..