Mary Poppins Returns
Emily Blunt, Lin-Manuel Miranda
Director Rob Marshall
Mary Poppins Returns could probably have been named Mary Poppins Repeats, for that would more accurately describe a movie which unashamedly attempts to mimic the magicness of the original by capturing all its feels, foibles, frolics and fantasy.
JJ Abrams went down the same track when he made Star Wars: The Force Awakens, which succeeded in recapturing the appeal of the landmark movie from which it spawned. That was some feat, for even George Lucas couldn’t replicate his own signature blend of space opera and television serials in his tired prequel trilogy.
But sometimes imitation can simply remain a form of flattery and nothing else. Unfortunately, despite director Rob Marshall's best of intentions, this remake needs a few spoonfuls of sugar to make it palatable.
Granted, the bar was set very high. Mary Poppins is the most recognised live action musical in the Disney canon, backed by the unmatched melodies of the Sherman Brothers and stellar performances from Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke, even if the Cockney accent left much to be desired.
This time round, another American is cast (Lin-Manuel Miranda of Hamilton fame), and he makes a much better fist of the Pommie pretense. He plays Jack, part of a legion of lamplighters who have apparently taken the place of chimney sweepers in this era, set some 20 years after the first movie.
But beyond that, the plot is pretty much the same, and ultimately the copycat storyline isn’t robust enough to stand apart from the original.
The Banks children are now grown up, and the recently-widowed Michael (Ben Whishaw) lives in the family home with his three children Anabel (Pixie Davies), John (Nathanael Saleh) and Georgie (Joel Dawson). The abode is threatened with foreclosure unless he and sister Jane (Emily Mortimer) can find the shares their father left behind to cover the cost of the mortgage.
With the Banks family distraught, the English breezes blow in Mary Poppins (Emily Blunt), who takes it upon herself to look after the children while concealing their outings from their beleaguered dad.
From there, if you've seen the original movie many times over, the proceedings are pretty much telegraphed, as Mary, Jack and the kids traipse through animated adventures while also helping the Banks siblings fight off the determined efforts of the bank to repossess the house.
It goes without saying that no actress could ever emulate Julie Andrews, and a Mary Poppins film featuring her in any role other than the titular one would be practically imperfect in every way. Andrews was entirely correct in turning down a cameo role, providing Blunt freedom to create her own version of the character.
She gives the character some extra pep, attitude and zestiness. Her singing voice, while not in the Andrews class, is more than capable of singing Can You Imagine That? (the equivalent to A Spoonful of Sugar), The Royal Doulton Music Hall (Jolly Holiday), A Cover Is Not the Book (Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious) and the lilting The Place Where Lost Things Go (Stay Awake).
Interestingly, the songs themselves prove to be a mix of wit and woe. The Sherman Brothers were in a pedigree of their own when it came to crafting catchy, singalong tunes with memorable lyrics. Despite the valiant efforts of Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman (and even with Richard Sherman serving as a “consultant”), the melodies in the movie lack sufficient hooks and addictiveness to help them linger in the mind. On the other hand, many of the verses are very clever and well-written.
Sticking too close to the original can also have other pitfalls, demonstrated none more so than in the Trip a Little Light Fantastic sequence. When Mary, Jack, and the kids join up with the lamplighters in a rousing number in the spirit of Step in Time, it falls flat. While it's obvious that Marshall had aimed for a spectacular showstopper of a scene, the choreography is confused and composed of predictable moves that seem to reference every well-known dance movie of the past.
Then there is the mystery of Meryl. Remember Uncle Albert (Ed Wynn)? He provided a happy and enjoyable interlude in the first movie, rising to the rafters each time he laughed. The analog in the remake is someone named Cousin Topsy (Meryl Streep), who does little but sing a laborious ditty called Turning Turtle.
In short, there’s almost a parallel counterpart for everything in the original, most of which don't work. There's not much difference in the plots to suggest this is anything but a direct retelling of its predecessor, albeit taking place in a different time period.
Conversely though, when Marshall does try to veer away from the formula, it seems as if he tries too hard, by exaggerating the visual spectacle. So now it’s not merely snapping fingers to make toy blocks assemble, instead there’s a magical underwater world inside the bathtub.
There are some notable cameos to look out for. Dick Van Dyke's appearance has been well-publicised, so it's not really a spoiler to mention him here.
But see if you can spot Karen Dotrice, who played the original Jane. As Jack and the grown-up Jane chat outside the home, a woman (Dotrice) approaches them and asks for directions to 19, Cherry Tree Lane. When they simultaneously tell her it's two doors down, she politely replies, "Many thanks, sincerely", a nod to the song The Perfect Nanny from the first film.
All that being said, the colourful palette and top-notch production values of Mary Poppins Returns, coupled with the much-improved animation of today and the merry routines, will definitely entertain newer generations of kids who've never seen the original, and whose enjoyment will not be diluted by inevitable comparisons.
But for long-time Mary Poppins fans, the remake can be regarded as a filmic facsimile that didn't quite come off. It leaves them wanting more – or indeed, less – and some others, like this reviewer, will have a desire to pop in a DVD of the original movie for a rewatch.
#marypoppinsreturns
But sometimes imitation can simply remain a form of flattery and nothing else. Unfortunately, despite director Rob Marshall's best of intentions, this remake needs a few spoonfuls of sugar to make it palatable.
Granted, the bar was set very high. Mary Poppins is the most recognised live action musical in the Disney canon, backed by the unmatched melodies of the Sherman Brothers and stellar performances from Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke, even if the Cockney accent left much to be desired.
This time round, another American is cast (Lin-Manuel Miranda of Hamilton fame), and he makes a much better fist of the Pommie pretense. He plays Jack, part of a legion of lamplighters who have apparently taken the place of chimney sweepers in this era, set some 20 years after the first movie.
But beyond that, the plot is pretty much the same, and ultimately the copycat storyline isn’t robust enough to stand apart from the original.
The Banks children are now grown up, and the recently-widowed Michael (Ben Whishaw) lives in the family home with his three children Anabel (Pixie Davies), John (Nathanael Saleh) and Georgie (Joel Dawson). The abode is threatened with foreclosure unless he and sister Jane (Emily Mortimer) can find the shares their father left behind to cover the cost of the mortgage.
With the Banks family distraught, the English breezes blow in Mary Poppins (Emily Blunt), who takes it upon herself to look after the children while concealing their outings from their beleaguered dad.
From there, if you've seen the original movie many times over, the proceedings are pretty much telegraphed, as Mary, Jack and the kids traipse through animated adventures while also helping the Banks siblings fight off the determined efforts of the bank to repossess the house.
It goes without saying that no actress could ever emulate Julie Andrews, and a Mary Poppins film featuring her in any role other than the titular one would be practically imperfect in every way. Andrews was entirely correct in turning down a cameo role, providing Blunt freedom to create her own version of the character.
She gives the character some extra pep, attitude and zestiness. Her singing voice, while not in the Andrews class, is more than capable of singing Can You Imagine That? (the equivalent to A Spoonful of Sugar), The Royal Doulton Music Hall (Jolly Holiday), A Cover Is Not the Book (Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious) and the lilting The Place Where Lost Things Go (Stay Awake).
Interestingly, the songs themselves prove to be a mix of wit and woe. The Sherman Brothers were in a pedigree of their own when it came to crafting catchy, singalong tunes with memorable lyrics. Despite the valiant efforts of Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman (and even with Richard Sherman serving as a “consultant”), the melodies in the movie lack sufficient hooks and addictiveness to help them linger in the mind. On the other hand, many of the verses are very clever and well-written.
Sticking too close to the original can also have other pitfalls, demonstrated none more so than in the Trip a Little Light Fantastic sequence. When Mary, Jack, and the kids join up with the lamplighters in a rousing number in the spirit of Step in Time, it falls flat. While it's obvious that Marshall had aimed for a spectacular showstopper of a scene, the choreography is confused and composed of predictable moves that seem to reference every well-known dance movie of the past.
Then there is the mystery of Meryl. Remember Uncle Albert (Ed Wynn)? He provided a happy and enjoyable interlude in the first movie, rising to the rafters each time he laughed. The analog in the remake is someone named Cousin Topsy (Meryl Streep), who does little but sing a laborious ditty called Turning Turtle.
In short, there’s almost a parallel counterpart for everything in the original, most of which don't work. There's not much difference in the plots to suggest this is anything but a direct retelling of its predecessor, albeit taking place in a different time period.
Conversely though, when Marshall does try to veer away from the formula, it seems as if he tries too hard, by exaggerating the visual spectacle. So now it’s not merely snapping fingers to make toy blocks assemble, instead there’s a magical underwater world inside the bathtub.
There are some notable cameos to look out for. Dick Van Dyke's appearance has been well-publicised, so it's not really a spoiler to mention him here.
But see if you can spot Karen Dotrice, who played the original Jane. As Jack and the grown-up Jane chat outside the home, a woman (Dotrice) approaches them and asks for directions to 19, Cherry Tree Lane. When they simultaneously tell her it's two doors down, she politely replies, "Many thanks, sincerely", a nod to the song The Perfect Nanny from the first film.
All that being said, the colourful palette and top-notch production values of Mary Poppins Returns, coupled with the much-improved animation of today and the merry routines, will definitely entertain newer generations of kids who've never seen the original, and whose enjoyment will not be diluted by inevitable comparisons.
But for long-time Mary Poppins fans, the remake can be regarded as a filmic facsimile that didn't quite come off. It leaves them wanting more – or indeed, less – and some others, like this reviewer, will have a desire to pop in a DVD of the original movie for a rewatch.
#marypoppinsreturns
