Mary Poppins Returns

Mary Poppins Returns

I’m watching the original Mary Poppins as I write this.  I put it on first thing when I got home from its sequel.  I haven’t seen it in a while, though I listened to the soundtrack a couple of days ago.  It’s clearly in my top ten movies ever. (I should put that list together at some point.)  There’s no way Returns could live up to it, but I hoped that it would in even some small way capture the joy and emotion of its predecessor.  

First of all, Emily Blunt is glorious.  I don’t think anyone else could have pulled off this role with such unqualified success.  She captures the spirit of Julie Andrews without mimicking her. It’s a performance all her own, while staying unmistakably Mary Poppins.  Her head tilts, disbelieving huffs, and knowing smiles - perfection. And a beautiful singing voice, as well. (It’s no Julie Andrews, but there’s literally no one better than her.)  

I so dearly wish that the movie did the same thing - honor the original without resorting to every little wink wink that it could muster.  Epic fail in that column. Some of them were sweet, others not so much:

The paintings during the opening credits were a clear tribute to the beautiful matte work by Peter Ellenshaw:

Karen Doltrice, the original Jane, has a welcome cameo, but her, “Many thanks, sincerely!” is too on the nose.

How is Miss Lark still alive?  Sadly, Andrew has passed.

Dyke ex Machina - I’m never going to complain about Dick van Dyke reprising a Mary Poppins role, but aside from the blatant “whack you in the face with the tuppence from the first movie” reference, he completely defeated the main conflict of the movie with a wave of his hand.  “Your money was inside the bank all along!”

There are so many times where the score pushes the limit of how consecutive notes it can string together without infringing on the Sherman Brothers’ original tunes.  Considering the lackluster songs, it was a welcome relief whenever strains of the old melodies actually burst through. I wonder if these new pieces would be as beloved if I’d first heard them as a child.  I doubt it. They’re too...what am I looking for?

The lyrics aren’t as clever, and each line set up the most obvious of rhyming couplets.  Would Lin-Manuel Miranda have done a better job? I would have liked to see what he’d have come up with.  

Miranda, by the way, is fine.  His accent is just as bad as Van Dyke’s, an homage I completely support.

I love the costume design.  Emily Blunt looks impeccable and is so sharply dressed.

I am smitten with Emily Mortimer after this movie.

WTF is up with Meryl Streep?  So unnecessary. Uncle Albert was an equally slow drag on the first movie.

I think that Returns fails in two places.  In the first movie, Mary Poppins was far more subtle in her influence on the story, which added to her mystery.  She masterfully tricks Mr Banks into bringing the children to the bank, setting off the entire second half of the movie.  After that, she has zero influence on anything that happens with regards to the story. She’s not even present for any of it - The riot at the bank, George’s confrontation with the bank board, and kite-flying in the park all happen without her.

In this movie, she’s an active participant, turning back Big Ben (also rendering the lamplighters’ efforts moot) and blowing open Colin Firth’s window.  It makes her feel common, something that I do not like. She interacts with ‘regular’ people like the men at the bank, further taking away from her magical nature.    

And at the same time, the film also relegates Mary Poppins to the role of bystander.  She just stands there during the final confrontation with Firth, and tags along at the end as everyone walks to the park.  Mary Poppins does not belong in the ensemble.

At the end of the day, it’s worth watching for Blunt’s performance.  It’s a shame in so many ways that the movie surrounding it can’t come close to matching it.

Regret Watching: No

Would buy on DVD: No

Would watch again: Yes

Rating: Fine. The Emilys are Really Good.

That smile...