Mary Poppins Returns

With franchises and sequels taking over the cinematic landscape and being green lit before their predecessor has even left the cinema, it’s a breath of fresh air to have a sequel that waited for its time. Whilst author P. L. Travers dismissed the original Mary Poppins, there’s no denying it is a classic, a family favourite, and was revolutionary in its day for combining animation and live action. It was begging for a sequel, as were its producers. But for over 50 years, despite plenty of efforts nothing came... until now.

Mary Poppins Returns is set 25 years after its original, featuring Jane and Michael Banks as adults in the midst of a family crisis and the bank wanting to repossess the Banks' family home. Michael, whose wife has recently passed away, has three children that he needs to look out for and no money with which to do it, but he has some shares in the bank which would pay off his debt. If only he knew where his father left them. With the Banks children, and their children, in trouble, Mary swoops in on a breeze and cryptically promised to stay until the door opens.

We’re swiftly returned to the magical landscape of the original Poppins: talking umbrellas, bigger-on-the-inside carpets bags, animated adventures, but with lamplighters taking the place of the original chimney sweeps. However, herein lies the problem. In retreading the path walked by the original, Returns builds expectations without delivering. There are set-ups without conclusion, familiarly dodgy cockney accents, unnecessary romantic subplots, and perhaps most damningly, homage to the original without the heart. 

The film’s nostalgia overload feels less like a tribute to the old film (though there are small but excellent moments that do this) and more like a cardboard cut out of its former self, looking the part but lacking depth. Mary is less a mystical magical nanny, wanting to help the Banks family overcome their problems and more superhuman ready to overcome their problems for them in a rushed climax that almost makes a lot of what came before feel unneeded.

But it’s not all bad, hardly so. The film is headed up with a sharp, practically-perfect performance by Emily Blunt. It’s a different interpretation than Andrew’s original nanny but not a lesser. Blunt is sterner but naughtier, with a mocking sense of humour stemming from a genuine care for the children. She easily holds the film together with a charisma and charm to die for. With her are a superb supporting cast, particularly Ben Whishaw's barley-holding-it-together Michael, but also Emily Mortimer, Julie Walters, Colin Firth, Lin-Manual Miranda (cockney accent notwithstanding) and an all too short appearance by the great Dick Van Dyke.

And there is a solid story here too, somewhere beneath the loosely intertwined and forgettable songs. A touching tale of family, of growing up, of joy and love. If Mary Poppins Returns main goal was to make you smile and feel happy, it succeeds even if some elements are lacking. There are a couple of scenes that could have been left on the cutting room floor (an underwater non-adventure and a rushed topsy turvy sequence), but otherwise there's nothing too harmful here, but rather harmless fun. There's some stunning set pieces, genuine laughs, and a sense that this film was made with love. Some who love the original will be let down by an attempt to recreate the magic rather than make it anew, whilst others will be joyful that there's still magic in Hollywood at all.