Review: "Mary Poppins Returns" is a Dazzling Good Time

Scene from Mary Poppins Returns

There is something daunting and rare about director Rob Marshall's Mary Poppins Returns. It's a sequel to Oscar-winning beloved family film that has become one of Disney's towering achievements (they even made a movie called Saving Mr. Banks to remind us of this). So, where could Marshall possibly go with 50 years of distance and generations hooked on some of movie musicals' most memorable music? The answer is simple. It goes for the whimsy, trying its best to capture the enthusiasm of the original while attempting to make a new story that compliments advanced technology to bring the landscape to life in ways not available in the mid-60's. While the music isn't quite on par or the performances as immediately iconic, Marshall has continued to prove himself one of the premiere musical directors of the 21st century with a quaint new holiday treat that may not match the original, but serves to entertain for a few hours as best it can.

If there is one issue with making a sequel to the original film, it's that there's too much to pay tribute to. Everyone knows the look, the songs, even the neighbors who shoot canons from the rooftops. It's a sequel that has the added pressure of being one of the most successful movie musicals in history and the chance of the genre producing a musical sequel on par is extremely rare. In that way, it's hard to give Mary Poppins Returns credit. This is not a story where Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke sally through the streets with another batch of wonderful songs by the Sherman Brothers. There's little here that could totally be devoid of that fantasy, even if it features an excellent performance by Blunt as Mary Poppins, and a decent live action film debut for Broadway's prodigy Lin-Manuel Miranda. It's all the elements of a promising musical, but... it has to serve the master that is the original Mary Poppins, and that alone feels like a game it's not capable of winning.

To Marshall's credit, he has managed to do the next best thing, which is make a musical that would be considered inspired under any other context. With the typical Disney charm and a songbook written by Marc Shaiman, the film sets out to turn Depression-era London into one of the most whimsical landscapes in years. In fact, one could argue that this is the most illustrious movie musical in some time, managing to convey the visual wonder of the medium with dizzying songs, stellar blends of animation styles, and lots of fun choreography. It is all spectacle in the best ways possible when it works, such as early on in "Can You Imagine That," where a bathtub becomes a land of wonder. The trick photography leads to the first of many segments that are dazzling family entertainment, making one wonder of the awe that awaits. It invests the viewer almost immediately, especially those willing to give into the saccharine, often cornball antics that fuel this movie from beginning to end.

At the center is the Banks family, who are in a mortgage crisis and must make due against an evil banker (Colin Firth). While the technique helps to make the film's conflict make sense, Firth's banker is about as mustache-twirling as they come, serving as an underdeveloped villain who never gets the depth necessary to make him seem like more than an antagonistic meanie. Still, it's enough to fuel the rest of the plot that cuts between economic woes and the struggles that the Banks children have for finding joy and imagination in their lives. Blunt's Poppins is a modernized performance that maybe owes too much to Andrews' original, though she still brings a charm in her reserved manner and ability to sing every song with an elegance and showmanship. She is charismatic and probably elevates the movie more than any of her co-stars - even Miranda, who does a decent enough job but isn't as compelling in the dramatic areas of the film. While the film ends as a feel good fantasy with a whole lot of nonsense in one of the wildest third acts in awhile, it's safe to say that it owes too much credit to its legacy that it loses some of its ability to stand out on its own.

With that said, Marshall makes do with what he has in a way that makes the whole thing all the more enjoyable. The central song "Shine a Little Light Fantastic" may be a headache of a phrase, but it's a brilliant centerpiece of direction featuring back-up dancers swinging around poles as bicyclists perform BMX-lite stunts in the background. Somehow the spectacle works in this hackneyed world and elevates the film into something wonderful. While it's unfortunate that Marshall doesn't always frame or edit his shots in a way that emphasizes the spectacle enough, he does it well enough to make an impression on an audience simply looking for a feel good journey. In fact, it's the type of whimsy that is itself nostalgic, hearkening back to when live action family musicals didn't just pop up every few years. To watch these actors give so much effort and talent into every moment is a thing of beauty, and it's exactly what one hopes for if there ever is a true movie musical renaissance.

It's hard to judge this film as a whole without pulling itself from the bigger legacy. There's a good chance that this will remain a footnote of P.L. Travers' legacy instead of a big draw. The music will appeal to those willing to not just replay the Sherman Brothers originals, but it never quite reaches the level of inspiration. Even the way the film sets up certain character introductions feels campy and a bit obvious. Part of it is just the reality of sequels as a concept, but it's also just evidence of how hard it is for a franchise film to step out of a superior film's shadow. Those looking for a good time will surely get it with the film, but it's not enough to make it a classic. It is delightful and creative enough, maybe serving as a blueprint for whimsical musicals to come, but it suffers from being a sequel to a masterpiece. Had it been an original, or even a knowing knock-off, it may fare better. Instead, it's thankfully a sequel that does the rare challenge of being really good. The only issue is that it has to compete with 50 years of a cultural phenomenon that it never would've been able to match even under its best terms.

For those looking for a great time at the movies, Mary Poppins Returns is a family musical that won't disappoint. It has all of the whimsy and spectacle necessary to make for a fun get together, capturing a perfect blend of style with upbeat music that is sure to keep you dancing. Blunt and Miranda do the trick in bringing the material to life as Marshall manages to create a lot of creative choreography that ranks among the better work this decade. As a film, it does enough right and will please those who can tap into its unadulterated sweetness, which sticks to every frame in an innocence that is rare in modern film. It's when you try and place it in the grander picture, when trying to determine if Blunt is as good as Andrews or Miranda as good as Dyke, that you run into trouble. This is a film that's best judged on its own merits, though even then it's tough to call it a masterpiece.