I'm not the biggest fan of the original, but I still enjoy it and for there to be a sequel so very much later made this film something of a curiosity piece.
Adult Michael Banks has lost his wife and his three children have grown up too fast in the disarray. While he faces repossession, Mary returns to set things straight.
In many ways, the film is authentic and gets it right. The tone feels properly dated and the music feels in line, with a bit of a jazzier sound for the later time period and a bit of Lin-Manuel Miranda rap/patter put in where it fit. The film is essentially the script of the original rewritten with new contexts, as every beat has its parallel, but a couple of sequences deliver good lessons with a clever twist and some of the reworkings feel smart.
The visuals of the film are largely excellent, particularly in the "Jolly Holiday" parallel sequence in a china bowl. The costumes and sets and unblended 2D animation have a slightly hokey vibe that blends well with the older film and feels deliberate and successful while being very appealing to look at.
I also enjoyed the cast. Ben Whishaw as Michael delivers the strongest performance in the film depicting realistic, moving stress and anxiety, and Meryl Streep makes a fun impression as the zany Cousin Topsy. There's one guest role saved for the end of the film that was also a pleasant surprise.
The biggest hinge of the film is Mary, and she's not quite right. Emily Blunt's not Julie Andrews and she didn't need to be. She can be her own interpretation, but I disagree with impressions that she's too stern. I found her characterization even lighter than the original Disney portrayal. Here, Mary drops her stiffness far too frequently and to a degree never seen before, and her affection for the children is made more clear for the audience. Didn't need to be.
And let's just say that Mary Poppins should never have been put into a Cockney vaudeville song.
The film sometimes has the pieces and doesn't put them together quite right. The weakest sequence is the first fantasy scene, which unfolds the spectacle far too quickly and extravagantly for that point in the story while also being the most visibly unconvincing and CGI. Excess spectacle also occurs at the end with public magic that breaks the precedent. Other scenes happen without a clear line to the character or plot development and a couple of things feel left hanging. The music sounds correct, but doesn't feel as memorable or catchy as the original's. In as many places as it makes it work, the film sticking to formula also seems a bit lost and unsure. It also rubs me the wrong way how the "feed the birds" sentiment is quashed by this film's realist take on investing ultimately being the better choice.
This is a fun, exciting fantasy film that can feel a little confused and strays from the precedent. It's half worth the watch and half off.
Film Practically perfect...in a few ways.
I'm not the biggest fan of the original, but I still enjoy it and for there to be a sequel so very much later made this film something of a curiosity piece.
Adult Michael Banks has lost his wife and his three children have grown up too fast in the disarray. While he faces repossession, Mary returns to set things straight.
In many ways, the film is authentic and gets it right. The tone feels properly dated and the music feels in line, with a bit of a jazzier sound for the later time period and a bit of Lin-Manuel Miranda rap/patter put in where it fit. The film is essentially the script of the original rewritten with new contexts, as every beat has its parallel, but a couple of sequences deliver good lessons with a clever twist and some of the reworkings feel smart.
The visuals of the film are largely excellent, particularly in the "Jolly Holiday" parallel sequence in a china bowl. The costumes and sets and unblended 2D animation have a slightly hokey vibe that blends well with the older film and feels deliberate and successful while being very appealing to look at.
I also enjoyed the cast. Ben Whishaw as Michael delivers the strongest performance in the film depicting realistic, moving stress and anxiety, and Meryl Streep makes a fun impression as the zany Cousin Topsy. There's one guest role saved for the end of the film that was also a pleasant surprise.
The biggest hinge of the film is Mary, and she's not quite right. Emily Blunt's not Julie Andrews and she didn't need to be. She can be her own interpretation, but I disagree with impressions that she's too stern. I found her characterization even lighter than the original Disney portrayal. Here, Mary drops her stiffness far too frequently and to a degree never seen before, and her affection for the children is made more clear for the audience. Didn't need to be. And let's just say that Mary Poppins should never have been put into a Cockney vaudeville song.
The film sometimes has the pieces and doesn't put them together quite right. The weakest sequence is the first fantasy scene, which unfolds the spectacle far too quickly and extravagantly for that point in the story while also being the most visibly unconvincing and CGI. Excess spectacle also occurs at the end with public magic that breaks the precedent. Other scenes happen without a clear line to the character or plot development and a couple of things feel left hanging. The music sounds correct, but doesn't feel as memorable or catchy as the original's. In as many places as it makes it work, the film sticking to formula also seems a bit lost and unsure. It also rubs me the wrong way how the "feed the birds" sentiment is quashed by this film's realist take on investing ultimately being the better choice.
This is a fun, exciting fantasy film that can feel a little confused and strays from the precedent. It's half worth the watch and half off.