Jeri Jacquin
On Bluray/DVD and Digital from Walt Disney Home
Entertainment comes our favorite Nanny as MARY POPPINS RETURNS.
Back in 1930s London
The Fidelity Fiduciary Bank is back with a new chairman in Weatherall
Wilkins (Colin Firth) who is in their lives as Michael has borrowed money and
the Banks family is being threatened with repossession of the family home.
Remembering that their father left them shares, the two go through the attic to
desperately find them – instead they find a kite but Michael throws it away.
Annabel, John and Georgie find the kite and decide to take
it to the park. That is where they meet a very straight forward and no-nonsense
nanny named Mary Poppins (Emily Blunt) who takes the children home. Much to the
surprise of Michael and Jane, Mary Poppins announces she is taking charge of
the children.
That gives Michael time to go and look for the shares but
Wilkins is no help. That’s when Annabel and John get the idea to sell something
of their mother’s hoping it will help pay off the debt. Georgie has an accident
and Mary enlists the help of her friend Jack (Lin-Manuel Miranda) as they set
off on an adventure to fix the bowl.
When that doesn’t work, Mary takes the children to visit
Topsy (Meryl Streep) who tells them the bowl won’t help their problem. The
children decide to go straight to Wilkins to ask for help only to discover what
is really going on.
The family learns that it only takes a moment to turn back
time but will it be enough to save their iconic home?
Blunt as Mary Poppins is charming and looks like she is
having an amazing time. To me that’s important when you are taking on such an
iconic character. It is good to see those shoes back in the house on Cherry Tree Lane
Whishaw as Michael is now raising his own children in the
house of his childhood. It makes the transition for those of us who remember
everything from 1964. Dealing with the bank is such an adult issue but then
again it is nothing new to Michael. Mortimer as Jane has much of her mother’s
women empowerment issues but doesn’t forget where they came from as children.
Davies, Saleh and Dawson as the new Banks children have some
big shoes to fill and they do it quite nicely thank you very much. They are
charming, sweet, funny and have hearts as big as their father and aunt. There
isn’t anything they won’t do for their family and with Mary Poppins’ help, they
are about to prove it.
Firth as Wilkins has the wonderful ability to be absolutely
sympathetic on one hand (and be believable about it) and in the next breath he
is as horrible as he wants to be – all while grinning with no shame. Streep as
Topsy is very funny and of course she has the pipes to pull off any song you
put in front of her.
Miranda as Jack gets a chance to be the next generation
chimney sweet as well as “Jack” of all trades. He fits in with his soot laden
face and dancing on the London
Shout out to Julie Walters as Ellen because I have adored
her since first seeing her in the 1983 film EDUCATING RITA. She is a chameleon
and there isn’t a role she has done that I am not enthralled with. As Ellen she
is hilarious!
It must be said, this film could NOT have been any more
endearing without Dick Van Dyke who just made me absolutely giddy. Returning as
Dawes was the smartest thing Disney could have done allowing us slightly older
movie lovers to embrace someone who still dances in paintings that are drawn on
our hearts.
Other cast include Julie Walters as Ellen, David Warner as
Admiral Boom, Jim Norton as Mr. Binnacle, Jeremy Swift as Hamilton Gooding,
Kobna Holdbrook-Smith as Templeton Frye, Angela Lansbury as the Balloon Lady,
Noma Dumezweni as Miss Penny Farthing, Sudha Bhuchar as Miss Lark, Tarik
Frimpong as Angus and Dick Van Dyke as Mr. Dawes Jr.
Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment began distributing
under its own label in 1980 and continues to bring quality programming to kids
and kids at heart. Home of the most beloved animated features including SNOW
WHITE, PINOCCHIO and SLEEPING BEAUTY to name a few is what keeps families
coming back for more. To see what is currently available to add to your own
family library please visit. www.movies.disney.com
for their At Home titles!
The Bluray Bonus Extras contain over an hour of Bonus
Including a Sing-Along Edition Deleted
Song: The Anthropomorphic Zoo, Bloopers, The Practically Perfect Making of MARY
POPPINS RETURNS, Deleted Scenes and so much more!
MARY POPPINS RETURNS is absolutely a must have on Bluray to
sit right next to the 1964 original MARY POPPINS. You can have both, love both
and binge watch both with what I think could be three or four generations of
family members loving every moment.
MARY POPPINS RETURNS is colorful, musical, fun, animated and
everything we would expect not only from Disney but from Mary Poppins’ herself.
In the end – in a place we hold dear where wonder once
lived…soon from above, a new story begins – again!
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