Mary Poppins Returns (2018)

There are two things that amaze me about Mary Poppins Returns.

The first is how the filmmakers managed to make so many good decisions while making the film. Everything from the subtle storytelling, the casting, the songs, the cinematography, the animation creates a film that doesn't stray too far from the formula of the first film, but also manages to feel fresh enough that it isn't a dull retread.

The second is that there are people out there who disagree with this assessment.

Not all of the songs hit first time - I initially found opening number of (Underneath the) Lovely London Sky to be okay, but not instantly catchy, but given a bit of time it earwormed itself into my mind - however for the most part, the songs stuck first time.

Emily Blunt on the other hand sticks the first time she appears in the movie. Trying to take over from Julie Andrews may have seemed like a poisoned chalice, but I found that instead of suffering in the shadow of Andrews' Poppins, the legacy instead worked in Blunt's favour. By not attempting to mimic Andrews, and instead delivering a pricklier, more vain Mary Poppins, Blunt creates sufficient distinction to make the role her own, while benefiting from the audience's familiarity with the character.

Lin-Manuel Miranda's turn as Jack the Lamplighter is a reasonable replacement for Bert the Chimney Sweep/Screever/One-Man Band. His accent isn't in the same league as Dick Van Dyke's, but with a fairly stagy (yet sufficiently charming) delivery, he's unlikely to be mistaken for a genuine cockney.

The animated scenes also compare well with the original film. Using hand-drawn animation for the Royal Dalton Ball sequence make the film feel contiguous to Mary Poppins' chalk drawing sequence, although interestingly it uses the opportunity to up the peril factor with a nightmarish chase sequence that felt akin to something out of Disney's Pinocchio or The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.

This twisting of the story beats is something the film does quite frequently. It lends to the familiarity as there seems to be a companion piece for all of the the original's main sequences, but it uses those familiar beats to tell a tale that felt to me to be more focused than the plot of the original film.

There's talk of a sequel to Mary Poppins Returns. If they manage to maintain the quality, then I'm looking forward to it.