Mary Poppins Returns Movie Review
Father, widow and bank teller, Michael Banks (Ben Whishaw) learns that his house will be repossessed in five days unless he can pay back his home loan. His only hope is to find a missing stock certificate that shows proof of valuable bank shares that his father left him years earlier in an attic full of memories. Just as all seems lost, Michael and his sister receive the surprise of a lifetime (for the second time) when Mary Poppins — the beloved nanny from their childhood — arrives (on a kite) to 17 Cherry Tree Lane to save the day. The reunion scene between Mary, Michael and Jane (Emily Mortimer) is touching, I promise it will be a smile to your face. Mary takes the Banks family on a magical, fun-filled adventure, one including a magic bowl! You will fall in love with Georgie Banks, he steals the show! The soundtrack to the movie certainly doesn’t disappoint either, song Can you Imagine That? was my favorite.
Directed and produced by Rob Marshall, “Mary Poppins Returns” also stars Lin-Manuel Miranda, Ben Whishaw, Emily Mortimer and Julie Walters with Colin Firth and Meryl Streep. The film, which introduces three new Banks children, played by Pixie Davies, Nathanael Saleh and newcomer Joel Dawson, also features Dick Van Dyke and Angela Lansbury. The film is set in 1930s depression-era London (the time period of the original novels) and is drawn from the wealth of material in PL Travers’ additional seven books. In the story, Michael (Whishaw) and Jane (Mortimer) are now grown up, with Michael, his three children and their housekeeper, Ellen (Walters), living on Cherry Tree Lane. After Michael suffers a personal loss, the enigmatic nanny Mary Poppins (Blunt) re-enters the lives of the Banks family, and, along with the optimistic street lamplighter Jack (Miranda), uses her unique magical skills to help the family rediscover the joy and wonder missing in their lives. Mary Poppins also introduces the children to a new assortment of colorful and whimsical characters, including her eccentric cousin, Topsy (Streep). The film is produced by Marshall, John DeLuca and Marc Platt. The screenplay is by David Magee based on The Mary Poppins Stories by PL Travers with Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman writing all new songs and Shaiman composing an original score.
In theaters everywhere. Mary Poppins Returns is rated PG, a family friendly movie that all will love this holiday season.
