Mary Poppins Returns

Entertaining Sequel to Beloved Family Musical

Graphic by Deana Trautz and Morgan Kasel

“Mary Poppins Returns,” staring Emily Blunt and Lin-Manuel Miranda, was released to theaters on Dec. 19.

Morgan Kasel, Reporter

Since 1964, Disney’s Mary Poppins has been an inspiration for children and adults alike. With stars like Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke, it’s hard to imagine any remake outdoing the original. However, Mary Poppins Returns, starring Emily Blunt, succeeded in bringing old characters back to life, as well as introducing new favorites.

The new movie was set in London at 17 Cherry Tree Lane, the same house where the Banks children first met Mary Poppins. This time, Jane and Michael Banks are all grown up, Michael with three of his own children: Annabel, Georgie and John. The immediate problem seems to be that the children are too grown up for a little bit of imagination, due to the fact that their mother has passed away and their father is busy trying to keep their house. When Mary Poppins arrives, she makes it her job to introduce the children to a little bit of magic and imagination.

As the original Mary Poppins, Andrews was able to bring to life the perfect character—strict but selfless, mysterious but understanding. While Blunt didn’t quite have the same sparkle that Andrews had, she was able to add her own unique quirks to the classic nanny, with her voice and character creating an overall fun movie.

Played by Lin-Manuel Miranda, the character Jack could be seen as the parallel to Bert in the original musical. As a Hamilton fan, it was easy for me to fall in love all over again with Miranda’s voice and acting. His easy-going character accompanied Mary Poppins and the Banks children on many of their fantastic adventures through the enchanted streets of London.

Similar to the original movie, Mary Poppins Returns was live action, and like the original, it also featured amazing, animated scenes perfect for the imagination. From meeting talking dogs to swimming through a bottomless bathtub, not only did this make the movie even more enjoyable, it added to the already creative storyline and music.

Overall, with exciting adventures, unique characters and entertaining music, I give this movie five out of five kites.

Mary Poppins Returns came out on Dec. 19. You can see it at Cinemark, Alamo Drafthouse or any local theater. The total running time is two hours and 10 minutes.