Mary Poppins Returns is everything you could hope for and more in a sequel to one of the best movies of all time. In a time when we can use a little illumination in our lives, Emily Blunt emerges from the clouds to put things in their proper place, at least for a couple of hours. I’m a sucker for a great musical and throw in Rob Marshall directing Emily Blunt and Lin-Manuel Miranda and you have a practically perfect return.
I’ve seen the movie twice now and I’ve been listening to the soundtrack on repeat while I work. Mary Poppins Returns is a feel-good movie that you will love seeing together as a family. It’s touching and fun in all the right places. What I love most about the movie is how much it mirrors the original film. Emily Blunt stepped into her role as Mary Poppins beautifully and captures the character just as though she has jumped from the pages of P.L. Travers series. The flow, the message, and the magic are all the same. It really is a modern twist on the classic.
They brought animators out of retirement to create in the animation scene. It was the aspect that I was looking forward to most in the movie. It is absolutely my favorite because of the creativity, the characters, and the songs.
“The Cover is Not the Book” is my favorite song from the whole movie, and it’s not just because we get to see those silly penguins dancing around, it’s just a different style of song choice for Mary Poppins and it felt so right. It’s ‘cheeky’ just like Mary Poppins and Emily Blunt can be! She also brings out her Cockney accent to match Jack’s.
Easter Eggs in Mary Poppins Returns
These are call-backs to the original Mary Poppins movie and all its magic.
Nursery Blocks – the Bank’s children still have most of their belongings from childhood including the blocks from their nursery. These same blocks were taken from the Disney Archives and replicated for Mary Poppins Returns
Snow Globe – the same goes for the Feed the Birds snow globe that features St. Paul inside.
Votes for Women – at the end of Mary Poppins the Banks family goes to the park to fly a kite. Mrs. Banks ties her Votes for Women sash to the bottom of the kite. It’s wonderful to see the time separate the two and it still flies on the tail.
Animation Style Costumes – Sandy Powell is one of the best costume designers, and she took her role to the next level with the costumes in the animated sequence. The costume team brought in animators to show them the painting techniques and then painted the costumes. They are the most beautiful costumes I’ve ever seen. So the animation isn’t just happening in post-production, but also live on the characters.
Animated Characters – Some of the characters from the Spring fair chalk drawings make an appearance in the Royal Doulton Bowl like the loveable penguins and more.
Cameos – While we all know that Dick Van Dyke makes a brilliant cameo as Mr. Dawes Senior, there is another one you will love. Karen Dotrice who played the original Jane Banks as a child makes a brief appearance.
Tuppence – The story of Mary Poppins Returns comes full circle from the original story. This moment is on that fans will love the most.
It was a quick look, but I’m pretty sure I saw some chalk drawings on the ground during the Spring fair in the park. Just like the ones that Bert, Mary Poppins, and the Bank’s children jumped into.
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Mary Poppins Returns is in theaters December 19!
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I can’t wait to see this movie next week! So excited to look for these things, too.