‘Mary Poppins Returns’ is a faithful and respectful sequel to a true movie classic

Posted on January 11, 2019

By MARK VIOLA

I know I watched the classic 1964 Disney film “Mary Poppins” when I was a kid — probably more than once — but I admittedly didn’t remember much, if anything, about the story until rewatching the film this week. In fact, I probably remembered more about the film’s plot from the 2013 behind-the-scenes film, “Saving Mr. Banks,” than I did the original movie.

I watched “Mary Poppins” the night before going to see the sequel, “Mary Poppins Returns,” and I’m glad I did, because the new film plays wonderful homage to its predecessor. You don’t need to see the original to enjoy the sequel, but there are plenty of callbacks and nods that fans will have fun noticing.

The sequel is directed by Rob Marshall, no stranger to musicals, having helmed “Chicago” and “Into the Woods.” He also helped develop the film’s story, with the screenplay written by David Magee, who already has two Oscar nominations for “Life of Pi” and “Finding Neverland.” Between the clever writing and the whimsical direction, “Mary Poppins Returns” manages to capture the spirit and energy of the original, feeling as if it arrived only a few years after “Mary Poppins” and not 54 years later.

I will say that while I found the musical numbers fun and catchy, there are no truly memorable songs. Sure, there are plenty that call back to similar moments and tunes from the original, but none that I feel will become cultural icons like those that filled the original, such as “A Spoonful of Sugar,” “Feed the Birds” and “Let’s Go Fly a Kite.”

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