Mary Poppins Returns Non-Spoiler Review - Practically Perfect In Every Way

Mary Poppins Returns is practically perfect in every way. And just like the Banks family, I had no idea how much I needed Mary Poppins back in my life until I watched Mary Poppins Returns. This will be a non-spoiler review.

Now when this sequel was first announced I was concerned. Would it live up to the original? Would Emily Blunt be able to fill Julie Andrews shoes? Rest assured, the classic Disney magic is back and Mary Poppins Returns is a warm hug to the original. 

The story picks up in Depresssion-era London where we find Michael Banks, a father of three children. The family is struggling to cope with the loss of Michael's wife. His sister Jane tries to help as much as she can. Fortunately, Mary Poppins appears once again to try to bring love, laughter and life back into the house on 17 Cherry Tree Lane.

Emily Blunt is simply perfect to play Mary Poppins. She creates her own version of the character, who seems stern and quite reserved on the outside, while being warm-hearted and childlike on the inside. Emily brings both of these sides of Mary to life with warmth and sophistication. Next to Mary is a new character, Jack, played by Lin-Manuel Miranda. Jack is a lamplighter and he brings light, literally and metaphorically, when it is needed most.

Ben Whishaw plays Michael Banks and brilliantly conveys his sense of struggle and loss. Jane Banks is played by Emily Mortimer and brings a sense of family love and balance into Michael's life. Ellen the housekeeper is played by Julie Walters. Ellen has been a part of the Banks household since Michael and Jane were children. Colin Firth plays William Weatherall Wilkins the head of Fidelity Fiduciary. Meryl Streep plays Mary's cousin Topsy.

Pixie Davies plays Annabel, the precocious and strong-willed daughter of Michael. Nathanael Saleh plays John, the thoughtful and oldest son. Joel Dawson plays Georgie, the energetic and youngest son. All three children are brilliant and they had to be, for they carry a good portion of the movie on their shoulders.

Rounding up the cast are Disney Legends Angela Lansbury and Dick Van Dyke. Angela plays the balloon lady, a treasured character from the books. Dick Van Dyke plays Mr. Dawes Jr., the retired chairman of the bank and the son of the character he played in the original movie.

The music of Mary Poppins Returns is purely magical. The team of Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman channeled their inner Sherman Brothers to create music and lyrics that fit not only into this sequel but sound like they could have been in the original. The team created nine original songs and every single song moves to advance the story. From lullabies to showstoppers, the songs are a pure joy to hear and to see on the big screen. 

The hand-drawn animation, yes, hand-drawn animation in the film is spectacular and made me miss this art form even more when I saw it on the big screen.

Director Rob Marshall and his team took the very challenging idea of creating a sequel to one of the most beloved Disney films of all-time and created something special. Mary Poppins Returns feels both fresh and nostalgic at the same time. The performances of Emily Blunt, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Ben Whishaw, and the Banks children are powerful and emotional. The music and songs will make you dance, sing and at times even cry. You will leave the theater, not only with a huge smile on your face, but feeling like everything is possible, even the impossible. The world right now needs some hope. Mary Poppins is the person who can remind you that there is hope and wonder in the world.

Mary Poppins Returns opens in theaters December 19th.

Mary Poppins Returns | Special Look

Watch a new special look at the music and magic of Mary Poppins Returns, and see the film in theatres December 19! In Disney’s “Mary Poppins Returns,” an all new original musical and sequel, Mary Poppins is back to help the next generation of the Banks family find the joy and wonder missing in their lives following a personal loss. Emily Blunt stars as the practically-perfect nanny with unique magical skills who can turn any ordinary task into an unforgettable, fantastic adventure and Lin-Manuel Miranda plays her friend Jack, an optimistic street lamplighter who helps bring light—and life—to the streets of London. “Mary Poppins Returns” is directed by Rob Marshall. The screenplay is by David Magee and the screen story is by Magee & Rob Marshall & John DeLuca based upon the Mary Poppins Stories by PL Travers. The producers are John DeLuca, p.g.a., Rob Marshall, p.g.a. and Marc Platt, p.g.a. with Callum McDougall serving as executive producer. The music score is by Marc Shaiman and the film features all new original songs with music by Shaiman and lyrics by Scott Wittman and Shaiman. The film also stars Ben Whishaw as Michael Banks; Emily Mortimer as Jane Banks; Julie Walters as the Banks’ housekeeper Ellen; Pixie Davies, Nathanael Saleh and introducing Joel Dawson as the Banks’ children, with Colin Firth as Fidelity Fiduciary Bank’s William Weatherall Wilkins; and Meryl Streep as Mary’s eccentric cousin, Topsy. Angela Lansbury appears as the Balloon Lady, a treasured character from the PL Travers books and Dick Van Dyke is Mr. Dawes, Jr., the retired chairman of the bank now run by Firth’s character.

NEW TRAILER AND POSTER FROM DISNEY'S "MARY POPPINS RETURNS"

In Disney’s “Mary Poppins Returns,” an all new original musical and sequel, Mary Poppins is back to help the next generation of the Banks family find the joy and wonder missing in their lives following a personal loss. Emily Blunt stars as the practically-perfect nanny with unique magical skills who can turn any ordinary task into an unforgettable, fantastic adventure and Lin-Manuel Miranda plays her friend Jack, an optimistic street lamplighter who helps bring light—and life—to the streets of London.

“Mary Poppins Returns” is directed by Rob Marshall. The screenplay is by David Magee and the screen story is by Magee & Rob Marshall & John DeLuca based upon the Mary Poppins Stories by PL Travers. The producers are John DeLuca, p.g.a., Rob Marshall, p.g.a. and Marc Platt, p.g.a. with Callum McDougall serving as executive producer. The music score is by Marc Shaiman and the film features all new original songs with music by Shaiman and lyrics by Scott Wittman and Shaiman. The film also stars Ben Whishaw as Michael Banks; Emily Mortimer as Jane Banks; Julie Walters as the Banks’ housekeeper Ellen; Pixie Davies, Nathanael Saleh and introducing Joel Dawson as the Banks’ children, with Colin Firth as Fidelity Fiduciary Bank’s William Weatherall Wilkins; and Meryl Streep as Mary’s eccentric cousin, Topsy. Angela Lansbury appears as the Balloon Lady, a treasured character from the PL Travers books and Dick Van Dyke is Mr. Dawes, Jr., the retired chairman of the bank now run by Firth’s character.

Angela Lansbury joins cast of "Mary Poppins Returns"

LEGENDARY PERFORMER ANGELA LANSBURY JOINS CAST OF

“MARY POPPINS RETURNS”

The Sequel to the Studio’s 1964 Film

Stars Emily Blunt and Lin-Manuel Miranda

And is Directed by Rob Marshall

BURBANK, Calif. (February 17, 2017) – Angela Lansbury has joined the cast of “Mary Poppins Returns,” the all-new sequel to Disney’s 1964 film “Mary Poppins” currently filming at Shepperton Studios. She will feature as the Balloon Lady, a treasured character from PL Travers’ series of Mary Poppins children’s books. The film is scheduled for release December 25, 2018.

A five-time Tony Award® winner and the recipient of an honorary Academy Award®, three Academy Award nominations and bestowed with numerous other accolades, Angela Lansbury’s career encompasses more than 70 years. She is a beloved member of the Disney family and starred in “Bedknobs and Broomsticks” and voiced Mrs. Potts in the animated classic “Beauty and the Beast.” Her roles in film, television and theater range from “Gaslight,” “The Picture of Dorian Gray,” “The Manchurian Candidate” and “Death on the Nile” to “Murder, She Wrote,” “Mame,” “Blithe Spirit,” “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” and “Gypsy.” 

Directed and produced by Rob Marshall (“Into the Woods,” “Chicago”), “Mary Poppins Returns” stars Emily Blunt (“The Girl on the Train,” “Into the Woods”), Lin-Manuel Miranda (“Hamilton,” “Moana”), Ben Whishaw (“Spectre”), Emily Mortimer (“Hugo”) and Julie Walters (“Harry Potter” films) with Colin Firth (“The King’s Speech”) and Meryl Streep (“Florence Foster Jenkins”). The film, which introduces three new Banks children, played by Pixie Davies (“Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children”), Nathanael Saleh (“Game of Thrones”) and newcomer Joel Dawson, also features Dick Van Dyke.

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 (“Chicago”) and Marc Platt (“La La Land”). The screenplay is by David Magee (“Life of Pi”) based on The Mary Poppins Stories by PL Travers with Marc Shaiman (“Hairspray”) and Scott Wittman (“Hairspray”) writing all new songs and Shaiman composing an original score.

The Walt Disney Studios

For over 90 years, The Walt Disney Studios has been the foundation on which The Walt Disney Company was built. Today, the Studio brings quality movies, music and stage plays to consumers throughout the world. Feature films are released under the following banners: Disney, including Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar Animation Studios; Disneynature; Marvel Studios; and Lucasfilm. The Disney Music Group encompasses the Walt Disney Records and Hollywood Records labels, as well as Disney Music Publishing. The Disney Theatrical Group produces and licenses live events, including Disney on Broadway, Disney On Ice and Disney Live!.

Disney's 25th Anniversary Beauty and The Beast Blu-Ray Review

Beauty and The Beast returns for its 25th Anniversary in a Walt Disney Signature Collection Blu-ray release. The tale as old as time is one of my favorite Disney animated films of all-time. Marking its second time on Blu-ray, let's take a look and see what is different from its original release.

Video Quality:

You will find the same 1080p video presentation as the previous release which is still stunning. If you have never seen Beauty and The Beast on Blu-ray before then you are in for a treat. The gorgeous transfer will leave everyone from children to the biggest film fan in awe. The rich color palette captures the darkness of the forest, the warmth of the ballroom and more is absolutely pristine. The brush strokes can be seen in the background paintings and serve as a reminder of the artistry that was hand drawn animation. Still one of the very best transfers from Disney ever.   

Audio Quality:

You will find the same DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 lossless soundtrack as on the previous release which is still as stunning as the video release. The audio truly surrounds you and envelopes you into the film. Dialogue is perfectly placed and you can hear every line even whispers. Every sound effect is prioritized to perfection from the clinking teacups, to the thundering crash of lightning above you, to the Beast's roar, to Belle's soft footsteps in the castle. Still an absolutely stunning audio mix.

Bonus Features:

You will find two unique cuts of the film, the original theatrical cut as well as the special extended cut. There is also a sing-along version of the theatrical cut. There new bonus features and the audio commentary is from the previously released Blu-ray. Below is a breakdown of what's included, where, and whether it's new or carryover. It should be noted that every extra on this disc is also available digitally, but not vice-versa, obviously. 

On-disc bonuses: 

• Always Belle (1080p, 11:32): Paige O'Hara talks about voicing Belle and what has happened in her life since then. 
• Menken & Friends: 25 Years of Musical Inspiration (1080p, 19:06): Robert Lopez, Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Stephen Schwartz, and Alan Menken gather to sing songs from the film.
• #1074: Walt, Fairy Tales & Beauty and the Beast (1080p, 9:36): A look back at the very first ideas for a Beauty and The Beast film.
• The Recording Sessions (1080p, 3:48): An all too brief look at the recording sessions of the voice actors that the animators used for reference.
• 25 Fun Facts About Beauty and the Beast (1080p, 5:24): Stuck in the Middle's Kayla Maisonet and Best Friends Whenever's Gus Kamp quickly run through some fun facts about the movie.
• Beauty and the Beast Sneak Peek (1080p, 1:24): An all-too-brief behind-the-scenes preview for the live-action film, coming in March 2017. Don't expect to see much that hasn't already been shown elsewhere. I was hoping for a larger look or at least the footage that was shown to us at the D23 Expo in 2015.
• Song Selection (Sing-Along Edition Only) (1080p, 22:52 total runtime): Fans can jump directly to their favorite songs from the Sing-Along version of the film. Included are Belle, Belle (Reprise), Gaston, Gaston(Reprise), Be Our Guest, Something There, Beauty and the Beast, The Mob Song, and Beauty and the Beast(Reprise).
• Audio Commentary (Extended Edition Only): Directors Kirk Wise and Gary Trousdale, Producer Don Hahn, and Composer Alan Menken. This is the same track available on the previous release. See that review for more information.
• Classic Bonus Preview (1080p, 0:43): A short ad for all the features available digitally.

Below is a list of the digital-only bonus features. 
* indicates that the bonus was available on the previously released Blu-ray. 

Behind the Scenes 

• A Transformation: Glen Keane (3:12)*
• Character Development: Lumiere (2:50)
• Camera Move Test (2:03)*
• The Transformation: Pencil Version (5:22)*
• Character Development: Mrs. Potts (2:14)
• New Digital Horizons (4:21)
• Beyond Beauty: The Untold Stories Behind The Making Of Beauty And The Beast (53:24)*
• Character Development: Beast (3:49)
• Animation Tests, Rough & Clean Ups (4:54)*
• Early Presentation Reel (2:48)*
• Character Development: Gaston (3:12)
• Will vs. Nik (3:15)
• Character Development: Cogsworth (2:53)

Bonus Scenes 

• Deleted Scene: Belle In The Library With Introduction By Roger Allers (9:05)*
• Deleted Song: "Human Again" (6:57)*
• Deleted Song Sequence "Human Again:" Introduction By Don Hahn (0:45)*
• Deleted Song Sequence "Human Again:" Introduction By Alan Menken (0:41)*
• Alternate Story Open With Introduction By Peter Schneider (18:57)*

Cast & Crew 

• Always Belle (11:32)
• Searching For Beast's Castle (17:51)
• Acting As A Team (6:45)

Archives 

• The Beauty Of Voice Acting (10:25)
• Frame By Frame: A Thumbnail Sketch Of The History Of Animation (14:18)
• #1074: Walt, Fairy Tales & Beauty And The Beast (9:35)
• Disney: A Fairy Tale (8:28)

Music & More 

• Song Selection: Beauty and the Beast (Reprise) (0:49)
• Song Selection: Belle (Reprise) (1:01)
• "Beauty And The Beast" Music Video (Preformed By Celine Dion & Peabo Bryson) (4:24)*
• Jordan Sparks "Beauty And The Beast" Music Video (3:26)*
• Menken & Friends: 25 Years Of Musical Inspiration (19:05)
• Song Selection: Gaston (3:08)
• Song Selection: The Mob Song (3:27)
• Broadway Beginnings (13:07)*
• The Recording Sessions (3:47)
• Composing A Classic: A Musical Conversation With Alan Menken, Don Hahn & Richard Kraft(20:18)*
• Song Selection: Belle (5:06)
• Alternate Version: "Be Our Guest" (4:51)*
• Alternate Score: The Transformation (1:59)*
• Song Selection: Something There (1:56)
• Song Selection: Beauty and the Beast (2:47)
• Song Selection: Be Our Guest (3:40)
• Full Circle To Broadway (10:25)
• Ever A Surprise: A Portrait Of Howard Ashman (13:49)
• Song Selection: Gaston (Reprise) (1:08)

Etc. 

• Beauty And The Beast With Audio Commentary (1:31:43)*
• Beauty And The Beast Work-In-Progress Edition (1:25:39)*
• Beauty And The Beast Sing-Along Edition (1:24:53)*
• Beauty And The Beast Original Theatrical Edition (1:24:53)*
• 25 Fun Facts About Beauty And The Beast (5:22)
• Beauty And The Beast Special Extended Edition (1:31:43)*

Promos & Trailers 

• TV Spot #1 (0:32)*
• TV Spot #3 (0:32)*
• Large Format Release Trailer (2:31)*
• TV Spot #4 (0:15)*
• TV Spot #2 (0:32)*
• Original Release Trailer (2:29)*
• Beauty And The Beast Sneak Peak (1:23)

Additional Bonus 

• The Beauty Of Voice Acting (10:25)

Overall:

The 25th Anniversary edition is another fine release to celebrate one of the best animated films of all-time. If you missed the previous Blu-ray release then this is a must buy. 

Disney's BEAUTY AND THE BEAST 25th Anniversary Screening with the Film Society of Lincoln Center

“BEAUTY AND THE BEAST ” returned to Alice Tully Hall this evening, 25 years after it made its much acclaimed debut with a “work in progress’ screening, when Walt Disney Studios and the Film Society of Lincoln Center presented an exclusive screening in celebration of the upcoming “BEAUTY AND THE BEAST 25th ANNIVERSARY EDITION” release.

Blu-Ray Review: Bedknobs and Broomsticks Special Edition

Bedknobs and Broomsticks comes to blu-ray for the very first time! Considered a classic in its own right, it is one of my favorites from childhood.

The story follows three children, Charlie, Carrie and Paul as they move to a small village during World War Two. Their host, Miss Price, turns out to be a witch in the making. Her early attempts at magic don't turn out as planned but her spell on a bedknob creates a flying machine. Everyone including con-artist Mr. Browne end up on the animated island of Naboombu in search of a medallion that will save England from the Germans' blitz on London.

Video Quality:

The 1080p/AVC-encoded remastered video is gorgeous! Colors are vibrant and skintones look natural! The animated sequences have been completely cleaned up and practically look brand new! Another high quality restoration from Disney!

Audio Quality:

The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track is pretty solid. The dialogue is crisp and clear though you can hear some hiss here and there. The rear channels are fairly soft but the soundfield is pleasant.

Bonus Features:

• Music Magic: The Sherman Brothers (SD, 21 minutes): By far one of the strangest oversights was to not include the 139-minute extended version of the film but to include this featurette discussing the cut that was on the DVD release of the movie in 2001.  
• Deleted and Extended Songs (HD, 24 minutes): Four deleted songs included here are, "A Step in the Right Direction," "With a Flair" and "Nobody's Problems." Two extended songs included here are "Eglantine" and "Portobello Road."
• Deleted and Extended Scenes (HD, 10 minutes): "Captain Greer," "Ulterior Motives," "The First Supper," "Letter from Professor Browne," "Extortion," "Traveling Spell," "Substitutiary Locomotion" and "Matchmaker."
• David Tomlinson Recording Session (SD, 1 minute): This recording session from 1970 features David Tomlinson singing the ending of "Portobello Road".
• Disney Song Selection (HD, 21 minutes): Songs include here are "The Old Home Guard," "The Age of Not Believing," "Eglantine," "Portobello Road," "The Beautiful Briny" and "Substituiary Locomotion." 
• The Wizards of Special Effects (SD, 8 minutes): Wizards of Waverly Place star Jennifer Stone compares special effects from Bedknobs and Broomsticks to those used in the Disney Channel series.
• Theatrical Trailers (SD, 9 minutes): Four trailers are featured here.

Conclusion:

A charming Disney classic with a wonderful video and audio presentation with some great bonus features. The inclusion of the longer extended cut of the film would have been a great addition and made the Music Magic: The Sherman Brothers featurette make more sense. But Bedknobs and Broomsticks still deserves a place on your movie shelf.

*Disclaimer: A review copy was provided but the review is strictly my own.*