To be honest I’ve always found the idea of Mary Poppins a little bit scary. I mean she’s a near omniscient flying nanny who apparently doesn’t age and can manipulate your mind and reality. What is not scary about that?
But the remake is on Netflix so I figured… Let’s do this!
And to be honest I still find Mary Poppins a bit scary.
Mary Poppins (Emily Blunt) returns this time to care for the new generation of Banks children right around the time the bank is looking to repossess their beautiful home. Michael Banks (Ben Whishaw) is falling apart after the death of his wife. Mary also has a friendship with a lamplighter called Jack (Lin- Manuel Miranda) who remembers her from the first time around.
Jack was supposed to have a thing for Jane Banks but Miranda played him in such a way that I’m pretty sure Jack was writing smutty Mary Poppins fan fiction in his spare time.
Mary’s also the kind of nanny that gets the kids lost in a fog so they can dance around with strange guys. The animation sequence was kind of cool though the song (A Cover is Not a Book) lyrics felt strangely burlesque and then freaky animated characters told the kids they had been watching them in the nursery forever.
Weird.
They don’t even say good-bye to her at the end. Jeez.
Anywhere it was an okay movie. There wasn’t any great songs in it that I think will be classics in even ten years time. The part with Meryl Streep drug on way too long and was pointless. In the end I didn’t really connect with anything and it felt strangely cold and removed for a film that’s supposed to be a children’s movie based on a beloved classic no less.
Recommend: I’d say no. Even having never seen the original- past clips and knowing the music- I’d say stick with that one. Though I think I’d still find her a bit scary in the end.
Nice review. I’m sorry you didn’t enjoy it more. I did like this, although the original will always come in first for me. You should definitely watch it if you can. And if you think the Mary Poppins of film is dark, you should check out the original series by PL Travers.😱
Oh dear I kind of want to now!
Haha! I read them when I was a kid and they gave me nightmares! Have you seen Saving Mr. Banks?
I have not 🙁 it’s one of those movies that perpetually sit in my wishlist but never get watched!
Even from the first time we saw this movie I found it quite a let down from the original, mostly the music. Like you said, there was nothing in there to really wow you, or make you still sing the song decades later. Maybe the opening bit from Lin Manuel Miranda, but I was so thrown off by how obviously re-dubbed it was. I love Emily Blunt and thought she did a fine job as Mary Poppins, but the writing and story and music were all so lackluster. :/
I kept waiting for the songs I knew and nothing!
No shit! That top pic is scary!
haha…when you put it this way: I have to agree…she really is scary lol 😂 I think it’s always going to be a problem to make a sequel to a film that is by most people at least, regaraded as a true classic.Still I always like Emily Blunt and I might check this one out at some point. Just not in a real rush for it. I’ll make sure to so goodbye to her though. Because well…that’s the decent thing to do right? Great post! 😊
Thanks! I love Emily Blunt and she is good in this… she just lacks maybe some of the warmth that Julie Andrews had.
oh God that film was so annoying. I normally don’t watch musicals but I like Blunt and she was good here but Miranda was so frustrating to watch, every time he sang my soul died a little lol
His whole character was off. Like a Mary Poppins stalker or something.
That’s Emily Blunt? Wow- I had no idea. I’m a so-so fan of the first one, although it’s too long (man, that movie never seems to END) but I don’t really have a strong desire to see a remake. and lol some of the stuff you mention DOES sound a bit iffy these days!
Great post! I love the original musical, watched it hundreds of times so obviously I’m cautious about watching a remake… I think on your advice I will give it a miss!
Thank you!
For some reason i find Emily Blunt kinda scary, so whatever she plays… it will be scary-ish 😀 Haven’t seen this one. The old Mary Poppins used to be a christmas thing back when i was a kid. It was on telly for years around that time.
Emily Blunt is apparently a lovely person but I don’t know she gives off this kind of coldness/intense vibe that felt even more harsh in a children’s movie. Glad to know its not just me though.
Oo, dear. I was looking forward to this one, but the reviews I read seemed to be ripping it apart. I’ll stick to watching the original one day, though the whole magical nanny thing seems a bit overwhelming…