Mary Poppins Returns
Not quite the return I was hoping for - 6/10
by Movies-Graded
- Performances: 7/10
Why? Faced with perhaps her biggest challenge yet in her young but promising career, Emily Blunt is probably the best part of the sequel everyone was eagerly waiting for. Despite lacking Julie Andrews' presence, her performance as the magical nanny who's practically perfect in every way cemented her as being one of this generation's most versatile actresses, having appeared previously in action flicks ("Edge of Tomorrow") and horror films ("A Quiet Place"). The same cannot be said, sadly, about the rest of the cast, which includes a Ben Whishaw betrayed by weak character development, a Lin-Manuel Miranda who basically imitated Dick Van Dyke's acting in the original "Mary Poppins", and finally a Colin Firth whose mustache-twirling villainous character was laughably underdeveloped. Meryl Streep also appears in the film in a brief scene that feels forced and only there to add the Oscar-winning actress' name on the poster.
- Screenplay: 4/10
Why? I absolutely love the original "Mary Poppins". It takes anyone who watches it on a magical adventure that will leave them with a big smile on their face that will last long after the credits start rolling. When a sequel was announced, I had mixed feelings about it since the classic is not exactly a film that needs one. Having watched it now, I can definitely say that continuing Mary Poppin's story was not Disney's best idea. While the film did contain some endearing moments that will enchant families who decide to watch it during the holidays, most of it sadly feels too cliché and safely written. It tries to mimic the original by having very similar antagonists, locations, dance sequences, characters, or plot devices that just give the film this whole déjà vu feeling I couldn't shake off. The sequel also features an extremely weak villain in Wilkins, played by Colin Firth, the president of a bank who does the impossible to confiscate the Banks house for no apparent reason. In order to stop him from doing so, Michael needs to find a share certificate that will save him and his family by paying off their loan (I'm sure kids will find this fascinating), which led to an ending that was so underwhelming and unsatisfying that it had me rolling my eyes more than once. Mary Poppins' comeback to the big screen, due to a screaming lack of originality, a villain with no motivation whatsoever, and an extremely weak ending, is sadly a forgettable one, to say the least.
- Special Effects: 8/10
Why? The only aspect that was improved in a sequel made over 50 years later. The special effects featured in the original movie don't hold up as well as the rest of it and even though I wanted to see something new and original, it was still nice to see the animated bit done with today's technological tools.
- Costumes/Makeup: 8/10
Why? Colorful and reminiscent of Victorian-era London, the costume design was well done considering the general tone of the movie.
- Editing: 6/10
Why? The film did drag and could've been about 15 minutes shorter. Some dance sequences went on for way too long and some scenes could've been edited out of the final cut.
- Cinematography: 6/10
Why? Safe, just like everything else in the movie. The movie doesn't offer anything new visually and sometimes has a conflicting color palette that was a bit distracting.
- Score/Soundtrack: 7/10
Why? The soundtrack plays a major part in the success of the film's predecessor. Classics such as "Chim Chimney" or "A Spoonful of Sugar" stood the test of time and are still listened to today. The same cannot be said about the good but very forgettable soundtrack of "Mary Poppins Returns". Not one song stayed with me after the screening, and I never found myself wanting to listen to it a second time ever since. However, the score written by Marc Shaiman was much better than the songs he wrote for the movie, and I did enjoy one performance that was an obvious homage to "Chicago", perhaps Rob Marshall's best and most famous musical to date.
FINAL GRADE: 6/10
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