10 Awesome Movie Effects That Aren't What You Think

5. The Magic Bathtub - Mary Poppins Returns

Mary Poppins Returns Emily Blunt
Disney

What You Thought

Whatever you made of Mary Poppins Returns, it's practically impossible to forget that gorgeous shot of the magical nanny (Emily Blunt) sliding backwards into a bathtub and disappearing beneath the bubbles.

It was featured in all the trailers and did a fantastic job conveying the escapist thrills the film was shooting for.

And given the film's pervasive use of CGI, everyone quite understandably believed the effect was digital, because why wouldn't it be?

The Actual Effect

Astoundingly, this was pulled off completely in-camera, with the effects team ingeniously constructing a bathtub with a secret slide in the bottom, allowing the actors to ride it to a crash mat on the floor below.

The film as a whole is so awash with lavish visual effects that most viewers didn't even give it a second thought - this had to be CGI, and yet it absolutely wasn't.

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Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes). General video game, TV and film nut. Occasional sports fan. Full time loon.