Mary Poppins Returns Review: 5 Ups & 4 Downs
A fun, flawed sequel to the classic musical.
The 54-years-in-the-making sequel to Mary Poppins is finally here just in time for Christmas, and you know what? It's pretty good.
Pretty good, but as most sensible folks expected, also plenty flawed when it comes down to David Magee's (Life of Pi) script and some especially workmanlike effort behind the camera.
But if you're going into the movie simply hoping for a nostalgic return to this world and its beloved characters, then Mary Poppins Returns is sure to leave you feeling (mostly) warm and fuzzy inside.
It certainly excels where you'd expect it to - its two headlining stars, above all else - and doesn't besmirch the grand legacy of the classic original. So, not a classic itself - and certainly not perfect in every way - but a solid-ish sequel? Absolutely.
Though it's unlikely we'll see the film competing seriously in many major Oscar categories, it's undeniably fighting a mean fight when it comes to the crafts and, yes, the songs...