A musical fantasy adventure sequel in which the magical nanny returns to once again look after the Banks children.
Against all the odds, this is a very worthy follow-up to the original movie. Blunt is pitch-perfect, as ever, in a film that all but insists you leave with a smile slapped on your face.
A sweet, evocative throwback that delivers all the feels – in the most delightful way.
Diehard fans of the first film will very probably love this sequel, for the undoubted detail and fervour with which it reproduces the template, though with a little more of a Broadway feel than it had in 1964. I admire it for its craftsmanship and technique, like a machine for creating nostalgia.
The nostalgia here could easily have been very cloying. Instead, it adds to the richness and mystery. In an era of superhero franchises where sequels to successful movies turn up almost instantly, Mary Poppins’s return shows that sometimes it pays to wait. Half a century on, her allure hasn’t faded at all.
Doing the same old thing doesn’t achieve the same old results. Stick to the original.
If it's hardly the equal of the adored original, its unabashed nostalgia is interspersed with impressive amounts of imagination.
Emily Blunt makes the iconic role her own in an affectionate sequel.
Director Rob Marshall does a fine job, although it doesn’t have the heart, humour or depth of recent British children’s films like Paddington 2. It does, however, have the feel-good factor, just the right pace, some great cameos, and dazzling visual style.
It was always going to be hard to watch for a diehard Poppins fan, but this sequel to the 1964 classic retains the magic.
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General release. Check local listings for show times.
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