When I was younger, I would sit on the floor of my grandparents’ house looking up at the TV screen and watch my favorite nanny float down from the sky.  “Mary Poppins” was a staple while I was growing up; I must have watched it a dozen times, happily singing about a spoonful of sugar, filled with awe and wonderment, and believing in the impossible. I was thrilled to be able to relive that same awe and wonderment while watching “Mary Poppins Returns,” the sequel to the original “Mary Poppins.” There are many things to be praised in this movie, including the acting and cinematography. However, a few things didn’t quite live up to the hype, like the music and the unoriginal story.

The children Mary Poppins nannied in the first movie (Ben Whishaw as Michael and Emily Mortimer as Jane) are all grown up now and have kids of their own. In this story, Mary Poppins (Emily Blunt) returns to help the Banks’ children after their mother has died and the bank is threatening to repossess their family home. Besides a few character and plot changes, “Mary Poppins Returns” basically follows the same story as the original movie. The people from the bank are the main villains, a grown-up Michael has forgotten what it’s like to be a kid, and the children are kind-hearted but slight troublemakers. The movie even has musical and dance numbers in the same spot and about the same things as in the first “Mary Poppins.” For example, the iconic chimney sweep song and dance from the first movie is replaced by a similar same song in dance in this movie, except it was about lighting lamps. This makes the movie feel more like a remake than a sequel.

The thing that makes “Mary Poppins Returns” so entertaining is the casting. Julie Andrews left massive shoes to fill as the role of Mary Poppins, and Emily Blunt fills them perfectly. I don’t think anyone could have played this iconic role any better. She played the caring, classy and slightly narcissistic nanny to a tee. I would even say she was “practically perfect in every way.” Emily Blunt isn’t the only big name in this movie, though. Meryl Streep (the Oscar award-winning actress) plays the eccentric fixer named Topsy, and the creator of “Hamilton” (the most popular musical in history) Lin Manuel Miranda plays Jack the lamp lighter. Jack follows the kids along during their adventure and is basically a rebranded version of Bert, the chimney sweep from the first movie. Although Lin Manuel Miranda did fine in his role, he was missing the over-animated comic acting that Dick Van Dyke brought to his character. We don’t completely miss out on his eccentric humor though. Dick Van Dyke makes a short cameo at the very end as Mr. Dawes Junior, the bank owner. He even gets his own song, although in my opinion, the song isn’t very good. The lyrics are boring and the tempo is dull.

The thing I’m most disappointed with in this movie has to be the soundtrack. All of the songs are mediocre at best. None of them are as catchy as the original music and, to be honest, I don’t even remember any of them. I think there might have been one about a balloon but I’m not quite sure. I wouldn’t be so disappointed in the music if this were any other movie but this is “Mary Poppins Returns” and the original movie’s music is so well known. Even though Lin Manuel Miranda didn’t write the music, the fact that he was associated with the movie caused me to have high expectations for the soundtrack. Besides that though, there are still many things to be praised. The animation is amazing. Director Ron Marshall opted for an old style of animation – just like the original. These animations made the movie very fun with bright colors and comical characters. For example, the carnival scene was filled with vibrant colors and goofy animals. Marshall also did a great job keeping the scenes upbeat and fun, making sure there was never a dull moment. This movie overall was a pleasant one to watch.  

In the end, “Mary Poppins Returns” is an aesthetically pleasing movie with a great cast of characters. It doesn’t quite live up to the first movie, but sequels are rarely as good as their predecessors. My favorite part of watching this movie had to be at the very end when I heard the little girl behind me tell her mom that it was her new favorite movie. I’m happy that kids of the next generation will be filled with the same awe and wonderment I felt when I was a kid, sitting on my grandparent’s floor, watching Mary Poppins float down from the sky. Overall, “Mary Poppins Returns” is a great movie for kids and a nice nostalgic moment for all of us who grew up with Mary Poppins.