CHRISTIAN PARENT REVIEW OF DISNEY’S MARY POPPINS RETURNS
Is The New Movie Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious?
Disney’s Mary Poppins was originally released in 1964. Fifty-four years later, it is still a classic that is loved by young and old. In fact, it is my favorite live-action movie. So to say I had serious reservations about seeing Disney’s latest movie: Mary Poppins Returns, is an understatement. Disney has taken my favorite movie and made a sequel. Will it live up to the hype? Is it suitable for children? Should you go see it? In this Christian Parent Review of Disney’s Mary Poppins Returns, I will answer those questions and more while attempting to keep my review spoiler-free.
MOVIE SYNOPSIS: MARY POPPINS RETURNS
The movie centers around the Banks family years into the future. It is the 1930’s after the great stock market crash. Michael and Jane Banks are grown, and Michael has children of his own, Annabel, John and Georgie. Annabel and John are originally siblings to Jane and Michael in the story by P.L. Travers.
Mary Poppins, played by Emily Blunt, returns to help out Michael and his children in the same house that Michael and Jane grew up in at 17 Cherry Tree Lane. Lin Manuel Miranda plays Jack, a leery (lamplighter). There are also appearances by Meryl Streep, Angela Lansbury, and Dick Van Dyke.
Michael has taken a job at Fidelity Fiduciary Bank which is the same bank that employed both his father and grandfather before him. He is thankful for the job because unemployment is high, soup kitchen lines are long, and the bank forecloses on houses daily. Jane has followed in her mother’s footsteps and is a champion for civic causes.
When Mary Poppins returns, it appears that Jane and Michael have grown up and forgotten all about their adventures when she was their nanny.
Christian Parent Review of Disney’s Mary Poppins 2: THE GOOD
There is plenty of good in this movie. Miranda plays Jack’s role with such zeal that it is delightful to watch him on the screen. Every song he sings, every time he dances, his eyes sparkle. He was made to play this role. Blunt, as Mary Poppins, manages to have moments where you forget that Julie Andrews was ever Mary Poppins. There are adorable moments, and the nods to the original Mary Poppins movie are heartwarming.
Nods to the 1964 movie include:
- The kite with the original suffragette sash Mrs. Banks wore in the first film.
- The marble table in the entranceway is the original table from the Bank’s home.
- Photographs of Mr. and Mrs. Banks are on the mantle in the home.
- In the attic there are items – Reproductions of the snow globe, the blocks, and the jack-in-the-box which were in the original film.
I teared up at a few scenes, and Dick Van Dyke had me smiling ear-to-ear. This is a cute movie, but..
Emily Blunt is Mary Poppins, Lin-Manuel Miranda is Jack, Pixie Davies is Annabel, Nathanael Saleh is John and Joel Dawson is Georgie in Disney’s MARY POPPINS RETURNS, a sequel to the 1964 MARY POPPINS, which takes audiences on an entirely new adventure with the practically perfect nanny and the Banks family.
Christian Review of Disney’s Mary Poppins Returns: THE BAD
As much as I wanted to like this movie, I just can’t embrace it wholeheartedly. While it is cute, there are a few scenes that I cannot let go of. But even without those scenes, there was something unsettling to me. Blunt captured Mary Poppins most of the time, but there were moments that I felt like Mary Poppins was stripped of her dignity. But then I do not blame Emily Blunt for this. The writers, director and producer should take the fall for a “new Mary.” And while most people are praising this as the best musical of 2018, you have to ask yourself what other musicals have been produced this year?
There are plenty of new musical numbers in this film, and overall, most of the music is catchy.
Some of the movie borders on bizarre, not in a Mary Poppins way. I actually thought of Alice in Wonderland swallowing magic mushrooms bizarre. My 15-year-old walked out of the movie saying, “The movie was not super-cali-fragilistic-expealidocious, and at times was just atrocious.”
SPOILERS AHEAD:
In the animated scene, Mary Poppins sings a song. The words are odd, and the innuendos are even weirder. I felt this was a sexualized scene and the way Mary Poppin’s hemline raises and she “growls” during the song suggests she is trying to show her womanly side, but the children are with her at this time.
The scene after Mary is singing is eventually treated as a dream, but it involves a child kidnapping and “bad guys.” Some children may be frightened during this scene.
Additionally, Mary Poppins arrives at the Banks’ house because their mother has passed away. If you or your child have experienced a loss of a loved one, there may be scenes that are harder to handle.
Michael Banks sings a song about his wife and wonders where she went.
The Teachable Moment:
There is one scene that teaches such a powerful lesson as a Christian. The line is said, “If ever I lose my way, I just look for a little light to guide me.” The entire movie is about Michael losing his way, and at one point, the children are walking through the fog and have gotten lost. As a Christian this reminds me of the verse Psalm 119:105 “Your word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.” When we lose our way, we can hold to God’s word to guide us back to where we need to go.
My Recommendations for Disney’s Mary Poppins Returns
You came here looking for a review and recommendation. But most likely if you want to see it, you will go regardless of what a critic or movie reviewer says. Some of you will see it before you take your kids, and some will say that the things that bothered me really shouldn’t have.
My recommendation is for ages 6 and up. This movie is colorful and dark and upbeat and depressing. But I do believe that younger children will be bored in parts. I don’t think this movie will stand the test of time, but I will probably see it again to see if it “grows on me.” As for now, I can’t say I love this movie. On a scale of 1 to 10, I would give it a 6.
About the Movie Mary Poppins Returns:
Rating: PG for some mild thematic elements and brief action.
Release Date: December 19, 2018
Runtime: 2 hours, 22 minutes
Genre: Family, Musical
Studio: Walt Disney Pictures, Lucamar Productions, Marc Platt Productions
Director: Rob Marshall
Written by: David Magee, PL. Travers and Rob Marshall
Producer: Callum McDougall
Co-Producers: Angus More Gordon, Ben Howarth, Michael Zimmer
Editor: Wyatt Smith
Music by: Marc Shaiman
Musical Consultant: Richard Sherman
Distributed by: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Based on the Mary Poppins Stories by P.L. Travers
The Cast of Mary Poppins Returns:
Mary Poppins played by Emily Blunt
Jack the Lamplighter played by Lin-Manuel Miranda
Mr. Dawes, Jr. played by Dick Van Dyke
Michael Banks played by Ben Whishaw
Jane Banks played by Emily Mortimer
Annabel played by Pixie Davies
John played by Nathanael Saleh
Georgie Banks played by Joel Dawson
Ellen played by Julie Walters
Cousin Topsy played by Meryl Streep
Wilkins played by Colin Firth
Gooding played by Jeremy Swift
Frye played by Kobna Holdbrook-Smith
Balloon Lady played by Angela Lansbury
Admiral Boon played by David Warner
Binnacle played by Jim Norton
Miss Penny Farthing played by Noma Dumezweni
Angus played by Tarik Frimpong
Frequently Asked Questions:
Where Can I Watch Mary Poppins Returns?
Mary Poppins Returns can be watched on Disney+ with a subscription. Furthermore, it can be viewed or purchased on VOD (video-on-demand) platforms such as Amazon Prime, Apple+ and Youtube
Is Mary Poppins Returns Streaming on Disney+?
Yes, Mary Poppins Returns is currently streaming on Disney Plus.
Can I watch Mary Poppins Returns on Amazon Prime?
Yes, you can watch Mary Poppins returns on Amazon Prime, however, it is not free. You can buy or rent it on Amazon Prime.
How Much Did It Cost to Produce Mary Poppins Returns?
Mary Poppins Returns had a production budget of $130 million. However, it grossed $349.5 million worldwide.
Why is Bert not in Mary Poppins Returns?
The chimney sweep named Bert was originally played by Dick Van Dyke. He does not appear in the movie and the reason given in the movie is that he is traveling the world. They have replaced Bert with Jack the Lamplighter played by Lin-Manuel Miranda.
Did Emily Blunt sing in Mary Poppins Returns?
Yes, Emily Blunt did sing in Mary Poppins Returns. Blunt sang, “The Place the Lost Things Go,” and six other songs.
Was Angela Lansbury in Mary Poppins Returns?
Angela Lansbury is in Mary Poppins Returns. She has a role as the old Balloon Lady. The part was supposed to be a role for Julie Andrews who played Mary Poppins. However, Julie Andrews declined the role.
Is Jack the Lamplighter related to Bert?
No, Jack is not related to Bert. However, Jack knew Bert as he was his apprentice.
Who sings A Cover is Not the Book?
A Cover is Not the Book is sung by Mary Poppins and Jack. (Emily Blunt and Lin-Manuel Miranda).
Make sure to read my post Comparing the Original Mary Poppins Movie with the Book by P.L. Travers HERE
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Reviewing movies for parents from a Christian perspective since 2005. Know Before You Go!
Christian Homeschooling mom – 30 years and counting
Autism Mom & Disney enthusiast
Hi Patty,
Just want to say thankyou to you for being so thoughtful and decerning in your review of this new Mary Poppins movie. Your review was much more thorough and informative than other reviews that I read. It does sadden me that Disney isn’t making movies that really shine as they did years ago. I love the original Mary Poppins. It lives on as my favorite movie. I do plan to watch the new one, with the awareness that it could be disappointing and maybe sad at times as I have lost close loved ones.
Anyway, thankyou again, and I just want to share with you that I also have a son on the autism spectrum. He also has Sensory Processing Disorder so he never watches movies as he is afraid they will be to scary or intense for his nervous system.
All the best,
Susie:
Thank you so much for your heartfelt comments. I love to hear from my readers.
I would love to hear more about your son. How old is he? My son, Jack-Jack, will be 15 this month and just watched Maleficent. We were shocked that he asked to watch it, but he wants to go see the 2nd one coming out this month.
Blessings,
Patty
It’s great that people have a forum to share their views and helpful to read your perspective. I must say I cringed slightly reading one or two of the comments. As Christians we must be careful to sift through what we take into our hearts and minds and certainly not to blindly accept everything we hear and see. But sometimes my concern is going completely the other way and finding darkness darker than anything actually intended. ‘The Cover is Not the Book’ is a patter song. It’s a typical 1930’s bawdy type melody of the time common in England and in America. It’s fun, it’s bawdy, it’s a stacked with a bit of innuendo. Is it necessary…no, really it isn’t necessary, is it meant to be light hearted and fun….well yes I think it was. The lyrics aren’t quite as horrifying as suggested if you read them by the writer not looking them up online. Does this movie have a Christian message? Well it’s not designed to teach people about God. It isn’t advertising itself as a Christian movie, but does that mean that what it has to say is wrong? In ‘The Lovely London Sky’ Jack encourages us to see the slump of the time won’t last long, hold on to those we love, we are lucky for what we have and to keep looking up’, by no means bad messages to take away. Can You Imagine That encourages us to look at how fun and laughter can draw us out and help us not to sink into our troubles. The Cover is Not The Book’, well if you read between the lines you can take the message as you wish, I chose to see the positive, the King learnt to be happy with what he had, not to try to be the person that he wasn’t (he made a friend, I didn’t see that as suggestive to anything more) and the overlying message, read between the lines, don’t judge by appearance. Where the lost things go… a message of hope that our loved ones aren’t lost but memories live inside us, and finally Trip the Light Fantastic…well, we could all do with shining our light for the world to see when life is getting scary!!
There is enough cynicism anger and darkness in the world. Maybe we can take the positive from this movie and enjoy it for what it is, and leave any negativity behind! If you read their comments the Producer and Writers themselves had positive messages for this movie. I am thankful for the positive messages it offers and hope others will take away some much needed positivity too.
I understand what you are saying, however, when you have a child on the spectrum who repeats everything he hears in a movie, you begin to understand the significance of some of those lines. When he walks up to a stranger and says a line, it always sounds worse than when it was said in the movie. Saying, “it was a line in a movie,” is even worse because then people wonder what I have been letting him watch.
I write my movie reviews for Christian parents. What offends one family may not offend another. I simply want to inform my audiences of what may be offensive. I often get messages from families thanking me before they went to see a movie when other movie “reviewers” haven’t even mentioned a potential scary scene or offensive scene. I obviously do not write for the “movies are evil” crowd, and I certainly don’t write for the “anything is permissible” crowd.
I will admit that I thought I may have been too hard on this movie, but I doubt that it will be considered a classic 30 years from now.
As always, I appreciate any feedback I receive and thank you for your time spent on my site!
Did I hear the child say “rucking foad” and was corrected? I saw the movie 2X.
I did not pick up on that. I saw it twice myself. What part of the movie? Was it during the “Trip the Light Fantastic?”
Thank you very much for your review Patty. 🙂 I had my concerns when I saw the movie with my children when the vaudeville scene came up. I caught a couple of things in the song: A Cover is Not the Book. I looked up the lyrics later on and found out that it was laced with as many innuendos as something like The Canterbury Tales. The song starts off with Mary saying that her uncle read her many stories – when he wasn’t drunk. It goes on to tell of a flat chested girl who is taken advantage of by a man, against her will, and gets pregnant with many children. The second story of a rich lady who goes to the beach all but nude so that no one will know that she’s rich and try to steal anything from her. The third story tells of a king who is sad because he’s unintelligent and is finally seduced by another man who convinces him to be content with both his unintelligence (and his repressed homosexuality). He leaves the queen and runs off with the other man, “on a rainbow.” I just had no idea when I saw the movie how much subtle, insidious meaning was packed into those songs. Beware of Disney. They are anti-Christian.
Thank you for reading and commenting. While watching the movie, I picked up a good many words from the song, and was “irritated,” but thought maybe I was reading too much into it. I do want people to form their own opinions, and I do know that many of the songs from my generation are loaded with innuendos that I never picked up on as a child or even as an adult, until my son started questioning meanings of songs. Sadly, I believe this period of time will be known as Disney’s dark days because there are not many “excellent” movies. They are just cranking out movies without any thought to being excellent in all things.
Thanks, Patty. I wanted to let you know that out of all the ‘Christian’ reviews that I read, that yours was by far the most discerning. Most of the other reviewers gave it high marks and completely missed the things that you saw. Thanks, again, for your work! 🙂
Thank you for the review. It saddens me that they stripped Mary Poppins if her dignity. Especially today, at the height of the “me too” movement, women need to be portrayed as maintaining their dignity and fiercely protecting it in all circumstances.