It is 30 years after the events of the original. Jane and Michael Banks (Emily Mortimer and Ben Whishaw) are now grown up. Michael has 3 children of his own: Anabel (Pixie Davies), John (Nathanael Saleh) and Georgie (Joel Dawson). Their mother has recently passed away, and their life is difficult to say the least.
It is into this situation that Mary Poppins (Emily Blunt) steps in to help sort things out.
Also in this film, we meet Jack (Lin-Manuel Miranda of Hamilton fame) who was an apprentice to Bert from the original film. He is a lamplighter in the streets of London, and has his own part in the ensuing adventures.
I won't say anything more about the plot, because I believe to do so would spoil your own enjoyment of this film. I thought long and hard about something I could say, or give away, but there really is nothing.
For fans of the original film, this film will give you that same enjoyment, as the tone and feel of the film are so similar, as Rob Marshall - the film's director - is a huge fan of the original, and has tried to create something that is so close to the original, but also goes further in telling the story of these characters. And he has done a wonderful job of that. If you are not a fan of the original film, I would advise you not to worry too much about seeing this one, as whatever it was that you didn't like about the first film will be just as present in this one, and you wouldn't like this, either.
But being a fan of the 1964 film myself, I loved this sequel. Emily Blunt is inspired casting at its best, and portrays this role made famous by Julie Andrews, with impeccable skill. Her portrayal of Mary is not completely identical to Julie Andrews, but she brings her own abilities to the fore throughout. And it is still very much the Mary Poppins we have known and loved for decades.
Speaking of inspired casting, Lin-Manuel Miranda is also incredible in his role. In fact, his first musical number - which appears right at the beginning of the film - is by far my favourite song in the entire film. I left the theatre humming the tune, and still at the time of writing this review have the words stuck in my head. And he even nails the Cockney accent!
The rest of the cast are great, too. There is not a person out of place in this film as far as I could tell. Other notable appearances include Meryl Streep, in a role that showcases her musical abilities in an even greater way that Into the Woods did years ago; Colin Firth as a truly believable villain, played in a not-too-understated way; and Karen Dotrice, the original Jane Banks, in a beautifully sweet cameo that fans of the original will love. Even Dick van Dyke makes an appearance, and shows that even at the age of 92, he can still pull off a ripper of a song and dance number.
Of course, one can't review a musical film such as this without talking about the songs. Marc Shaiman (music) and Scott Wittman (lyrics) have created some really fantastic moments throughout, even using Miranda's abilities with rap (again, think Hamilton) to great effect.
The animation sequences are done brilliantly, and again harken back to the original. All the voice cast have been chosen well, and there was not a moment where I doubted that the characters were truly in a magical world.
Everything about this film is a reminder of just how enjoyable the first film was all those years ago, and indeed, has been for years since and continues to be, while at the same time, bringing these characters and stories to a whole new generation of fans. I enjoyed almost every moment of it.
9 out of 10.
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