What do you think of when you hear the words, “Mary Poppins?” If you’re like most people, you most likely think of magic, childhood or a supercalifragilistic nanny. When some people learned that Disney was releasing a sequel to the original “Mary Poppins,” they were unsure what to think. “Mary Poppins” was a childhood favorite for many, so the inherent fear was that this sequel would spoil the legacy and magic of the original. It was expected that it would be extremely difficult – perhaps even impossible – for Disney to find another actress who would live up to the exemplary standards of Julie Andrews, who portrayed Mary Poppins in the original film. “Mary Poppins Returns,” debuted in theaters on Wednesday, Dec. 19. Many fans hoped that some of the original music would be integrated and that some fundamental references from the original film would be incorporated as well.

This movie was absolutely wonderful and blew the audience away. All of the worries they may have regarding casting and the magic were put at ease within the first 10 minutes of the film. Emily Blunt, who portrays Mary Poppins, does an excellent job at preserving even the tiniest of nuances of such a beloved character. In addition to Blunt, Lin-Manuel Miranda, who portrays Jack, a character resembling Bert from the original film, does a spectacular job at representing the loveable quirks that his character brought to the original film. The child actors Pixie Davies (Anabel), Nathanael Saleh (John) and Joel Dawson (Georgie), who portray the Banks children, were stellar and substantially contributed to the film. The children were what made this film so sentimental, as it largely focused on the family attempting to save their home after their mother passes away. The musical numbers are phenomenal and the animated characters interacting with human characters is a fantastic detail that remains consistent with the magic of the original film. 

There are a few critiques that could be made of the film. First, Dick Van Dyke from the original film makes about a two-minute appearance. Although the dance number he performs is outstanding for a person of his age and status, it would have been nice to see more of his character because he is such an iconic member of the original cast. The movie could have a stronger ending. Head to a theater near you to watch the film before it leaves as this film is most certainly enhanced when viewed on a big screen.