Mary Poppins Returns: A Spoonful of Sugar (and a pinch of spice, too)

Mary Poppins Returns

With the recent influx of remakes coming through from Disney, it was with a mild sense of trepidation that I took my seat for Mary Poppins Returns. I needn’t have worried. A retrospective sequel, Mary Poppins Returns hits all the right notes, both literally and metaphorically. With plenty of nods to the original, Mary Poppins Returns shines on its own without treading on the toes of the Poppins legacy. A perfect accompaniment, in fact- retaining the magic and adding a little pinch of spice to the proverbial spoonful of sugar.

The children from the first film, Michael and Jane, are now all grown up (and in need of their nanny once more). Michael is a widower with three youngsters to care for (John, Annabel and Georgie), and while his sister lends a helping hand when possible, the family face financial problems. Their home on Cherry Tree Lane is in danger of being repossessed, unless they can provide evidence of shares ownership. This key document was not only important in saving their family home, but it also served to patch up the infamous kite- the very thing that bonded the family in the first film.

From the “lovely London sky”, Mary Poppins descends on the other end of that very kite. The stormy weather begins to settle and the clouds disperse upon her arrival, a meteorological metaphor if ever I saw one. With her fastidious demeanour, classic charisma and the occasional twinkle in her eye, Blunt was indeed “practically perfect in every way” for this role.

All in all, Mary Poppins Returns was a nostalgic, whimsical delight that I completely lost myself in. It made me smile (a lot), laugh (heartily) and moved me to tears in places (honestly, I challenge you to not shed a tear during The Place Where Lost Things Go).

What did you think of Mary Poppins Returns?