The musical is rated PG and opens in theaters December 19.
FOOD/DRINK BEFORE SCREENING: popcorn, Milk Duds, and soda
MOOD: stressed but excited
EXPECTATION OF MOVIE: super-high
As always, I'll start by letting you know where my head was when I saw Mary Poppins Returns.
I'd raced to the screening after work and hit some predictable downtown Seattle traffic, so I felt a little stressed.
But I was also excited – out of all the movies coming out in 2018, this was the one I looked forward to the most.
I wanted a full-on movie theater experience, so I took out a second mortgage and bought popcorn, Milk Duds, and a soda.
I had incredibly high expectations because the original Mary Poppins was my favorite movie as a child.
Mary Poppins Returns picks up a couple decades after the first one left off, and Michael and Jane are adults.
He still lives in the same house on Cherry Tree Lane with his own children and that's just the beginning of nostalgic call-backs.
The animation is also entirely in the spirit of the first movie, which was an inspired decision.
It's hard to top Julie Andrews as Mary Poppins, but I'm happy to report Emily Blunt is practically perfect in every way.
She walks the fine line between being regally poised and totally joyful, and when she starts to sing and dance you're reminded of how unbelievably talented she is and how much of a mere mortal you are.
Lin Manuel Miranda is also delightful as Jack, though I have to admit he had so many solo songs and duets that I started to wonder if his character was more of a starring role than Mary Poppins.
The music was good overall. There's no "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious," but a song called "The Place Where Lost Things Go" made me cry - in a good way.
There are also some very fun things to look forward to at the end - don't let anyone spoil it for you!
But when all was said and done, I didn't obsessively love the movie like I’d expected. And that surprised me.
So I did something I've never done before in terms of Honest Reviews - I watched it a second time to make sure I didn't miss anything.
And I don't think I did.
With that, my Honest Review of Mary Poppins Returns is four out of five umbrellas.
It's beautiful and creative and magical but it didn't sweep me off my feet like the original did.
It’s likely that my expectations were so high, no movie could have met them.
So, buy your tickets with reasonable expectations. I’m sure you’ll love every minute.
WHAT IS “HONEST REVIEW”?
I’m a member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association. I interview actors and filmmakers. I’ve worked in broadcast television for 20 years.
I’m also a Seattle wife and mom who works full-time and sits in an hour of traffic (minimum) every day.
Sometimes I’m tired when I screen a movie. Sometimes I’m traveling and I miss my kids. Sometimes I’ve had a glass wine when I should have had a glass of water.
All of these things can impact my reaction to a film. Because I’m human.
So in an effort to write an Honest Review, I’ll always list the external factors that might affect my enjoyment of the movie. Then, I’ll give you my review. Then, you can decide if it’s useful or not.
What do you think of Honest Review or Mary Poppins Returns? Let me know at @kimholcomb.
