Directed by Robert Stevenson
Starring: Julie Andrews, Dick Van Dyke, David Tomlinson, Glynis Johns
Daddy Says:
Yay! My daughter has returned from summer camp, just in time to review another movie this month. She's gained a slight tan from being outside for two weeks, and seems a bit tired, but will her tastes have changed? We shall wait and see.
I picked this movie to watch because I remembered it being pretty good the first time I saw it, a long time ago, and also to perhaps see what my children thought about it, to see if they liked it as well. Mary Poppins is a modern fairy tale, with some great sets and very well choreographed dance numbers, the film is a visual delight.
There are some amazing special effects, which stand up quite well in this age of anything goes when you've got CGI to work with. I was also reminded that Who Framed Roger Rabbit wasn't nearly the first film to have live actors interact with cartoons. There is an extended scene where Dick Van Dyke dances with a chorus line of animated penguins that is a really fun moment. If they had only animated some shadows for the penguins, the effect would have been even better.
The songs, for the most part are incredibly catchy. I found myself humming "a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down" long after the movie ended. The movie won two of its five Oscars for music (best original score and original song "Chim Chim Cher-ee") and rightfully so.
There are, among other good performances, two standout performances by Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke. Most people remember the Academy Award winning performance by Julie Andrews as the "practically perfect" title character, but I had completely forgotten just how good Dick Van Dyke is in not one, but two roles. If you've never seen the film, I won't spoil it, but stick around through the end credits for a delightful surprise.
This was the first Disney movie nominated for a Best Picture Academy Award. While it may have lost out that award to My Fair Lady, it most certainly deserved its nomination. Mary Poppins is a "practically perfect" children's film, and a joy to watch.
Rating for Mary Poppins: *****.
Daughter Says:
Mary Poppins is definitely a magical ride that everyone loves to watch. I would happen to be one of those people that love this movie. I don’t think that anyone could have made this movie any better.
It has almost everything a musical could need. One of those things would be the great music. I love all the songs in this movie. (Which I’m sure you all know of) The music department that was hired for this film was brilliant. I think the songs are what made Mary Poppins a classic.
Not only were the songs amazing but Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke were awesome. How many people can you say do a brilliant job at jumping into chalk paintings and dancing with penguins? Not many. Andrews really brought Mary Poppins to life. She’s nearly perfect in every way with her beautiful voice and rosy cheeks. So is Dick Van Dyke with his creative jobs and great imagination. Him and Mary Poppins make quite a pair. I always thought that those two should have been together forever at the end of the movie. (Oh well, It has a happy ending all the same.)
But they probably couldn’t have done it without the help of the crew. All the dance choreography was something special. Everyone involved went perfectly in sync with the songs. The cartoon parts were pretty good for that era too. The whole thing put together was pretty creative for that time period. This movie should have definitely made it on the must see list.
If you haven’t seen this movie yet, don’t wait another second. It is a must see for all. Mary Poppins isn’t one of those one time fun things to see. It is one of those types of movies that makes want to watch it over and over again.
Rating for Mary Poppins: *****.
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