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Rating: 5 out of 5
Mary Poppins. Mary Poppins. Mary Poppins. There is no name or character more synonymous with Disney than Mary Poppins. The character is a cultural icon in the world of film. It has been a few years since I watched the sassy, charming, magical, and life-changing nanny played by the fantastic and great Julie Andrews. Disney made one of the best movies and musicals of all time. That is a lot coming from me because I can’t stand musicals sometimes. I like only three of them. If you are looking for a reason why this movie and character is so great, it’s because her name and style have lived on through the ages. Look no further than Guardian of the Galaxy. Vol 2 when Yondu saves Star Lord and yells, “I’m Mary Poppins Y’all!”
For a quick overview, the film starts when Jane and Michael, the wealthy and uptight Banks family’s children, have run off another nanny. The Banks are quite an interesting family with Mrs. Banks fighting for women’s rights and Mr. Banks, a board member in the city’s largest bank, along with being quite misogynistic with some of his comments. After putting out an ad for a new nanny, they are pleasantly surprised by the arrival of the magical Mary Poppins. With Mary Poppins around and stating she will only need a week, the family embarks on a series of adventures that will soon show the family what they love the most and bring them closer together.
I want to say that I forgot how good Mary Poppins is, and this is coming from some who really doesn’t like musicals. I was very much entertained and felt like a kid again. I forgot how much of a GANGSTA Mary Poppins was. In the word of Lil Jon and the Eastside Boyz, Mary Poppins was here to play no games because you already knew her name. When she first arrived, she was hardcore. Watching the nanny’s blow away like paper in the wind. They all looked like they could fly, and then Mary Poppins floats in like a real GANGSTA. You want to talk about an entrance? She sure does know how to make an entrance.
Some people get stressed out during a job interview, but homegirl was like, naw, homie, I got this because I’m Mary Poppins, and I will make everything right in one week. Who goes to a job interview and tells the employer what they need and then says they don’t do references because they are old fashion and then gets right to work because they have no time for foolishness?
I was honestly amazed at the special effects in this movie. I forgot most of it and only slightly remembered the penguins. First, Mary Poppins bag is by far one of the most incredible things. Who pulls out a full mirror, hat rack, and plant? I like how her tape measurer tells people’s personalities. If you wondered what Mary Poppins is, it stated that she is “practically perfect in every way.” Another scene is when Mary and the kids are cleaning the room, and Mary is singing. The reflection in the mirror sings certain parts while Mary in real life sings other parts. How about when the toys march in the toy chest along with the hats fly through the air.
Another AMAZING scene was when Mary and the kids met up with Bert, and they jumped into one of his chalk paintings. This whole scene is pre-Who Framed Roger Rabbit? With the combination of live-action and cartoon. I forgot how well the entire scene was done, and the song “Jolly Holiday” is a perfect song for this whole scene. Who couldn’t love Bert dancing with the cartoon penguins? I want to dance with some penguins. At the end, I love how the medicine in the bottle changes color and taste per person. Mary is quite the little alcoholic shot taker with her Rum Punch medicine. I see you Mary Poppins. One question I have is, was Bert and Mary a thing back in the day? When they were singing “Jolly Holiday,” they seemed to be very smitten with each other and have known each other for a long time.
With any musical, we have to talk about the songs. A great musical, I think, has very memorable songs, and this movie has more than enough of them. “A Spoonful of Sugar” is one of the best songs ever sung in Disney history. It is a very simple song with an up-tempo melody. Makes me think of taking that classic medicine called Dimetapp. I will say this, maybe I should start singing the song when I clean my apartment. You know how easy it would be to just snap my fingers, and everything becomes organized. Oh, to have magical powers.
I thought “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” was in the movie for a longer period of time. It was in the film for a quick minute, and I forgot that it was part of the film’s cartoon section. One of my all-time favorite songs back in the day was “I Love to Laugh.” I think that song is so joyful and funny. I also forgot about “Step In Time.” That is another song that makes you want to get up and move those feet.
Even though there is no real villain, I want to say the whole bank scene creeped me out. Having all those old men sing about why you should invest your money in a bank. Hold up! Who the hell does the old man think he is to just grab a young boy’s money? If that family was black, then there would have been some MAJOR ass whipping going on. Must’ve lost his damn mind taking someone’s money.
I don’t know about you, but Julie Andrews as Mary Poppins was perfect. Some people are ideal and perfect for their role, and Andrews is everything you want in Mary Poppins. No other person should even be thought of when you need to cast for the character. Plus, homegirl even won the Academy Award for her role.
Let’s give a Big UP to Dick Van Dyke as Bert. He was an absolute joy to watch and then some. Homeboy had 4 jobs in the whole film and could probably do even more. The man straight hustled in the movie. He also played the bank owner. You couldn’t even notice it with all the incredible make-up and acting.
Mary Poppins is, by far, one of Disney’s greatest films. Julie Andrews is fantastic in her role as the sassy and strict Mary Poppins. The songs in this film a tremendous and a joy to sing to. Have fun watching this excellent film.
