Review: Mary Poppins Returns - A Magical Musical that will delight all ages

Remaking classic movies can often be risky business with more misses than hits (remakes such as Sylvester Stallones' take on Get Carter simply can't be unseen!). Therefore it was with a little trepidation that I ventured to Tralee Omniplex with family on board to the Rob Marshall remake of what is one of Hollywood's most beloved musicals in Mary Poppins.
Mary Poppins Returns tells the tale of bank teller Michael Banks, now an adult with three children who learns that his house will be repossessed in five days unless he can pay back a loan. His only hope is to find a missing certificate that shows proof of valuable shares that his father left him years earlier. Just as all seems lost, Michael and his sister receive the surprise of a lifetime when Mary Poppins (played by Emily Blunt) - the beloved nanny from their childhood - arrives to save the day and take the Banks family on a magical, fun-filled adventure.
Director Rob Marshall had to unenviable job of not only recreating this classic story but also giving it it's own air of originality and not disappointing the many fans of the original 1964 feature. The good news for all concerned is that by and large he manages to achieve this, thanks in no small part to some superb central performances and accompanying stunning visual effects.
Emily Blunt brings her own unique qualities to the lead character with an added sass and humour that works quite well with Lin-Maniel Miranda, Ben Whimshaw and Emily Mortimer adding strong support in their respective roles.
The one area where the film does underwhelm slightly is in the musical department with the musical numbers lacking the unforgettable quality of the original but then again replicating calibre of the original songs was always going to be a near impossible task.
As far as pure escapism goes however, Mary Poppins Returns was a delight, with smiles etched across the faces of the younger members of my cinematic clan at regular stages throughout the 130 minute running time. Advances in technology, also add to the production with some musical sequences in particular strikingly spectacular and help elevate this feature above the levels of mediocrity often seen in the family film genre throughout 2018.
Overall, Mary Poppins Returns is a more than capable sequel to the original classic and is one that is bound to bring a smile to faces young and old in what is a delightful feel good feature with much to admire.
✸✸✸✸