Mary Poppins Returns (5 Stars)

This was my first cinema visit of 2019. It started the year off with a bang. It's a film that has been a long time in the making. There are eight books in the Mary Poppins series. The first book was adapted into a film in 1964, and this is the second book. At this speed it will be more than 300 years until the series has been completed.

"Mary Poppins Returns" takes place about 20 years after the first film. Michael and Jane Banks were children in the first film, now they're adults. Michael has children of his own, but his wife has died, so his sister Jane is helping him raise the children. They live in the same house where they grew up. At the beginning of the film lawyers come with the information that the house will be repossessed within a week because Michael is three months behind with a loan.

At this point Mary Poppins descends from the sky. She takes her place within the Banks' household as if she had never left. Her priority is the children's well-being. She's aware of the problems with the loan, but she doesn't get involved.

This isn't a film to be enjoyed with your head, it's to be felt with your heart. The visuals are glorious, and there are more animated sequences than in the first film.

Many of the songs from the first film have become classics that have taken their place in British culture, maybe also American culture. People in Britain know the songs by heart. The question I asked myself while sitting in the cinema was whether new classics have been created. It's difficult to decide after only hearing the songs once. My impression of the first half hour was that there was nothing of epic quality, but as the film continued the songs improved. I'm not talking about songs being merely good, I'm talking about songs that will be remembered from generation to generation for the next 50 years and beyond. That's a lot to ask of any songwriter.

The film achieved its highest peaks in the big song and dance musical numbers. There was a Wow effect every time they were in full swing. This is a musical magic that's missing in weaker films like "La La Land". There are more of these scenes than in "Mary Poppins", making "Mary Poppins" a more spectacular film overall.

I love this film. That's all I can say. The rest of 2019's films have a lot to live up to.