The well-loved character of Mary Poppins has returned for another incredible adventure. Mary Poppins Returns, released in theaters on December 19th, continues the story of the original Mary Poppins film. Now an adult with three children, Michael Banks, played by Ben Whishaw, is visited by his childhood nanny after he learns that his house will be repossessed unless he is able to pay back an old loan. Played by Emily Blunt, Mary Poppins arrives to take the Banks family on a fun-filled adventure full of magic, hoping to save the day alongside her friend Jack, a chimney-sweep similar to the character of Bert in the original Mary Poppins.

The movie was very well-done, and the visual effects were incredible. Including realistic scenes of the busy streets of London, as well as an imaginative, colorful cartoon world created by Mary Poppins and the Banks children, it allows anyone watching to feel as if they are in the movie themselves. The music was also beautifully written, and each new song made me enjoy the movie more. The cheerful and upbeat songs such as “Nowhere to Go But Up,” “Can You Imagine That?” and “Trip a Little Light Fantastic” set the mood for the fun-filled adventures that the Banks family experienced; furthermore, there were multiple songs in the film that created a deep understanding of the many emotions that each character experienced. My personal favorite, titled “A Conversation” and sung by Ben Whishaw, explains Michael Banks’s tragic struggles with grief after the loss of his wife. The song was emotionally relatable to me because I have struggled with grief many times in the past, and it helped me to connect with the characters in ways that I normally wouldn’t be able to.

Many viewers, myself included, were also shocked at the surprise cameo of quite a few beloved actors from the original movie. Dick Van Dyke, who played both Bert and bank chairman Mr. Dawes Senior in Mary Poppins, returned near the end of the movie and performed a memorable scene where he began singing and dancing on a desk. Karen Dotrice, who played the original Jane Banks, also made a brief special appearance in the movie, although she was only seen on camera for a few seconds walking the busy London streets early in the morning. Also, although she was not in the original film, Angela Lansbury had a short special role of “The Balloon Lady” near the end of the movie and sang the beginning of “Nowhere to Go But Up.”

Although I enjoyed the movie, I didn’t think it was quite as good as the original Mary Poppins. Mary Poppins Returns was unable to recreate the magic of the original movie for me, and I didn’t really feel drawn to it as I did with the original. I also felt that Emily Blunt wasn’t exactly the right fit for the part of the beloved nanny that Julie Andrews played so well in Mary Poppins; however, I would still recommend the movie to anyone that is looking for a fun and adventurous family film.