Mary Poppins is based on the classic children’s book of the same name by P.L. Travers. Walt Disney originally approached Travers in the 1940s about buying the rights to Mary Poppinsand after twenty years of trying, Disney was finally given the rights to make the movie. Mary Poppins tells the story of the Banks family: George – the neglectful, banker father; Winifred – the distracted, suffragette mother; and their children Jane and Michael. After running another nanny out of the house, Jane and Michael take it upon themselves to write an advertisement for a new nanny. George, unhappy with the children, rips up the letter and throws it in the fireplace. The next day, Mary Poppins flies in with her umbrella and carpet bag and quickly turns their lives upside-down. During her time with the family, Mary Poppins takes the children on adventures into paintings with jack-of-all-trades Bert, teaches them responsibility and words like “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious,” and helps bring the family closer than ever before.
Mary Poppins has been fully-restored for the 50th Anniversary Blu-ray and truly has never looked better. That being said, there are pros and cons to the restoration. The positive side is the animation and most of the live-action scenes look incredible. There is a good amount of film grain present, but that is expected for a movie made in the 1960s featuring a lot of bleak, dark scenes around London. The negative side to the restoration shows in the scenes that required special effects. The special effects in the film are without a doubt incredible. Peter Ellenshaw and Eustace Lycett were the two responsible for the effects in Mary Poppinsand deserved the Oscar they won for the film’s visual effects. However, when comparing scenes with and without effects, it is evident that there is a loss of quality in the scenes that have effects. There is nothing that can be done to correct this, nor should it be corrected, but it is impossible for some to ignore. The audio sounds crisp, clear and the songs really come to life on this release. Disney even did a 7.1 mix for Mary Poppins which could be considered overkill, but it is perfect for sound enthusiasts.
Special Features
The special features on this set are a bit of a letdown from what you’d expect from a 50th Anniversary Edition. There are technically only two new extras – all of the others are labeled as ‘Classic Bonus Features’ and have been included in previous DVD releases. Even then, one of the new features is more of a promotion for the new film Saving Mr. Banks rather than a behind the scenes look at Mary Poppins. The classic features are fantastic, and if you’re experiencing them for the first time then it won’t be such a big deal, but more new content should not have been out of the question.
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