Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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157 of 165 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Now available in a 2-disc DVD edition!, November 25, 2004
Mary Poppins may be =the= stand-out live-action movie that Disney has ever produced. Or will ever produce.
All the songs are very memorable. Who out there does not find themselves humming or even singing along with the likes of "Chim-Chim-Cheree" or "Spoonful of Sugar"?
Julie Andrews will always be remembered for her role as Mary Poppins, and Dick Van Dyke absolutely shines as Bert the Chimney Sweep. Van Dyke also plays the senior officer of the bank - and has his very best scene where he realizes that the punchline - "A wooden leg named Smith" - is funny. Andrews won an Academy Award for Mary Poppins, and the movie also won Best Visual Effects, and Best Music Score, as well as Best Song ("Chim Chim Cher-ee").
The scene where "I love to laugh" is particularly poignant. Ed Wynn died not long after the release of Mary Poppins, and shows some of his best comedy style in this scene. Very laughable.
The story is top-notch and has a wonderful moral without being too "preachy". It was a very good adaptation from the original novel, and it's a shame Disney never did any of P L Traver's own sequels to Mary Poppins.
The animated bits are a little flat by today's standards, but they add a wonderful whimsey to a stellar production. Highly recommended to any family with children. A must-buy for Disney fans.
This is the far better, two-disc, 40th anniversary edition that not only restores everything to digital quality, but adds a second disc of deleted scenes (and a song!), commentary, and many other cool new features. Look for the new 40th anniversary DVD edition - it's worth waiting for!
It's just supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!
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78 of 80 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Disney's Live Masterpiece Shines More Brightly than Ever!, December 6, 2004
"Mary Poppins" is one of that select group of films that can truly be called 'Classic', a project conceived in love and filled with so much child-like wonder that it will never grow old or 'out-of-date'. Certainly the crowning achievement of Walt Disney's remarkable career, the "Mary Poppins" 40th Anniversary Special Edition is simply magnificent!
Based on P.L. Travers' tales of a magical nanny who arrives to bring families closer, the rights to the stories had been pursued by Disney since 1938, but Travers had seen what studios had done to other authors' works, and withheld her approval unless she could maintain some creative control. Years of negotiations only whetted Disney's desire to make a definitive, truly 'special' film, and by 1960, despite the box office failure of another fantasy-themed 'pet' project, "Darby O'Gill and the Little People", he was more confident than ever in the story's potential, bringing together a remarkable array of talent, including songwriting brothers Richard and Robert Sherman, production head Bill Walsh, and the brilliant artist Peter Ellenshaw to 'visualize' 1910 London through his matte paintings.
With Travers' grudging approval, casting began. While American stage and TV star Dick Van Dyke was an odd choice to play a Cockney chimneysweep, he was a gifted mime and physical comedian, and had such a wholesome exuberance that Disney knew British audiences would forgive his shaky accent. Popular British actors Glynis Johns and David Tomlinson would play the preoccupied parents, with Karen Dotrice and Matthew Garber (from "The Three Lives of Thomasina") as the neglected children. Veteran stars Ed Wynn, Elsa Lanchester, Reginald Owen, Arthur Treacher, and Jane Darwell (as the Bird Woman, in her last screen appearance), headed the strong supporting cast.
But it was the casting of Julie Andrews, in her first film, as Mary Poppins, that truly 'made' the film! Passed over by Jack Warner for the movie version of her stage hit, "My Fair Lady" (he opted for Audrey Hepburn), Disney caught her performance in "Camelot" on Broadway, knew, instantly, that she was the right 'Mary', and approached her for the role. "But I'm pregnant," she told him. "No problem," he replied. "I'll wait!"
And thus a Classic was born!
A multiple 1964 Oscar winner (including 'Best Actress' for Andrews, who got to share the stage with her "Lady" costar, Rex Harrison, who won 'Best Actor'), the film was a major hit, worldwide, and quickly achieved the legendary status it holds today.
For it's 40th Anniversary, Disney's heirs have put together a spectacular package; along with the digitally-remastered film (it looks and sounds SUPERB!), a second disc of additional features includes a joyous reunion of stars Andrews and Van Dyke (who both seem ageless!); reminiscences of Robert Sherman, who sings a cute ditty cut from the final film; a fascinating 50-minute "behind-the-scenes" documentary about the production; featurettes on how the FX were achieved in several key scenes; and much, MUCH more! As the owner of several "Special Edition" Disney DVDs, I can honestly say, THIS is the BEST, yet!
With the holidays fast approaching, I can't think of a finer gift to give, or to get!
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47 of 50 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One Word Sums It Up: Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!, February 13, 2003
In 1964, Walt Disney Pictures, under the directorship of Robert Stevenson, released what became a timeless, musical, fantasy called "Mary Poppins". Starring Julie Andrews as the mysterious & magical Mary Poppins, the film is a fictional account of a dysfunctional family living in London circa 1910. The father, George W. Banks (David Tomlinson, who played Emelius Browne in "Bedknobs and Broomsticks" in 1971), is obsessed with his job at a prestigious Fidelity Fiduciary Bank and with maintaining a professional atmosphere at all times at home. The mother, Winifred Banks (Glynis Johns, whose film career began in 1938), is preoccupied with demonstrating as a suffragette and maintaining a clean home. Their young children, Jane (Karen Dotrice) and Michael (Matthew Garber, who died at the young age of 21 in 1977), are allowed minimal time with their parents, who prefer to have a nanny look after and raise their children for them. Unfortunately, Jane and Michael rarely like any of their nannies, who regularly quit after the children do something mischievous to each of them. Also working for Mr. & Mrs. Banks are the maid Ellen (Hermione Baddeley, who played Mrs. Cratchit in the 1951 classic "Scrooge") and the cook Mrs. Brill (Reta Shaw, who played in "Pollyanna" in 1960 and "The Ghost & Mr. Chicken" in 1966), neither of which have the time or the desire to look after Jane and Michael.Following the departure of yet another nanny, George decides to hire an appropriate nanny himself. Jane and Michael write their own advertisement for a nanny, but George regards their innocent description as rubbish as he intends to find a nanny that will uphold his every professional expectation. Mysteriously, the children's advertisement, that George tossed out, comes to Mary Poppins. When a very lengthy line of perspective nannies are seen at the Banks' front door early one morning, all of them are blown away by a strong wind. Coming down from the sky via an umbrella is the magical Mary Poppins. Expecting a rush of perspective nannies to race through the door, only Mary Poppins waits to enter the Banks' home. George interviews Mary, but he is quickly confused by her wit and unexpectedly hires her. From that point on, nothing is quite the same in the Banks home and the children get a nanny that not only fulfills their expectations, but becomes something much more to them. Along the way, the children are also introduced to several interesting people, including the handyman Bert (Dick Van Dyke, who starred in his own 1961 TV show and starred in "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang"), Uncle Albert (Ed Wynn, who also played the toy-maker in "Babes in Toyland" in 1961) and the bird woman (Jane Darwell). Many of the songs in the film are well known by people who have never seen the film, including: * "Sister Suffragette" (4.5/5, Glynis John). Winifred calling for the rights of women to be able to vote.
* "The Life I Lead" (5/5, David Tomlinson). George describing his life and what a British home should be.
* "The Perfect Nanny" (4.5/5, Karen Dotrice & Matthew Garber). Jane & Michael telling what they want in a nanny to their parents.
* "A Spoonful of Sugar" (5/5, Julie Andrews). Mary encouraging the children to clean their rooms upon her arrival.
* "Pavement Artist (Chim-Chim-Cheree)" (5/5, Dick Van Dyke). Bert's carefree life.
* "Jolly Holiday" (4.5/5, Dick Van Dyke). Bert describing how wonderful it is to be with Mary Poppins again within the sidewalk chalk painting.
* "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" (5+/5, Julie Andrews & Dick Van Dyke). A word you use when you don't know what else to say.
* "Stay Awake" (5/5, Julie Andrews). A lullaby to Jane and Michael.
* "I Love To Laugh" (4.5/5, Julie Andrews, Dick Van Dyke, Ed Wynn). Uncle Albert is visited who is suffering from incurable laughter.
* "A British Bank (The Life I Lead") (5/5, David Tomlinson & Julie Andrews). Mary telling George that he'll be taking the children to the bank with him.
* "Feed the Birds (Tuppence a Bag)" (5/5, Julie Andrews). Mary describing the life of a poor woman who enjoys feeding birds.
* "Fidelity Fiduciary Bank" (5/5, Dick Van Dyke and David Tomlinson) Mr. Dawes Sr. (also played by Dick Van Dyke), the CEO of George's bank, sings praises to the British banking system with George to Jane and Michael.
* "Chim-Chim-Cheree" (5/5, Dick Van Dyke). Bert describing the carefree life of chimney sweep.
* "Step in Time" (4/5, Dick Van Dyke). Song and dance upon the sooty rooftops of London.
* "A Man Has Dreams" (4.5/5 Dick Van Dyke and David Tomlinson) George singing his woes to Bert.
* "Let's Go Fly a Kite" (4.5/5, David Tomlinson and Glynis Johns). George & Winifred spending time with Jane and Michael. It is not surprising that so many children and adults alike love "Mary Poppins". It's catchy songs and fantastic situations propel the audience into a magical world of laughter and love that can be watched many times while never becoming tiresome. It also made Julie Andrews a household name with her unforgettable performance as Mary Poppins. Julie Andrews went on to play leading roles in "The Americanization of Emily" (1964), "The Sound of Music" (1965), "10" (1979) and "Victor/Victoria" (1982). I highly recommend the purchase of "Mary Poppins" on DVD, where it can be fully appreciated in its widescreen format. I rate this DVD with 5 out of 5 stars.
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