DVD review: “Mary Poppins 45th Anniversary Edition”

Posted by brandy

on January 30, 2009M at 8:41 am

A version of this review appears in Friday’s Weekend Look section of The Oklahoman.

“Mary Poppins 45th Anniversary Edition”

One of Disney’s most charming and beloved live-action musicals, “Mary Poppins” celebrates another anniversary with yet another two-disc special edition.

Set in 1910, the film introduces a magical nanny into the unhappy Banks family. The Banks children, Jane and Michael (Karen Dotrice and Matthew Garber), run wild because their banker father (David Tomlinson) and suffragette mother (Glynis Johns) are too busy with their own pursuits to pay their offspring any mind.

When the family’s nanny quits, Mr. Banks searches for a strict replacement, but the children wish for a kindly caregiver. A changing wind blows away all the candidates lined up outside the Banks home and brings Mary Poppins (Julie Andrews) flying in with her magic umbrella and carpet bag.

At once fun-loving and no-nonsense, Mary and her jack-of-all-trades pal Bert (Dick Van Dyke) take the children on enchanted adventures, introduce them to colorful characters and gently teach them to be caring.

Based on the books by P.L. Travers, with whom Walt Disney negotiated for years to get the film rights, the movie features indelible song-and-dance numbers such as “Step in Time,” “A Spoonful of Sugar” and “Let’s Go Fly a Kite.” “Jolly Holiday” and “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” merge the actors with a delightful animated landscape.

“Mary Poppins” was nominated for 13 Oscars, won five and launched Andrews film career. The 45th anniversary edition includes many bonus features, including a 50-minute making-of documentary, behind-the-scenes featurettes, a deleted song, a bonus short and more. Viewers can watch the film with an audio commentary, with the lyrics of the songs or with pop-up facts.

Unfortunately, most of the bonus features are recycled from the 40th anniversary edition.

Families and fans of musicals certainly should add “Mary Poppins” to their DVD library, but those who already own the last edition don’t need the 45th anniversary set.

- BAM

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