Mary Poppins (Disney Gold Classic Collection)

Mary Poppins (Disney Gold Classic Collection) Review

First let me say that I like this movie. I'm British by birth so I am duty bound to deduct one star for the most unsuccessful attempt at a British accent ever to be immortalized on film. It shows how much the standard of acting has improved when you hear the flawless British accents of actors like Rene Zellweiger or Johnny Depp. Dick Van Dyke simply can't do a British accent and should never have been cast in the part. There was a British actor/singer at the time called Tommy Steele, who already had an impressive stage and screen resume and who would have been perfect in the role. However, he was overlooked for the bigger name (in the US) of Van Dyke. Ironically, Julie Andrews was passed over a year earlier for the movie of 'My Fair Lady' for the non-singing, but better-known, Audrey Hepburn (whose cockney accent was almost as bad as Van Dyke's). Andrews showed what a mistake that was by winning an Oscar for this film. However, that quibble aside, this is a joyous, entrancing movie.

The funny thing I referred to in the title of this review is that in most movie adaptations of books, like say the Harry Potter series, angry reviewers spend much time and energy complaining that the movies don't follow the books. Hardly anyone (I did find one such review) says that about 'Mary Poppins', even though the movie bears little resemblance to the book and, in particular, the character of Mary Poppins is completely changed.

Personally, I've never felt that movie adaptations need to follow the books on which they were based. Movies are a totally different medium and the only criterion should be whether the movie works as a movie. In that respect, 'Mary Poppins' works admirably.

Mary Poppins (Disney Gold Classic Collection) Overview

There is only one word that comes close to accurately describing the enchanting Mary Poppins, and that term was coined by the movie itself: supercalifragilisticexpialidocious! Even at 2 hours and 20 minutes, Disney's pioneering mixture of live action and animation (based on the books by P.L. Travers) still holds kids spellbound. Julie Andrews won an Oscar as the world's most magically idealized nanny ("practically perfect in every way," and complete with lighter-than-air umbrella), and Dick Van Dyke is her clownishly charming beau, Bert the chimney sweep. The songs are also terrific, ranging from bright and cheery ("A Spoonful of Sugar") to dark and cheery (the Oscar-winning "Chim Chim Cher-ee") to touchingly melancholy ("Feed the Birds"). Many consider Mary Poppins to be the crowning achievement of Walt Disney's career--and it was the only one of his features to be nominated for a best picture Academy Award until Beauty and the Beast in 1991. --Jim Emerson

Available at Amazon Check Price Now!

*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Aug 29, 2010 11:40:06