SYNOPSIS:
Experience the extraordinary animation, dazzling special effects and award-winning music of Walt Disney's Mary Poppins in this restored and remastered 2-Disc 45th Anniversary Edition! Join the practically perfect Mary Poppins (Julie Andrews) for a Jolly Holiday as she magically turns every chore into a game and every day into a whimsical adventure. Along the way, you ll be enchanted by unforgettable characters such as the multitalented chimney sweep Burt (Dick Van Dyke). Unpack Mary's magical carpetbag full of bonus features, including all-new bonus from the Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious Broadway production of Mary Poppin. You won't need a Spoonful Of Sugar to love every moment of this timeless Disney classic!
MOVIE REVIEW:
For a movie that is made more than 40 years ago, this is definitely one impressive feat. So impressive, it is a must watch. Surely you have heard of songs like “Chim Chim Cheree” and (stand by for this one) "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious"? While you continue to figure out how to pronounce the title of the latter (we have been trying for years now), let this review do its job of telling non initiated readers the wonders of this musical which was the “It” musical to watch during the 1960s.
The story is based on P. L. Travers’ “Mary Poppins” books, and is definitely standard Disney fare which is wholesome and friendly. Definitely ahead of its time when it was made in 1964, the 139 minute brings together live action sequences and animated figures with a colourful palette of songs and colours (as if you are not expecting this from a Disney movie already?). The titular Mary Poppins is a super nanny who flies into our world with her umbrella when a cold and unhappy banker’s family requests for a nanny. She proceeds to make things with her extraordinary magical powers, and yes, songs and dance. What you can expect in the end is a happy ending where the gloomy family has turned into a joyful one.
And why would a straightforward plot like this warrant more than two hours of runtime? Because this is a musical, and it features more than 10 songs so catchy, you’d want to watch them over and over again (maybe dance along even!) with this 45th Anniversary Edition DVD. You’d be amazed with the amount of effort and details put in for the intricately choreographed musical sequences. You’d be inclined to sing along (switch on those sing along lyrics first!) to soak yourself in the mood of things. And most importantly, you’d want to be part of the magical world presented on screen.
Of course, lead actress Julie Andrews’ (The Sound of Music, The Princess Diaries) screen presence is one main factor why this film is so well loved. She actually makes you believe that there is a flying nanny who would make things right with “A Spoonful of Sugar”. Andrews won a Best Actress Oscar statuette with her portrayal Mary Poppins. She is joined by co star Dick Van Dyke who tells you what joy you can get when you “Step in Time”. With five Oscar wins (Best Actress, Best Visual Special Effects, Best Film Editing, Best Original Song and Best Original Score), this movie is one legendary production which you have to watch (if you haven’t already) to experience the magic – and continue to figure out how to pronounce "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" effortlessly.
SPECIAL FEATURES :
This 45th Anniversary Edition Code 3 DVD is loaded with lots of special features – two discs worth of them!
DISC ONE:
Music & More – In this section, you can choose to jump straight to a song with the Disney Song Selection. “A Spoonful of Sugar”, “I Love to Laugh” or “Let’s Go Fly A Kite”? It’s up to you!
Backstage Disney – The Audio Commentary with Julie Andrews, Karen Dotrice, Richard Sherman, Robert Sherman and Dick Van Dyke is an informative listen. Andrews and Van Dyke tell us that they are in a projection room with tea and scones, while the rest recorded theirs on a separate session. Together, they go down memory lane and talk about how different scenes are created – without computers! You can also choose the Poppins Pop Up Fun Facts to know more about the movie, from how Travers agreed to the movie adaptation in view of declining book sales, and how the original pencil sketches are researched for the look of the movie.
Sneak Peeks – Here, you’d see trailers of other Disney releases like Bolt and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
DISC TWO:
Disney on Broadway – Mary Poppins: From Page to Stage is a 48 minute documentary which brings you behind the scenes of this popular musical, and it was conceptualised for the stage. The producers and cast of the musical talk about this joyful movie being transformed into a stage musical. The seven minute Step in Time: Musical Number from Mary Poppins on Broadway shows you how the song is performed on stage – very lavish indeed. Bob Crowley’s Design Gallery is also included on the DVD so you can get an idea of how beautiful the costume and set designs looked. You can also Download an mp3 of “Step in Time” so that you can listen to it while walking along the streets.
Backstage Disney – The 51 minute Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious: The Making of Mary Poppins has the cast talking about how much fun that had while shooting the movie. The reminiscing is an enjoyable watch, especially when you see how people like Van Dyke and Andrews have aged gracefully. Movie Magic is a seven minute clip which reveals the how special wizardry was employed for the production of the movie. The Gala World Premiere allows you to relive the magic on 27 August 1964 – a nostalgic feeling will overwhelm you in this 18 minute featurette. The one minute Dick van Dyke Make Up Test is a clip where you can see the actor put up lots of white beard, a process which took two hours. In the Publicity section, there are original theatrical trailers, TV spots and re-issue trailers to please the fans. The Mary Poppins Still Art Gallery is a showcase of visual development, recording sessions and other behind the scenes pictures.
Music & More – The 17 minute A Magical Musical Reunion featuring Julie Andrews, Dick Van Dyke and Richard Sherman has the three of them reminiscing about the phenomenal movie. Andrews talks about kids going up to her asking her whether she can fly – that’s enough for us to chuckle. A Musical Journey with Richard Sherman is a 20 minute featurette which has Sherman “revisiting” the sets and talking about how the musical sequences were conceptualised. Sherman also performs a Deleted Song: Chimpanzoo in this section.
Bonus Short – The Cat That Looked At A King from “Mary Poppins Opens the Door” by P.L. Travers is a 10 minute short has a little girl realising the magic of a painted tile when a cat jumps into it. It stars Andrews (may we add, she who has aged gracefully) who explores the magic with two adorable kids.
AUDIO/VISUAL:
The disc’s visual transfer is wonderful (almost magical, if we may say), and the movie is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound English.
MOVIE RATING:
 
DVD
RATING :
Review
by John Li
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