The original Mary Poppins film is loved by audiences for Julie Andrews characterisation of PL Travers’ magical nanny and Dick Van Dyke’s atrocious cockney accent.

This reboot has been careful to show respect to Walt Disney’s traditions of excellence and the heritage of its vast collection of classic films, such as the original Mary Poppins.

This reimagined story reintroduces us to the Banks children as adults. Michael is widowed and hopeless at finances, which means he and his children are about to lose their family home. It’s all about saving the family from the clutches of the repossession lawyers.

Michael Banks has become a responsible adult who has forgotten about the wonder of childhood.

Cue entrance by Emily Blunt as Mary Poppins. Cue song and dance routines aplenty.

There is no danger of Julie Andrews’ Mary Poppins being superseded by Emily Blunt’s rendition. They stand side by side as fantastic interpretations of the character.

Blunt is delightful as she sings, act and dances. Her performance is toe-tappingly superb. Yes, my toes were literally a-tappin’ during the featured song and dance numbers.

The person behind the choreography is the film’s director, Rob Marshall, who is responsible for the Oscar winning success of the film version of the musical Chicago.

The original Mary Poppins and this reimagining are complementary. They can be viewed independently afrom one another.

If you care to look deeper into the film, there are clear statements about the class divide between the wealthy bankers, who are depicted as wolves baying at the doors of the poor and underprivileged, and the working classes, such as Jack, the lamp lighter, and exemplified by Jane Banks’ position as a union organiser for the rights of the working people. 

This is quite remarkable when you consider the domineering position of the Disney organisation in the world of entertainment and Walt Disney labelling his own studio workers as communists during a strike in the McCarthy era.

But there is no doubt that there is no one better than Disney at creating on-screen magic and once again they deliver with Mary Poppins Returns. It’s full of dance, song, animation, emotion and magic and was thoroughly enjoyable. 

If you’re not smiling as you watch Mary Poppins Return then you have clearly forgotten what is means to be a child with a child’s imagination. Go ahead, treat yourself. Mary Poppins Returns is definitely supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.