Experience the extraordinary animation, dazzling special effect and
award-winning music of Walt Disney's Mary Poppins in this fully
restored and remastered 2-Disc 40t 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 enchanted by
unforgettable characters such as the multitalented chimney sweep Bert
(Dick Van Dyke).
CRITIQUE
1964. The time period in which Disney had so much credibility. So much
promise. The only iffy things Disney did were risks on big massive
productions like Mary Poppins. It's a shame where Disney is at
now. I'm pretty sure Uncle Walt himself would be disappointed. I grew
up with Mary Poppins like anyone else as a kid. I remember
seeing it years and years ago every year on TV around Thanksgiving. It
was almost like a tradition in a way.
Before there were the magical moments and stories of Harry Potter,
there was Mary Poppins. Mary Poppins, outdated in today's standards of
filmmaking, still has lots of magic to entertain and enchant. Plus, I
always get a kick out of Dick Van Dyke's character and his comical
approach to it. Mary Poppins is a full-on musical with very
little breaks between the song and dances. Some of the song and dances
are a bit dry, while others is still a feast for the eyes and ears.
THE VIDEO
Walt Disney presents Mary Poppins in 1.66:1 widescreen format.
This is, without a shadow of doubt, the best quality I have ever seen
of the film. The picture is darkened a bit but also preserved the
vintage quality - so it isn't cleaned up as much as like Star Wars for
example. I would say, Disney approached this the same way Universal
approached the remastering of The Birds, the picture is
darkened, certain unnoticeable scratches get cleaned up while
preserving the feel of the film. Considering how many times this film
gets reissued, this is again the utmost best picture quality. You are
truly getting your money's worth. I am somewhat
curious how Bambi will turn out this March.
THE AUDIO
Disney presents Mary Poppins in English 5.1 stereo surround
sound, as well as in French and Spanish. Once again, Disney delivers
with its own Enhanced Home Theater Mix, something of a trademark with
Disney DVDs nowadays. I was somewhat skeptical on how the audio would
turn out, but as I viewed the film I was amazed how it presented
itself. I expected the dialogue and such to be distorted, but that’s
not the case. The music is presented clearly and the sound effects
blast from the speakers.
THE EXTRAS
* Commentary by actors Julie Andrews, Dick Van Dyke, Karen Dotrice,
composer Richard Sherman, and archival recordings from others
including
Walt Disney
* "The Cat That Looked Like A King" new animated short
* "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious: The Making of Mary Poppins" -
new
50-minute documentary
* Deleted song "Chimpanzoo"
* "A Musical Journey with Richard Sherman"
* "A Magical Musical Reunion" with Julie Andrews, Dick Van Dyke and
Richard Sherman
* Sing Along Songs
* Deconstruction of a Scene: "Jolly Holiday" & "Step In Time"
* "Movie Magic" - Special Effect featurette
* Dick Van Dyke Make-Up Test
* The Gala Movie Premiere, trailers, stills, publicity & art galleries
* "I Love to Laugh" Set Top Trivia Game
* Poppins Pop-up Fun Facts Viewing Mode
There are actually more extras than what is even listed here. From
the few Disney titles I have, this is the most jam-packed DVD from
them up to this point. It is really hard to pass this up.
FINAL THOUGHTS
For the amount of stuff that's inside this DVD, not to mention the
cinematic achievement this film is, it's a must for every DVD
collection!
