Mary Poppins floats elegantly back into the hearts of not only the Bank’s children but into every viewer, after a long awaited time.

For many the approach to a second installment to such a poignant, childhood classic brings on feelings of wariness and trepidation as to many, including myself, Mary Poppins was a huge part of their past. I personally remember days I would be home from school because of sickness, tucked up on the sofa, teddy in hand, feeling all the better as “a spoon full of sugar helping the medicine go down” was the exact tonic I needed to feel human again and recalling the lyrics to all the songs with a smile spread on my face. These are the kind of films that you fear the ruin of a household name, however here, it has been strengthened and extended its life for the new generation to enjoy.

Many films which involve prequels or sequels draw too much attention to its predecessor or none what-so-ever, creating an attempt at a stand-alone film which again was neither the case with this. Instead, it gave loving care to its fore-bearer, giving honest recall to the original is not simple “nods” but welcoming the original spirit of the film to join in. All of this is epitomized in the look and feel of Cherry Tree Lane, Old Man Boom, and the tunes to the original themes of characters and songs mirrored in the new episode (the immersed cartoon world, the odd character visit, and the working-class group helpers).

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I had to remind myself to treat this film as a separate entity as I continually told myself “it’s not the same” but of course it wasn’t the same and the pinnacle of that point is that Emily Blunt is playing Mary Poppins. Emily Blunt brings a different tone and accent to Poppins allowing a freshness to the role without overshadowing Julie Andrews. Everything was ticking all the boxes nicely, grading itself as a “nice enough” film, until it came to “Where the Lost Things Go” to which point the scales we shifted and the entity that was the magic of Mary Poppins escalated to an all new level, tugging on the heartstrings and really singing out the perfection that is/was the film by urging tears to come to my eyes. And I wasn’t alone as I heard a few scattered sniffles from parents and children alike.

After that point, the films stand-alone power radiates and the magic and charm of the characters and the story was allowed to envelop me in the knowledge that this was on the road to greatness instead of ruin.

An entirely new magical adventure to immerse yourself into headfirst whilst staying true to its roots. A real Christmas Cracker.