Mary Poppins (1964)

This was a film, amongst others, that I did not appreciate enough as a child. When I watch movies like this, like Sound of Music and Mad Mad Mad Mad Mad World again, I find them so much more enjoyable than I did when I was little. In Mary Poppins, a magical nanny comes to look after the children of a cold, work-absorbed banker. As a child, I hated it when my parents made us watch these types of movies, but at the moment, my daughter is not old enough to be resentful of such things. We watched this classic today for the first time in years, and we all thoroughly enjoyed it. You rarely see the biggest stars of the day team up anymore, but Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke did so amazingly. The chemistry between those two is fantastic. You also rarely see song and dance take such a prominent role in the biggest movies of the year, but without that, Mary Poppins is not nearly as much fun. The story of this film is what makes it great. It teaches a wonderful lesson without being preachy and is absolutely timeless, and the subtle looks Julie Andrews is constantly shooting everyone are classic. Obviously, the special affects and integration of animation into real life are not nearly as flawless and believable as they are today, but if you understand that and can move on, it is not a problem. What I really love about old classics like this is that I finally get all of the jokes. Granted, a lot of them are corny and are made for easy laughs, but as long as you are willing to except that, you will enjoy Mary Poppins from start to finish. My wife and daughter both enjoyed the film, although the latter paid very little attention, but I am sure that we will watch it again when she gets a bit older. This is a must see for anyone who likes movies in the slightest, simply because it is part of our cultural history. I give Mary Poppins 3 and a half stars.