A Magical Adventure Into Fantasy Unlike Any Other

I sat down to watch MARY POPPINS in the darkness of my room, hearing the overture of silence from my poised headphones, I meditated away all distractions; leaving nothing to take my eyes off the OLED TV awaiting instructions to present the film. My finger, on the brim of the play button positioned neatly between fast forward and rewind on my Xbox media remote. I had no idea what I would be getting into. I didn't know if I would like Mary Poppins - though I have suspected that I would - or if I wouldn't. It was a perfect set up to allow myself to be fully immersed in the 1964 masterpiece.

I push the play button and relieve the remote. The Xbox plays my 50th Anniversary Mary Poppins blu-ray.

As I watched the opening credits, I took a moment to reminisce and appreciate memories of times when it was regular to have credits that open a picture. They don't do it like that anymore and haven't for decades. Nonetheless, here we are on the opening credits sitting on the scale of fair judgement. I am very quickly tilting to the favourable side.

The subtlty, the novelty, the magic - it partially reveals itself, like an eager stage actor peeking through the curtains to watch the auditorium fill up. The delightful tune playing in the background of the yellow credits and a moving backdrop of London - painted, due to the technical limitations of the time. Amongst the cityscape found between gaps of chimney smoke coming from hundreds of houses below, we catch a glimpse of a woman in the sky... sitting on a cloud. Once we get closer and watch her more, we notice her doing simple yet amazing things, such as gently yanking her bag up from its sunken placement in the cloud, then the same with her umbrella that is immortalised in our memories by the parrot-head handle... and also by the flying powers it gives Poppins.

Julie Andrews is a sight of magnificence; fair, elegant and sinless. Pure. Here we are on the opening credits, and I feel a hand on each of the shoulders of my blue polo shirt... and then each of my warm elbows; very quickly after, the hem is held against my hips: the long arms of director Robert Stevenson, the long arms of Walt Disney and the long arms of Julie Andrews gracefully lift me out of my sofa. We glide into their world. As soon as your floating body completes the exit of reality and entry to 1910 Edwardian London, you are in awe of Mary Poppins before she even arrives at the Banks front door for her official introduction. The warmth you feel toward the title character from the opening credits, readies you for her arrival. It makes you crave the nanny Michael and Jane Banks wish for - your mind is intertwined with those of the Banks children; your emotions are linked. You feel their wonder and their joy because now feelings are mutual. The fantasy of Mary Poppins is rooted in her magical abilities. Anyone can have her personality, but nobody can marry it to the same magical abilities that belongs to the one and only Mary Poppins.

From inside the family home: Glynis Johns as Mrs Winnifred Banks is like the first day of summer. She's introduced as a springy, fun and ambitious woman with a strong sense of purpose. Hermione Baddeley plays the maid, Ellen. She feels very motherly in nature, it adds extra delight to the overall film. Karen Dotrice and Matthew Garber who vessell the children drive an incredible performance for their age. At that time, CGI wasn't anywhere close to what it is now. Then, it wasn't CGI. It was handcrafted art. The child actors did great without really knowing what is happening in some scenes. The father, George Banks - is a rigid, grumpy man of order; his life is dictated to by the ever-ticking seconds hand on his watch. Yet, David Tomlinson saves the character from being a burden to the audience. Tomlinson brings qualities, novelties and an entertainment value that I don't think actors of the current times would think to create in the same way.

Dick Van Dyke is one of the best physical actors I have seen in my life. I don't think you have to say much more than that about the great man. You can see his portrayal of Mr Dawes Sr. decades later in the performance of Jim Carrey for his role as Ebenezer Scrooge in 2009's A CHRISTMAS CAROL - it is a spitting image. One thing Scrooge doesn't have, though, is the weightless legs of Dick Van Dyke. The dancing numbers are a delight to witness in Mary Poppins. Van Dyke's feet still bounce around even in his twilight years, as seen in MARY POPPINS RETURNS (2018). I have yet to watch the sequel, but I can assure myself now that it won't be able to compete with the original. Though, when I watch it, I will reposition myself back on that scale of fair judgement.

Finally, we have arrived to the special character herself:

Julie Andrews as Mary Poppins... bloody hell. I wish I was 10 in 1910; I wish I was a fictional character in any and every world Mary Poppins roams. Firm, loving, fun, motherly, mentorly, magically, sensationally, remarkably, stupendously...

I have no words to describe the life-affirming splendour that Poppins promises to be. The character that can only be brought to life faithfully by Julie Andrews. It makes me want to not watch any other film Andrews stars in, in order to keep her forever as Mary Poppins.

So since I don't know what to say, there must be only one word I can say:

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.