Mary Poppins (With Bonus Footage) [DVD]

There is only one word that comes close to accurately describing the enchanting Mary Poppins, and that term was coined by the movie itself: supercalifragilisticexpialidocious! Even at 2 hours and 20 minutes, Disney's pioneering mixture of live action and animation (based on the books by P.L. Travers) still holds kids spellbound. Julie Andrews won an Oscar as the world's most magically idealized nanny ("practically perfect in every way," and complete with lighter-than-air umbrella), and Dick Van Dyke is her clownishly charming beau, Bert the chimney sweep. The songs are also terrific, ranging from bright and cheery ("A Spoonful of Sugar") to dark and cheery (the Oscar-winning "Chim-Chim Cheree") to touchingly melancholy ("Feed the Birds"). Many consider Mary Poppins to be the crowning achievement of Walt Disney's career--and it was the only one of his features to be nominated for a best picture Academy Award until Beauty and the Beast in 1991. --Jim Emerson

A pioneering film within Animation, Musicals and Fantasy, Walt Disney's Mary Poppins is possibly one of the warmest and dearest films ever made. Based on a story by PL Travers we find Julie Andrews on fine form in her debut lead role (for which she would win the "Best Actress" Oscar). She is practically perfectly teamed with Dick Van Dyke as the lovable chimney sweep Burt, whose cockney accent is endearingly inaccurate. Along with a fine supporting cast, where even the child actors hold their own without appearing like stage school wannabes, Poppins and her crew take you on a magical ride through chalk pictures, the roof tops of London and show you that laughter is not always the best medicine (even with a spoon full of sugar) when you can't get down. In total Mary Poppins clocked up five Academy Awards including Best Song and Best Visual Effects and has made it into the staple diet of family viewing across the world.

On the DVD: Mary Poppins has certainly cleaned up a treat, restoring her to 1.85:1 widescreen glory and 5.1 Dolby digital sound--which is guaranteed to be music to your ears. The special features are "supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" with the "Sing Along with the Movie" subtitles for all your favourite songs when they appear in the movie and the "I Love to Laugh" game offering Uncle Albert flying high in his parlour once more. "The Movie Magic of Mary Poppins" lets you look behind the scenes at how the magic was done and is fun, informative and easily understandable--pity the same cannot be said about the narrator. "Hollywood goes to a World Premiere" is a warm and amusing reminder about how premieres and stars used to be in 1964. The only disappointment is the lack of commentary--Dick Van Dyke would surely have offered a gem of a cockney voice-over! --Nikki Disney

DVD Special Features:

Play along with the "I Love to Laugh"
Find out more about the film in " The Movie Magic of Mary Poppins"
Sing-Along with the movie
Dolby Digital 5.1
Languages: English
Subtitles: English, English for the hearing impaired

A magical, musical nanny brings a breath of fresh air into the stuffy Banks household in turn-of-the-century England. Overstuffed with gaiety, this children's fantasy is filled to the brim with wonderful dance numbers and outrageous songs (such as the seemingly unpronounceable 'Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious'). The film's seamless blending of live-action with animation was a marvel in its day. This is Andrews' film debut and Darwell's last film appearance. Academy Award Nominations: 13, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best (Adapted) Screenplay. Academy Awards: 5, including Best Actress--Julie Andrews, Best Original Score, Best Song ('Chim Chim Cher-ee'), Best Editing, Best Special Visual Effects.

By the end of 2004, fans had become weary of re-releases of previously available DVDs. Often these new DVDs were stuffed with fluff. This 40th anniversary edition of Mary Poppins, the third DVD release in six years, is a welcome exception, with a second disc stuffed with excellent extras and a vivid new print and sound presentation of the film. The commentary track is an excellent combination of new tracks (including Dick Van Dyke and Julie Andrews having a jolly time) along with archival materials. There's a 50-minute documentary older kids will enjoy as much as their parents, and the created-for-kids "Movie Magic" is a treat. The red carpet footage of the world premiere has been seen in previous releases, but here it's been restored with eye-popping color. A standard type of featurette--deconstructing a special-effects sequence--is reborn here with a simplistic approach: we switch back and forth from the final print of two musical numbers with rehearsal footage, animation, etc. The final results are far more watchable--and entertaining--than their usual DVD counterparts. Superlatives go around with this disc that includes a total reconstruction of the sound that picks up "lost" complexities not heard but never overpower this gem. There's even more archival material (including some remarkable meetings with author P.L. Travers) on the new CD soundtrack that also boasts the never-before-available complete score. --Doug Thomas

Winner of five Academy Awards, including Best Actress (Julie Andrews), Best Song ("Chim Chim Cher-ee") and Best Visual Effects (1964), Disney's musical masterpiece Mary Poppins has formed an unbreakable bond with audiences of all generations!

In her star-making performance, Julie Andrews plays the lovable nanny who flies out of the windy London skies and into the home of a no-nonsense banker and his two mischievous children. Hoping to bridge the gap between them, "practically perfect" Mary Poppins magically turns every chore into a game and every day into a whimsical adventure, including an unforgettable rooftop dance with a carefree chimney sweep named Bert (Dick van Dyke).

Filled with spellbinding effects and many wondrous, endearing moments - how else could you possibly describe this timeless treat but "supercalifragilisticexpialidocious"!