Audience Rating: G (General Audience) Binding: VHS Tape EAN: 9786300274181 Format: Animated ISBN: 6300274187 Label: Walt Disney Home Video Manufacturer: Walt Disney Home Video Number Of Items: 1 Publisher: Walt Disney Home Video Release Date: 1997-08-26 Running Time: 139 Studio: Walt Disney Home Video Theatrical Release Date: 1964-08-29
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 Cher-ee") 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
Spotlight customer reviews:
Customer Rating: Summary: *Wonderful ***EXTRA***Goodies! Comment: This 40th edition of MARY POPPINS is worth it! Of course the movie is gloriously restored and stuff and is a must have for anyone who loved the book and the movie.
The real prize is the second disc that features lot's of extras like:
***1:32-Minute = Deleted song with story board "Chimpanzoo"
***17:20-Minute = Reunion with Julie Andrews, Dick Van Dyke, & songwriter Richard Sherman
***20:50-Minute = Musical Journey w/Sherman explaining the process of writing the songs for MP with the Sherman brothers and includes some songs that weren't used in the movie
***50:40-Minute = The Making Of Mary Poppins with Andrews, Van Dyke, Sherman and others from the cast like Glynis Johns (Mrs. Banks) and Karen Dotrice (Jane Banks) and others with audio recordings of suggestions from author P.L. Travers
***7:05-Minute = Movie magic featurette explaining the special effects and set design + animatronics used in MP
***13:00 & 4:50-Minutes Each = Deconstruction Of A Scene "Jolly Holiday" and "Step In Time" shows the composites of the live action shots plus the backgrounds for the two musical scenes
***1:00-Minute = Dick Van Dyke Make-up Test
***17:45-Minute = The Red Carpet Premiere from Grauman's Chinese Theater, with text intro explaining the television special of the event. Fun look at Hollywood in the swinging 60s with stars and glamour!
***6:25-Minute = Premiere After Party in the parking lot of Grauman's. However, the audio is from a radio broadcast but the footage is really cleaned up and pristine for being shot on a 16mm camera.
***9:35-Minute = Bonus Short "The Cat That Looked At A King" from Mary Poppins Opens the Door (Mary Poppins) with Julie Andrews and Tracey Ullman as the voice of the cat. This was done recently and is an animated short where Andrews and two children watch the story after jumping into the picture (like in the movie MP).
***Trailers, Still Gallery and a game
All those goodies make this 40th edition of "Mary Poppins" worth buying! Customer Rating: Summary: Classic children's entertainment Comment: Classic safe children's entertainment. Great for mixed aged kids. No violence. No potty talk. The gold standard for kids under 9. Customer Rating: Summary: I finally did it Comment: I did it. I bought a Disney movie -- I mean a kids-oriented one. And then... I actually showed it to my kids (first I watched it again, just to make sure).
This is so totally out of character for me, that it *does* deserve a gasp of surprise.
Because Disney. DISNEY! No positive male role-models DISNEY! Every male character is a fool, a tool, a slob, or a villain DISNEY! Forget about little boys, because only girls are celebrated DISNEY! And yes, I still think that is the case for Disney. And I wonder who all those little girls will grow up to marry, when all the boys are fools, tools, slobs, or villains.
But Julie Andrews. JULIE ANDREWS! Mary Poppins!
So I cracked. And I bought it.
And I had a few twinges on my view-through -- the put-down of men as "rather stupid" in Mrs. Bank's first number; and the presumption that Mr. Banks' flying a kite with his children was somehow MORE valuable than his daily providing for them (I do appreciate the value of kite-flying, just not the value judgment); and the idea that the kids will respect a nanny who is sweet and pretty, but not one who smells weird.
But I went ahead and showed it to the kids, and I'm so glad, because we have been singing the songs like crazy and laughing a lot. The absolute fantasy of it is marvelous, and the songs are beautiful. I like how Bert treats Mary. I like how straight Mary is, as though she isn't magical, when she clearly is.
Very nice.
Now I'm wondering about Bedknobs and Broomsticks. Would anyone be so kind as to enlighten me about whether that one is as good? Thanks!
Customer Rating: Summary: The perfect children's movie Comment: I have numerous happy memories of seeing Mary Poppins since the first time (on its re-release in 1980). I go back to it time and again and have never been bored yet! Highlights - the horse race and the dancing cartoon waiter penguins; Chim Chim Chiree and the acrobatic chimney sweeps; Mrs Banks (Glynis Johns) and her 'Votes for Women'; Reginald Owen's Admiral (with a ship on the roof of his house!); the gorgeous 'Feed the Birds'; the special effects in 'A Spoonful of Sugar'; Ed Wynn as the giggling Uncle Albert; and of course the brilliant performances from Julie Andrews as Mary, Dick van Dyke as Bert/Mr Dawes senior, Karen Dotrice and Matthew Garber as the children Jane and Michael, Hermoine Baddeley as the maid, and David Tomlinson as Mr Banks. Absolutely brilliant and definitely makes you remember being a child with a big smile on your face. Those who don't like it possibly came to it too late in life, but I can't fault it. Customer Rating: Summary: Fabulous Comment: Fabulous. If you like singing, dancing, life lessons, and have an imagination this is for you
