Mary Poppins Returns Blu-ray Review

Mary Poppins Returns graces Blu-ray with an impeccable 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 encode, offering a consistent and stable presentation throughout its runtime. The opening scenes of dreary London streets are depicted with a subtle palette of blue and gray, punctuated by splashes of more vibrant hues like Jack's red vest. Texturally, the image is proficient, delivering a reliable depiction of wet and overcast cityscapes with thorough attention to detail. Facial close-ups reveal fine elements such as pores and scruff, while interior scenes like those set in the Banks' home exhibit impeccably defined furnishings and fabrics. Although the film occasionally dips into softer visual realms, notably during CG-heavy sequences and extreme wide shots, these moments are few.

The transfer remains true to the filmmakers' creative intentions, employing a color palette that skews toward the drabber side during somber moments, reflecting the narrative's more serious undertones. Blacks are deep and rich with excellent shadow delineation, providing a strong contrast foundation. The stark whites remain brilliantly crisp, and colors become notably more saturated during imaginative sequences. The animated sections particularly benefit from clean lines and impressive saturation, making them stand out vividly against the rest of the film. While the encode retains some inherent source noise, it avoids significant artifacts, maintaining a robust and reliable visual experience.

Overall, Mary Poppins Returns on Blu-ray offers an engaging visual journey that balances both the mundane and the magical with technical finesse. The film's high-definition presentation faithfully captures every intricate detail, from individual hairs and leaves to the complex fabric textures, ensuring a visually enriching experience for audiences. While not as dynamic as the UHD counterpart, this Blu-ray edition remains a practical example of near-perfect video presentation, enhanced by its nuanced approach to color and texture rendition.

The DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 lossless soundtrack for "Mary Poppins Returns" presents a compelling audio experience, albeit one that often requires an initial volume increase from calibrated reference listening levels. Once adjusted, the track delivers robust and detailed audio, with notable engagement of surround channels that support both musical elements and sound effects in various scenes. The highlight is the beautifully orchestrated musical numbers, which exhibit clarity, warmth, and remarkable instrumental separation. Lyrics are seamlessly integrated with the score, maintaining perfect definition and prioritization within the mix. The subwoofer provides complimentary depth throughout, notably enhancing sequences involving canon fire and resultant house shakes, enriching the overall sonic immersion.

The Blu-ray package offers multiple audio configurations including English 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and English 2.0 Descriptive Audio, with additional language tracks available in Spanish and French 5.1 Dolby Digital. Subtitles are provided in Spanish, French, and English SDH for accessibility. The soundtrack's spatial execution during animated sequences particularly shines, offering a wide and immersive soundstage across front and rear channels while maintaining precise dialogue clarity and natural front-center positioning. Though ambient effects are not always enveloping, they considerably enhance specific scenes by broadening and layering background activity along midrange frequencies, contributing to an immersive audio experience that complements the film's visual magic and fantasy elements effectively.

The Blu-ray release of "Mary Poppins Returns" delivers a substantial suite of extras, enhancing the viewing experience through various insightful and engaging features. Notably, the disc includes Sing-Along Mode, offering on-screen lyrics during film playback, and an engaging array of behind-the-scenes content. These featurettes provide deep dives into specific musical numbers, choreography, and set design, reflecting the meticulous effort behind this well-crafted sequel. Adding to the value, there are deleted scenes and a previously unreleased song, alongside a detailed making-of documentary that segments its focus on production design, direction, and cast contributions. The totality of these features offers both entertaining and informative perspectives into the filmmaking process.

Extras included in this disc:

Sing-Along Mode: Lyrics appear on-screen during film playback.

Back to Cherry Tree Lane: Interviews on Dick Van Dyke's impact on the production.

Practically Perfect Bloopers: Humorous moments from filming.

Seeing Things from a Different Point of View: In-depth look into the film's musical numbers' choreography and production.

Trip A Little Light Fantastic: Insights on choreography and cast performance.

The Royal Douton Music Hall/A Cover Is Not the Book: Discusses the filming challenges and creative decisions for animated sequences.

Turning Turtle: Explores set design and choreography for the Topsy Turvy sequence.

Can You Imagine That?: Behind-the-scenes of the magical bathtub sequence.

Deleted Song - The Anthropomorphic Zoo: A demo recording with storyboard sketches.

The Practically Perfect Making of Mary Poppins Returns: A four-part feature diving into several production aspects.

Deleted Scenes:

• Leaving Topsy's
• Trip A Little Light Fantastic

"Mary Poppins Returns" offers a delightful continuation of the magical world first introduced in the 1964 classic. The film, set 30 years after the original, sees Mary Poppins, portrayed by Emily Blunt, revisit Jane and Michael Banks who are now adults themselves. Michael is struggling with personal loss and financial difficulties while his children are burdened with responsibilities and have lost the playful spirit of childhood. Through a series of whimsical adventures and musical numbers, Poppins, with the help of lamplighter Jack (Lin-Manuel Miranda), rekindles the familial bonds and uncovers their inner joy, akin to the original’s charm but with a contemporary twist.

Emily Blunt delivers a commendable performance, capturing the essence of Poppins without merely mimicking Julie Andrews. Her portrayal strikes a balance between familiarity and uniqueness, embodying the character's timeless nature. The young actors playing the Banks children convincingly portray siblings rediscovering their wonder. Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Jack mirrors the charm and energy of Dick Van Dyke’s Bert while bringing his unique flair. The film’s highlights include meticulously designed sets and costumes that authentically recreate 1930s London and seamlessly blend practical effects with CGI. The animated sequence is particularly noteworthy for its vibrant and immersive quality.

Fans of the original will appreciate numerous nods to the classic, including well-crafted set pieces and cleverly integrated CG effects that heighten the magical ambiance. Scenes such as an underwater adventure via a magical bathtub and characters floating on balloons maintain the film’s enchanting tone. The attention to detail in both visual design and narrative structure ensures "Mary Poppins Returns" creates a movie experience that deftly balances nostalgia with fresh storytelling, making it an engaging watch for both new audiences and long-time fans.

"Mary Poppins Returns" is a delightful sequel that skillfully balances homage and originality as it revisits the beloved world introduced over five decades ago. The film excels in its visual and auditory rendition, with spectacularly choreographed performances and a remarkable portrayal by Emily Blunt in the titular role. While it may not recapture the same enchanting magic of the 1964 classic, the meticulous production design and engaging narrative make it a worthwhile journey for both new and returning audiences.

The Blu-ray edition offers an impressive HD video presentation, near-flawlessly replicating the vibrant and whimsical world. The audio, anchored by a superior DTS-HD MA 7.1 soundtrack, provides an immersive experience that brings every musical number and line of dialogue to life. However, notes of disappointment do emerge due to the absence of the commentary track on the physical disc, relegating it to a digital exclusive. Nevertheless, the inclusion of thoughtful bonus content such as the "Back to Cherry Tree Lane: Dick Van Dyke Returns" featurette provides nostalgic insights and enhances the overall value of this release.

Ultimately, "Mary Poppins Returns" stands as a testament to Disney's ability to merge nostalgia with contemporary filmmaking artistry. It offers a lovingly crafted nod to simpler times and presents a solid home media package, replete with robust video and audio quality and a well-curated set of extras. While it may not eclipse its predecessor in charm, it shines as the best sequel one could hope for after such an extended interval. Highly recommended for family viewing and for fans of the original film.