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    Movie Review

    Magical Mary Poppins Returns enchants with elements old and new

    Alex Bentley
    Dec 18, 2018 | 4:52 pm
    Magical Mary Poppins Returns enchants with elements old and new
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    There are a couple of different ways to look at Disney’s current mission to revisit most of their iconic properties. The cynical way is to view them as mere cash grabs that do little more than repackage stories in different wrapping. The more generous way is to say that they’re giving a new generation a chance to call a movie their own, regardless of whether they’ve seen the original or not.

    The fantastic thing about Mary Poppins Returns, though, is that it seamlessly blends together the old and the new for a thoroughly enchanting experience. Taking over the role of Mary Poppins from Julie Andrews is Emily Blunt, who can play prim and proper as well as sweet and charming with the best of them. Those traits and others make her introduction as Poppins smooth and easy.

    The magical nanny has been summoned into action due to the family struggles of the now grown-up Michael Banks (Ben Whishaw), whose wife died the year before. His kids — John (Nathanael Saleh), Anabel (Pixie Davies), and Georgie (Joel Dawson) — are a mostly obedient group, but their mother’s absence and the prospect of possibly losing their home still affects them deeply.

    Mary, with ever-willing assistance by lamplighter Jack (Lin-Manuel Miranda), proceeds to help the Banks children as only she can, including fantastical trips to an underwater land, into a painted pottery scene, and more. The lessons she imparts are never heavy-handed, but rather ones meant to guide those willing to listen to where they need to be.

    Though this sequel is coming 54 years after the original, director Rob Marshall and his team have somehow made the years between the two vanish. Sure, the visuals are greatly enhanced thanks to modern technology, but the filmmakers have paid homage to the first film in all the best ways, giving the new movie a similar feel without ever coming across as a mere copy.

    A big part of this are the new songs by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman. Many of them are so quick that it will take repeat viewings to fully appreciate them, but a few stand out so much that they instantly compare to the classics from the original. These include “Can You Imagine That?,” “The Place Where the Lost Things Go,” “Nowhere to Go But Up,” and especially “Trip a Little Light Fantastic.” That last song is a showcase for Miranda that will leave you humming it long after you leave the theater.

    The film is bursting at the seams with so many wonderful elements that it’s almost impossible to list them all. Blunt is near-perfect as Mary, and Miranda proves that his talents are not constrained to making Tony Award-winning musicals. Supporting turns by Emily Mortimer, Julie Walters, and Colin Firth are a delight, as are cameos by Meryl Streep, Angela Lansbury, and the inimitable Dick Van Dyke.

    Mary Poppins Returns is a film designed to make tons of money, but you won’t regret paying to see it for one second. Your childhood memories will remain intact and be enhanced by this mesmerizing movie.

    Emily Blunt in Mary Poppins Returns.

    Emily Blunt in Mary Poppins Returns
      
    Photo courtesy of Walt Disney Studios
    Emily Blunt in Mary Poppins Returns.
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    Movie Review

    New movie Friendship pairs Tim Robinson and Paul Rudd in a bizarre bromance

    Alex Bentley
    May 16, 2025 | 3:30 pm
    Tim Robinson and Paul Rudd in Friendship
    Photo courtesy of A24
    Tim Robinson and Paul Rudd in Friendship.

    Comedian Tim Robinson has gained a cult following thanks to series like Detroiters and I Think You Should Leave, in which his brand of cringe comedy is on full display. The former Saturday Night Live writer/performer has had a few small movie roles over the years, but he’s now getting his first starring role in the off-kilter Friendship.

    Robinson plays Craig, a mild-mannered suburbanite with a wife, Tami (Kate Mara), and son, Steven (Jack Dylan Grazer). Craig has a boring life that involves little more than going to his middle manager job while wearing the same clothes day after day, anticipating the next Marvel movie, and helping Tami out with her at-home floral business.

    He gets a jolt of energy when Austin (Paul Rudd) moves into the neighborhood. The two men seem to hit it off, with Austin — a weatherman at a local TV channel — even taking Craig on a couple of impromptu adventures. But when Craig commits a couple of faux pas at a group gathering at Austin’s house, their bond starts to fracture.

    Even though the film is written and directed by Andrew DeYoung, it’s clear that Robinson had a big influence on the style of comedy it features. There are no big set pieces with a slew of jokes coming one after another. Instead, the film forces the audience to try to vibe with the very particular type of wavelength it’s giving off, one that could almost be called anti-comedy for the way the laughs come out of left field.

    The 100-minute film is full of random comedic moments, like Steven kissing Tami on the lips, Craig being obsessed with his plain brown clothes, a group sing-along, and more. More often than not, it’s the way Craig reacts to both normal and abnormal situations that gets the laughs. The character is needy and oblivious, two traits that combine to make many of his actions cringeworthy.

    Perhaps most importantly for this type of movie, many things in the story go unexplained or don’t make sense. Seemingly crucial elements are brought up only to fade away just as quickly, while other parts that appeared to be throwaway sections get callbacks later in the film. DeYoung and Robinson are determined to keep the audience on their toes the entire time, never knowing what to expect next.

    Robinson has the perfect face for a story like this, one that’s bland enough to blend into the background but memorable enough to sell the jokes. His demeanor is also excellent, never becoming too expressive, even when he gets angry. With long hair, a mustache, and a certain swagger, Rudd is a great complement to Robinson. Only in a film like this would an everyman like Rudd be considered the suave and cool one.

    There will be some that will see Friendship and come away wondering what the hell they just watched. But anyone who goes in knowing that they’re about to witness a comedy that challenges their sensibilities will likely have a great time.

    ---

    Friendship is now playing in select theaters.

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