
Genres: ComedyFamilyMusi
Starring: Julie Andrews, Dick Van Dyke, Hermione Baddeley, Reginald Owen, Reta Shaw, Glynis Johns, Arthur Malet
Director(s): Robert Stevenson
Available Quality: Hi Def
Country: USA
Year: 1964
Available Quality: DivX, DVD, Hi Def, iPod, Hi Def
IMDB Rating: 7.7 out of 10 (45124 votes)
The movie combines a diverting story, songs, color and sequences of live action blended with the movements of animated figures. Mary Poppins is a kind of Super-nanny who flies in with her umbrella in response to the request of the Banks children and proceeds to put things right with the aid of her rather extraordinary magical powers before flying off again.
Seth Nelson (20 May 2012)
"Mary Poppins," the 1964 classic from Walt Disney, takes place in oldLondon. It is about a couple of children who see a nanny by the namethis movie title shares, flying in the wind, on a parasol. She has abag full of stuff (how does she fit it all in), and she and the kids dofun things like jump into 2D world and dance with dancing penguinsand...(takes a breather) Wow! This movie sure has a whole lot!!!!!I've seen this on the Old Disney Channel several times; I've also seenthis on the ABC network, and on December 26, 2004, the newly stupefiedDisney Channel showed this for one night only!!!!! Too bad I missed it;too bad I didn't record it; that happens, like, one in a million years,showing stuff like that on the new Disney Channel!!!!! LOL"Mary Poppins" is a family classic that must be viewed by everyone!!!!!10 stars.
(20 May 2012)
I really can't add anything unique in terms of superlative descriptions (a wonderful marriage of live action cinematography and animation; great songs and lyrics; top-notch story adaptation), so I'll just concentrate on perfomances: Dick Van Dyke in a one-man band performance (literally and fictionally) of singer, dancer, comic, and enigmatic companion to lead Julie Andrews (in her debut film!) who manages to be equally charming, sharp, pseudo-caustic, and wistful all at once. I especially love the scene which shows the first time the children are ordered to bed (after a rainstorm forces them 'out' of a watercolor painting) and, much too excited to forget about their magical day, are finally sung to sleep by Ms. Andrews in the contradictory "Stay Awake" lullaby. It is a great scene/number which gives some insight to Mary Poppins' character: efficient, strict, crisp, but also secretly caring and sentimental- just as long as nobody witnesses as such. This is re-iterated in her closing lines about 'practically perfect people,' but it is a carefully staged balance of emotions just the same. She deserved the Best Actress Oscar every step of the way.
Snoopy1 (20 May 2012)
I loved this movie as a child, and I love it even more as an adult. Themusic is incredible and memorable...until this day, my friend and I stillbreak out in "It's A Jolly Holiday With Mary" on occassion. It's the unforgettable story of a magical nanny who changes the lives of theBanks family by coming to 17 Cherry Tree Lane by way of an umbrella. Soundsweird, eh? The whole movie is beyond bizarre, but more fun thananything!One thing that I realize watching this movie as an adult is that it is apositive influence on young girls. It shows them to assert themselves, likeMrs. Banks who is a sufferagette and Mary Poppins who is in a league of herown. Rent this movie immediately if you haven't seen it. If you haven't seen it,you have been seriously deprived!
Jason and Elaine (19 May 2012)
Come on, you just need to expose your children young. Ive got my 3 and 5 year old astonished by it. As a matter of fact, the 5 year old has made his own tap routine to dance along too while Burt is dancing with the penguins.
(18 May 2012)
I bought this dvd as a goofy gift for my husband since he loved this movie as a kid. It has now become a Sunday night tradition at our house to watch it with our 3 and 2 year old sons. My oldest loves the singing and my 2 year old loves to dance along. And no scary scenes to fast forward through. We do skip all the bank scenes as the kids don't get the jokes. All in all a great film.
bmbdsm (17 May 2012)
Jane and Michael Banks live in a large house on Cherry Tree Lane. Whentheir nanny quits her job out of exasperation, their parents decide tohire a new nanny. The next morning, dozens of possible nannies show upfor a job interview, but a strong gust of wind sends the nannies flyingaway. Then, a woman named Mary Poppins come floating down out of thesky on her umbrella. She is hired for the job, but Jane and Michaelrealize that their new nanny is a rather unusual one. She has acarpetbag which never seems to be empty, she makes their medicinechange colors, she takes them for adventures in chalk paintings with aenergetic jack-of-all-trades named Bert, and she can float up and downstaircases. The parents, who never seem to have enough time for theirchildren, realize that their children are the important things in theirlives. Mary Poppins, feeling that she has done her job, floats awayinto the skies.When Walt Disney's MARY POPPINS was released in 1964, it was abox-office hit, taking critics and audiences by storm. This film has anexcellent cast. Julie Andrews, making her film debut, is a superb MaryPoppins, winning a Best Actress Oscar. Dick Van Dyke is hilarious asBert, channeling all his energy into the role of Bert. Ed Wynn ishysterical as Mary's Uncle Albert. Karen Dotrice and Matthew Garber arefine as Jane and Michael Banks. The Sherman Brothers provided POPPINSwith one of their best scores, with songs such as "A Spoonful ofSugar", "Jolly Holliday", "Feed the Birds", and, of course,"Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious"! The special effects are justAMAZING! The Disney studio outdid themselves making this awesome movie!10/10. NOTE: The 2-disc 40th anniversary edition DVD is the BEST way toview this movie!
(16 May 2012)
Mary Poppins (along with Snow White and the Seven Dwarves) stands out as the crowning achievements of the Walt Disney Studios. Mary Poppins is the definitive musical fantasy that others tried to imitate. Evet song is a classic from the Oscar winning "Chim Chim Cherrie" to the final tune "Lets go fly a kite". One of the best routine was the chimminy sweep dance number where you had breathtaking view of the London skyline. Both Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke were at their musical best. The part where they were riding on the carousel horses is a pure classic.I am suprised this did not make AFI's top 100 movies list. This movie is the pinnacle of family entertainment that has entertained children for nearly three generations.
(16 May 2012)
It had been many a long year since I last saw Mary Poppins, but now, thanks to three little `uns who are all hooked, I've managed to relive my childhood once again. This is a timeless movie. The songs are classic, the dancing is entertaining, particularly when penguins are involved and Mary Poppins' magical powers never fail to amaze my children. Who wouldn't like a carpetbag like hers?The favourite song of the movie is "Step In Time" performed on the rooftops of London by the ensemble of chimney sweeps. At the start of the song it's all hands on deck in my household, as we all have to get up and dance furiously to Dick Van Dyke's instructions (a hilarious sight when a twenty month old is involved).This is sure to be a hit with kids of all ages as indeed, it has proven for over 36 years.
(14 May 2012)
In a word, mesmerizing. This has to rank as the crowning achievement of Walt Disney's career, animated or otherwise. "Mary Poppins" is an ingenious blend of clever visuals, song, dance, and animation. This would all be for naught if the film were not anchored by the engaging lead performances of Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke. Andrews' warmth just envelopes the screen and when she sings you just melt. Andrews may have won the Oscar but Van Dyke(not even nominated!) is more than her equal. Van Dyke proves himself here to be be an agile song-and-dance man as well as a dexterous physical comedian. We all knew that from watching him trip over the ottoman on his TV show. You appreciate the skill of these actors when you consider that for alot of the film they are competing for screen time with visual effects and animated images. Lastly, the song score by the Sherman brothers will reverberate in your head forever.
(14 May 2012)
"Mary Poppins" has been around so long that it is hard to review objectively. I saw the film in the movie theatre in 1980 when I was 14 years old, and all my expectations were surpassed. There is so much to love about it, it's hard to analyze it without evoking sentimental memories of childhood.While not quite in the same caliber as "The Wizard of Oz", yet much better than "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang", the movie does have irresistable assets: a lovely score, great sets and costumes, as well as infectious acting, singing and dancing by all the leads. The movie itself is somewhat episodic, with no real tension or conflict (unlike the tense and scary scenes of conflict in "Wizard"), and is about 45 minutes too long for contemporary audiences (1960's audiences didn't have short attention spans as they do today, and lumbering musicals could just take their own sweet time). Despite the accolades regarding the film's special effects, some of the blending of live-action and animation is just not on par with Disney's earlier classic "Song of the South" (1946). Even the wires used to fly Mary and her cohorts are sometimes glaringly visible, especially on a great DVD print, not to mention in the movie theater. Perhaps some of these shortcomings caused the film to not receive mention on the AFI's 100 Greatest Films list. Nevertheless, "Mary Poppins" is a bona fide Disney classic, with a wonderful message about life and family.
jvfunn1 (05 May 2012)
I've always loved Mary Poppins ever since I was a little boy! Now I'm18 years old and I still think it's a true Disney Classic! In the moviea magical nanny named Mary Poppins (Julie Andrews) comes to take careof two children named Jane and Michael Banks (Karen Dotrice and MatthewGarber) and to help their cold father George Banks (David Tomlinson)learn to love them. She also has some assistance from her good friendBert (Dick Van Dyke) who sings one of the best songs in the movie ChimmChimminnee. My favorite character in the movie was Uncle Albert (EdWynn who also voiced Mad Hatter in Alice in Wonderland) and I love thesong I love to laugh! I's a very funny and wonderful song! But I thinkthe best song of the whole movie is Feed the Birds and Julie Andrewsjust sings it very beautifully! Filled with wonderful characters,story, setting and music written by the wonderful Sherman BrothersRichard M. and Robert B. Mary Poppins is a true Disney classic that'llgo on forever and forever as long as A spoon full of sugar can help themedicine go down! It'll always remain in my heart forever and ever! 100ut of 10!
Tim Cox (05 May 2012)
Joyous Disney musical with Andrews winning an Oscar as a nanny who hoversover London rooftops, singing catchy ditties and wowing children with hermagic. One that never gets old!
sryder@judson-il.edu (01 May 2012)
Despite the technical achievements and the outstanding musical score,it is the performances that keep the film alive for me. Julie Andrewswas right on target when she received her academy award and thankedJack Warner for turning her down in the film version of My Fair Lady.She conveys both dignity and warmth as Mary. Dick van Dyke had thechance of a lifetime to demonstrate the breadth of his talents,especially his dancing, which could not be fully exploited on his TVseries. Disney gave real depth to the film through his use of ElsaLanchester, Arthur Treacher, Reginald Owen, Ed Wynn and (especially)Jane Darwell (who is cited in the IMDb biography as best known for hercameo portrayal of the Bird Lady, despite her 1940 Academy Award forone of the great all-time performances in Grapes of Wrath). I computedthe ages of the five as reaching 418 years when the film was released;their film careers covered 193 combined years, with stage careers goingback as far as 1905. Disney's casting of these, as well as a group ofaccomplished British actors of stage and film demonstrated what shouldbe meant by "supporting cast": it gave strong support against whichAndrews and Van Dyke could perform without being under to carry theentire film. Finally: If someone wants to appreciate the care that wentinto the film, s/he should purchase the new 40th anniversary DVD.Viewing the interviews and other documents enabled me to increase myalready great enjoyment. They do not "murder to dissect"; quite thecontrary.
cabotcove (30 April 2012)
This is one of the best movies ever made, but because it's a kid's film,many forget it when great films are mentioned. The script is thoroughlyoriginal and is 100% true to its characters; the acting from top to bottomis faultless. The art direction is magnificent, the animation socreativelybrilliant, and the original songs are terrific. The energy level hasneverbeen duplicated, and when have you ever seen a more memorable movie? Atruemasterpiece.
(29 April 2012)
Let me start by saying I LOVE THIS MOVIE. It is one of the few movies I can watch over and over. I remember as a child when I had the chicken pox over christmas break, and I must have watched this movie a hundred times. The story is wonderful, and in my opinion even though it is often times lumped in with family movies instead of musicals, it has to be one of the best musicals ever made. Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke were made for their roles. The little children were wonderful as well. The supporting cast is made up of the Walt Disney stable of actors that he used over and over again, but you really don't notice because they are all such good character actors they make their parts real to the viewer. You will love the animated scenes and the fox hunt is just crazy! This specific DVD version is the best because the behind the scenes stuff and documentries are great as they explain the animation, and how they painted the beautiful london cityscape on glass. The Disney fanatics should also buy this as they will get a special peek into the Disney movie machine that isn't usually shown on camera.On my personal top list of all time I rate it #15So get this movie and watch it again and again and again!
lisafordeay (29 April 2012)
I have seen this film so many times since I was a child and I decidedto watch a bit of it again a few minutes ago. The story is about theBanks family who are very unhappy with their lives and Mr Banks decidesto hire a nanny. One by one they come but none of them were any good.So all of a sudden a magical nanny named Mary Poppins(played by a veryyoung Ms Julie Andrews sporting brunette hair which is actually a wig)comes into the Banks household and the Banks children fall in love withher as she is like what any child wants she's kind,nice and verycheerful. The Banks children meet a chimney sweeper(played by a veryyoung Dick Van Dyke who appeared in the first Night At the Museum movieback in 2006 with Ben Stiller) and the chimney sweeper and Mary Poppinsas well as the Banks children go into an animated world as well asseeing new characters throughout the film. The music was very good onesong in particular is so hard to say its like saying a tongue twister.Julie Andrews was perfect for the role as the singing nanny who is verymagical(Nanny McPhee was a magical nanny too if any of you seen thatfilm) and the story is very colorful and its for everybody young andold.Although this film is about 46 years old(1964)but its still a familyfavorite for Christmas.I'll give it a 7/10.
(27 April 2012)
This is my favorite movie of all time. I was very glad to get this on DVD! My VHS is just about to rip apart. Great graphics and sound! AWESOME behind-the-scenes stuff!! I haven't found one bad thing about this DVD, OR the movie. I bought this DVD a few weeks after it was released (I didn't know this edition just came out at the end of June!!!) while on vacation in Canada, and I've watched it SO many times already, and no problems with it.I LOVE THIS MOVIE!!!
(26 April 2012)
Come along now, children, let's read this review. No straggling now. There you go.I must have only seen "Mary Poppins" when I was a little kid because I only barely remembered the movie when I was watching it and definitely didn't remember the plot. Definitely an experience worth having, whether you've seen it once, or many, many times. The basic plot is that two kids have been a real terror to their nannies, but not so much out of meanness as the nannies' domineering personalities. They draw up a list of their needs for a nanny and when the wind changes, Mary Poppins comes, despite their tight-laced fathers' wishes. They're soon off on fantastical adventures that may just change the lifestyle of their entire family! This movie makes important comments about suffrage, structure, and just finding the joy in life. It's supercalifragilisticexpealidocious! (And I didn't even have to look that up!)The movie is presented in wide-screen with fully-restored, bright and colorful animation and practically perfect sound. There's also both a subtitle and a close-caption track, although oddly these differ greatly in what they do and don't pick up on. I ended up keeping on both.Like other recent Disney Platinum releases, this DVD contains a wealth of special features that will help you to enjoy the movie more. Chief among them is a great deleted song. You also get a complete making-of feature, a look at the movie magic, a game, promo posters and trailers and many other simply delightful goodies.Like the "Aladdin" release, this release is loaded with both a commentary track and pop-up fun-facts. If you actually decide to watch all of this stuff, you'll end up having seen the film at least three times by the time you're done!So what are you waiting for? Go off now and buy this! Spit-spot!
Sacka Squirrels (26 April 2012)
What can I say. Mary Poppins is the best movie ever. plain and simple. This musical gets people out of their seats and makes them scream and do crazy dances. I'd have to say that nobody looks hotter with an umbrella than Mary "my bitch" Poppins. She's simply amazing.
star-blazer (26 April 2012)
Whim worshippers unite and snap your fingers at your senses, atreality, at virtues like responsibility and productivity and earnedrewardsÂand applaud a gushing, unblushing presentation of just suchfinger-snapping in "Mary Poppins" (aka "The Triumph of the Whim").Contrary to undoubtedly popular belief, this film is neither a cheeryconfection nor a harmless celebration of the imagination. In fact,"Mary Poppins" projects a truly deadly sense of life, sending ahorrible message to children and adults alike that the mind doesn'tmatter and that life-affirming values based in and on reality don'tmatter; indeed, and in short, that you can have any cake you want andeat it, too. Its presentation of mindless, effortless wish-fulfillmentis an artistic and moral crime.This movie also bubbles with random, meaningless foam from start tofinish. Care to fathom the foam? It takes the form of several creativeand colorfulÂbut invariably shallow and incredibly absurdÂmusicalsequences. This movie also spews spittle from start to finish. Can you spot thespit? It takes the form of uniformly insulting presentations ofhumanity. For instance: children (spoiled, caprice-driven), parents(silly, self-absorbed, irresponsible, incapable), businessmen/bankers(grasping, stiff, doddering, ridiculous), as well as several otherunflattering, irredeemable individual portraits:--an irresponsible, supernatural nanny whose "virtue" is filling kids'heads with and exposing them to nonsense --a devil-may-caredrifter/street beggar who is a "hero" precisely because he isdevil-may-care --an old navy man whose "distinction" is madness --anold "bachelor" whose "appeal" consists in his laughing immoderately attrifles (or next to nothing) --a derelict, pigeon-feeding bag lady (ofall the inspiring examples available to choose from in the humanpantheon) who is the "worthy" subject of a truly beautifully sung songThe stars Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke project warmth and charismain their roles, but so what? Such qualities are hitched to darkness,not light; and golden talent like theirs only seems to make this filmgenuinely glitter. Scratch the speciously shiny surface of "MaryPoppins" and you'll find nothing but a lump of condemnable coal. R.I.P."Mary Poppins" (or Rip Her To Shreds)
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