MARY POPPINS RETURNS Review

My wife and I took our four-year-old daughter to see this despite her having seemingly no interest in the trailers or TV spots that have been on heavy rotation-especially over the past week or so. Admittedly, this was partly for the reason both of us wanted to see this fifty-four-year-later sequel to Mary Poppins and didn't want to have to go through the hassle of finding a babysitter the weekend before Christmas, but it was mostly due to the fact that despite the lack of interest in the promotional materials that sometimes you just have to trust your parents know better than you and, lucky for us, our little four-year-old girl decided to indulge us on this particular matter (the slush and popcorn might have factored in, but I digress). The point being, that once director Rob Marshall's (Chicago, Into the Woods) Mary Poppins Returns began and Emily Blunt's incarnation of the practically perfect nanny showed up and began teaching the new generation of Banks children (as well as reminding their parents) that while imagination may not always be approved of, that it's more than necessary to make life fun and largely bearable, the little one was more than hooked by the magic of the titular character. And so, while Mary Poppins Returns is admittedly more of a re-hash or re-imagining of that first, 1964 film than I would have either thought or hoped it to be it is also a reminder of how powerful and delightful the imagination can truly be. Though my personal experience with the film may not be as heartening as those who take their teenagers to the theater and see their faces revert to a state of child-like wonder; to experience the kind of magic and possibilities Mary Poppins brings to the table and exerts with pure enthusiasm strike our daughter in such a clear and distinct way-especially during the numerous musical numbers-was quite something. The Julie Andrews picture was always one of those movies that was always on whenever we needed it to be growing up and taking on the burden of crafting a follow-up to that respected classic (the only live-action film Disney saw garner a Best Picture nod in his day) there was a degree of respect built-in for even attempting as much and while Mary Poppins Returns could have certainly done a little more to stand on its own it is so excessively charming, appropriately cute, and full of original songs and creative executions that it's hard to argue the film is anything but perfectly pleasant in every way.

Official Trailer for MARY POPPINS RETURNS Starring Emily Blunt

Disney has released the full trailer for their sequel to Mary Poppins, a film made in 1964, that Disney has already touched with their current trend of re-makes and re-imaginings with 2013's Saving Mr. Banks which followed P.L. Travers reluctantly meeting with Walt Disney who wanted to adapt her books based around the titular character for the big screen. While Saving Mr. Banks was more in line with this summer's Christopher Robin it seems as if Mary Poppins Returns will be more in line with the live action re-makes of Disney's animated classics, but labeled as a sequel to one of their early, more enduring live-action movies. Of course, as can be glimpsed in this trailer, Mary Poppins Returns looks to essentially be a re-hash of what that original offered, but dammit if this thing doesn't look infinitely charming and all-around wonderful. Emily Blunt takes over the reigns from Julie Andrews (who I have to imagine will show up in some capacity) as the enigmatic nanny returns to Depression-era London where a now-grown Jane (Emily Mortimer) and Michael Banks (Ben Whishaw), along with Michael's three children, are in the midst of dealing with a personal loss. It is through Mary Poppins' unique magical skills, and the aid of her friend Jack (Lin Manuel Miranda), that she once again will help the Banks family rediscover the joy and wonder missing in their lives and no doubt teach them a few lessons along the way. So yeah, this will more or less follow the same structure of that original film, but given Travers had a series of books concerning the character one might hope screenwriter Dave Magee (Life of Pi, Finding Neverland) pulled from such a resource to add in new elements that went unused in the original. And while the trailer certainly paints a delightful experience of a movie that will make all the money this holiday season the one gray area that clouds the project is director Rob Marhall. Marshall, who seems to be something of Disney's go-to-guy as of late broke onto the scene in a big way with 2002's feature film version of Chicago and followed it up with the critically acclaimed Memoirs of a Geisha in 2005 has had a rough run as of late turned in the worst Pirates of the Caribbean movie, what is maybe the worst Daniel Day-Lewis movie, and then the somewhat successful Into the Woods four years ago. I'm hoping His latest is more Chicago, less Woods, but time will tell. Mary Poppins Returns also stars Meryl Streep, Colin Firth, Angela Lansbury, Julie Walters, David Warner, Dick Van Dyke, and opens on Christmas Day.

NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: SECRET OF THE TOMB Review

I'm a big Frat Pack fan and always have been. The juice has long since run out on their heyday and I can admit that, but even still it is nice to see a few of them get back together every now and then even if it's for another installment of Ben Stiller's big family franchise. These films are harmless and if they're good for anything it's the excuse to see Stiller and Owen Wilson on screen together again. As much as I'd love for the likes of fellow Frat Packers to show up in this kind of movie, playing different historical figures that might place Paul Rudd as Lancelot, Will Ferrell as one of the ancient Greek statues, Jack Black as one of Attila's huns, Steve Carell and Vince Vaughn as a few of the neanderthal's while Luke Wilson would be the easiest of the bunch by adding in another cowboy to help Jedediah and Octavius (Steve Coogan), I know it will never happen, not at this point. No, at this point it would only feel like a last resort of types as even Stiller returning to this franchise five years after Battle of the Smithsonian feels a little desperate in the sense he needed something guaranteed. I can remember walking into the original (at the age of nineteen) with a sense of excitement still, not only for why Stiller might have chosen this obvious family entertainment as his next project, but for the inherently interesting premise that came along with it. It was a film fine for what it was with a fair amount to offer in return. It was obvious from the beginning what it was positioned to be and it achieved those goals, clearly, as now eight years later we are talking about the third film. Still, with this third and presumably final chapter in the story you can feel the sense of obligation to it all. There isn't a natural energy to it, but more a forced sense of fun in that it was a rush job to capitalize on the holiday season and the fact if another year went by it really would be too late to make another one. You can feel the strain of time on Stiller in particular as he can't seem to commit enough again for us to not see through his trying facade. It's not so much that it feels like movies such as this have lost there wonder, but of course the fact I have lost my wonder for movies such as this. My only hope when I see a film such as Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb is that it reinstills the wonder I found as a child in these make-believe adventures, but that wonder was in limited supply here.

ALEXANDER AND THE TERRIBLE, HORRIBLE, NO GOOD, VERY BAD DAY Review

It's funny to think of the role that live action children's movies play in our current cinematic landscape because, for the most part, they seem to be easily dismissed. As a child of the 90's it is the kids sports flicks of the decade (The Sandlot, Little Giants, The Big Green, The Mighty Ducks) that immediately come to mind as nostalgic reminders of what a carefree stage in life that was which seems to be why new movies categorized as such don't register with a large audience due to the fact every generation already has their own adolescent picks. Those who are between eight and fifteen right now though will surely appreciate this adaptation of Judith Viorst's hit 1987 childrens book, but not necessarily because they love the source material but because Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day is a perfectly fun, perfectly suitable family movie that captures the ups and downs that middle class caucasians might typically encounter. These are first world problems we're dealing with, clearly, but they are relatable issues that the target audience will understand. The content operates on a level for those just below the cusp of when the Catcher in the Rye will blow their minds wide open. Alexander's Bad Day (as it will be referred to from here on out) is exactly the kind of remedy "tweens" these days need, but don't know it because not enough movies like this are being made anymore. That studios are seriously lacking in terms of pumping out quality entertainment for adolescents isn't something I necessarily have a right to complain about; I have all the nostalgia I need when the time calls for it (Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, Home Alone, Hook, Hocus Pocus, Blank Check, Homeward Bound, First Kid) but it would be nice to think that those in their current state of flux will have more than Alexander and his no good , very bad day to look back on when they get to college and reminisce about the movies they loved when they were "kids". All of that said, Alexander's Bad Day certainly isn't a bad place to start, but let's hope it is only the first step in a rejuvenated direction.

First Trailer for NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: SECRET OF THE TOMB

It seems every other year or so Ben Stiller retreats to one of his reliable franchises as a means for a hit in between doing the "one for him" project that is hit or miss given his track record as of late. After last years mild directorial success with the quiet Christmas day opening of Walter Mitty Stiller has retreated for one last trip to the ol' museum as he heads to London. As these things go it seems the only way to unlock the mystery around the tablet that started all of this and save the magic it possesses is to travel to the British Museum. I can remember taking my youngest brother to see the original Night at the Museum during the holiday season of 2006 and being eight years removed from that film as well as five from the suitable follow-up that failed to make much of a stir I can only imagine there wasn't much of a desire for this film. That said, I also remember really enjoying the first film for what it was and Battle of the Smithsonian was more of the same with the added bonus of Amy Adams and Hank Azaria. If there will be anything remotely surprising about this third entry I imagine it will be seeing what new historical characters the film adds, but the highlight of the trailer is Rebel Wilson taking over Jonah Hill's bit from the second film. The trailer also gets some good laughs out of a caveman that resembles Stiller and the majority of the cast seems to be returning, so hopefully this can be taken as a good sign with good meaning good fun if not necessarily substantial storytelling. Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb also stars Robin Williams, Dan Stevens, Ben Kingsley, Ricky Gervais, Rami Malek, Steve Coogan, Owen Wilson, Patrick Gallagher, Mizuo Peck, Bill Cobbs, Dick Van Dyke, and Mickey Rooney and opens on December 19th.

Trailer for ALEXANDER AND THE TERRIBLE, HORRIBLE, NO GOOD, VERY BAD DAY

Ever since realizing Hollywood made more than just family friendly entertainment I have yearned to return to a world where I am surrounded by the likes of fun, innocent family fare that reminds me of my childhood and it is always reassuring to know that the children of the current generation are receiving their fair share of memorable movies that might put them in a sense of nostalgia when they get older and discover the brutal action films or raunchy comedies. I only bring all of this up because today we have the first trailer for Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day which has been adapted from a short story by Judith Viorst and it looks to perfectly fit into this aforementioned canon. Centered around our young titular character (Ed Oxenbould) who is experiencing one of the worst days ever his troubles only become amplified when the rest of his family (who typically have the best of luck it seems) begin having horrible experiences as well. The comedy looks light and cheesy and this definitely seems to be in the vein of live-action Disney flicks where the kids are able to understand and grasp the life lessons being taught more so than the adults and bring a resounding sense of peace to the family unit when faced with troubling circumstances, but it also looks as if it could be surprisingly entertaining if not interesting for older audiences, mainly due to the caliber of talent on screen. I'm pretty much game to see anything that features Steve Carell and so I'm intrigued by what he saw in the screenplay or if it was simply his relationship with director Miguel Arteta (Cedar Rapids, Youth in Revolt, The Good Girl) that led him to take on the project. The film also stars Jennifer Garner, Bella Thorne, Dylan Minnette, Megan Mullally and opens October 10th.