Actors: Julie Andrews, Dick Van Dyke, Ed Wynn, Hermione Baddeley, Karen Dotrice
Directors: Robert Stevenson
Rated: G (General Audience)
Studio: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment
Release Date: December 10, 2013
Run Time: 139 minutes
Film: 5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3.5 out of 5 stars
“Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!” I am not joking, I must say that word at least once a month and in fact I used it in a sentence earlier today before even receiving this Blu-ray to review! “Mary Poppins” is such an amazing film and I can’t believe that it is celebrating its 50th Anniversary. This is the first time that this film has ever been released on Blu-ray and it was definitely has never looked better. I never released that “Mary Poppins” was Julie Andrews’ film debut. The film won five Oscars (Best Actress: Julie Andrews, Best Original Score, Best Song: Chim Chim Cher-ee, Best Editing, and Best Special Visual Effects) and has alaways been one of my favorites. Thinking about the film today and having an 18-month old daughter, this film is definitely a tougher sell for today’s generation, especially due to its nearly 2 hour and 20 minute running time. Nonetheless, it is a classic and is no question a must have for any Disney fan!
Official Premise: Releasing from the Disney Vault, creative visionary Walt Disney’s classic shines for the first time on Blu-ray. Starring Dick Van Dyke and Julie Andrews in her Academy-Award winning role, and featuring iconic toe-tapping songs including “A Spoonful of Sugar” and “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious,” Mary Poppins is a movie experience your family will enjoy again and again. An all-new digital restoration adds even more magic, helping bring the award-winning songs and amazing picture to life like never before. Share the music, share the magic, share the joy of Mary Poppins this holiday.
Disney definitely took into account that this was celebrating its 50th Anniversary and delivered a very solid Blu-ray release for “Mary Poppins” with a combo pack including a Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy. I am very excited that Disney has jumped on the Ultraviolet bandwagon for their Digital Copies because this is going to get quite a bit of use. The film has received an all-new digital restoration on its 108op transfer and really looks stunning, especially with the half animation/live action scenes. The colors are muted a little but still really pop and look crisp. I am love with the classic line detail on the animation as well. I was also quite impressed that this 50 year old title was equipped with a very high def DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 surround track. The film’s timeless songs are really showcased quite well within this track and like the film itself have never sounded better.
The special features are quite impressive as well and definitely a good draw in with some new content included. The star of the show is no question, “Becoming Mr. Sherman”, which also plugs Disney’s new film “Saving Mr. Banks”. It features actor Jason Schwartzman, who portrays half of the famous composing team, the Sherman Brothers, in the new film, sitting down with Richard Sherman. It is a great feature on the films amazing music and also gives us a sneak peak into “Saving Mr. Banks”. The other all-new feature is a “Mary-Oke Sing-Along”, which is a fun and I expect to use this a lot as I introduce my daughter to the film over the years. Next up there is “A Magical Musical Reunion with Julie Andrews, Dick Van Dyke and Richard Sherman”, this is a must watch for any fan of the film! It is great to see the trio reunited for this and reminiscing about the film. “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious: The Making of Mary Poppins” is a featurette going behind-the-scenes on the production. Lastly there is also a deleted song called “Chimpanzoo” included.