Disney drums up age-old magic by picking up the threads of an unforgettable original which had the unassailable diva Julie Andrews mesmerize way back in 1964

Mary Poppins Returns is an overdosed saccharine panacea to the cynical times we live in

Emily Blunt is good, as are the children, and the rest of the performers do their job well enough. A couple of the sequences, when Blunt lets herself go, as well as the climactic set-piece, is quite lovely.

A magical Emily Blunt reinvents the Disney classic for a new generation.

If you have young children, you might consider giving Mary Poppins Returns a chance. I think they will enjoy it. There is less fodder here for adults but perhaps like me, you can distract yourself by admiring the sharp cut and fit of Mary’s coats.

Director Rob Marshall is the authority on musicals, he’s directed movies like Chicago, Nine and Into The Woods. So he’s perfectly at home with the song, dance and elaborately detailed choreography of Mary Poppins Returns. The film is a homage to Julie Andrews’ original and this 2018 version, with a bizarrely satisfying and unabashedly pastiche approach, is a pure delight for children and adults alike.

If the old Mary Poppins means a lot to you, I suspect the new one might come up short. The uplifting tone gets suffocating at some point, the messaging hammered into your head throughout.

Overall, while the original film was “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious”, this one is “simply-fragilistically-sad”.

For most parts, Mary Poppins Returns will put a smile on your faces and that’s why it is worth a watch.