Mary Poppins (Two-Disc 45th Anniversary Special Edition) [DVD]

Is there really much new to say about this classic Disney film that helped launch the movie career of Julie Andrews? Probably not, but for the handful of people who haven't seen this film, this DVD is a must-buy. Strangely enough, Disney is not releasing a Blu-ray version just yet, so this edition will have to tide over video buffs until that occurs. The 1964 classic is based on the books of P. L. Travers, with a few Disney liberties thrown in. Travers' nanny, Mary Poppins, is somewhat more harsh and unpleasant in the books than in the film version. However, it is obvious that she is hiding a heart of gold inside and that she truly does love the children she takes care. Two of the children did not make the transition from the book, but they are definitely not missed. Julie Andrews is able to bring out the many facets of Mary Poppins without compromising the character, and of course her voice is legendary. The Sherman Brothers whipped up some of their most memorable tunes including "Jolly Holiday," "Spoonful of Sugar," and "Let's Go Fly a Kite."In a nutshell, the story is about a magical nanny who swoops in to take care of the Banks children, Jane & Michael, and also help their father realize what he is missing by ignoring them the way that he does. Along the way she treats the children to adventures with a street performer/chimney sweep, Bert (Dick Van Dyke) as well as her Uncle Albert (Ed Wynn) who loves to laugh. One of the most memorable and touching sequences is the "Feed the Birds" numbers, with veteran actress Jane Darwell making her final screen appearance. One of Walt Disney's favorite songs, it is sure to bring a tear to many eyes.For those that have Mary Poppins (40th Anniversary Edition), here's what's missing on this edition:* Deconstruction of a Scene: Jolly Holiday & Step in Time sequences are examined thoroughly.* "I Love to Laugh" Game (not a big deal for me!)Here are the extras that ARE included:Backstage Disney* Disney on Broadway (All New to DVD)- "Mary Poppins from Page to Stage": The story of Mary Poppins from book to Broadway as the creative team and cast prepare to take the long running show on tour. A very well-done documentary on the stage production of "Mary Poppins," detailing almost every aspect of the production that began in London. Especially interesting is how P.L. Travers did not want any "Americans" involved in the stage production, as she was truly not happy with what Disney did with her books. This feature takes you all over the globe: interviews with the 2 leads are held in NYC at Sardi's restaurant; an interview with one of the Sherman Brothers is filmed in Beverly Hills; interviews with the stage productions composers George Stiles & Anthony Drewe are held in England (they did a fantastic job of blending their compositions seamlessly with the Sherman Brothers' songs from the film). You'll also hear from Bob Crowley, the scenic and costume designer, detailing how he came up with the sets (inspired by the book's illustrations) and changes he made for the touring production. All in all, a very fascinating extra!- "Step in Time": The Broadway cast of Mary Poppins performs the number "Step in Time" from the show. This is a nice glimpse into the stage production. Although it doesn't quite have the pizzazz of the filmed number (what a tough act to follow), the choreography, sets, and costumes work together to create a fantastic production. Especially effective is the use of costumes and make-up to create the illusion of the chimney sweeps are in black and white, making Mary Poppins in her red dress stand out even more.- Step in Time - Downloadable MP3 featuring the Broadway cast of Mary Poppins singing "Step in Time," featuring Ashley Brown as Mary Poppins and Gavin Lee as Bert.- Video Intro By Scenic & Costume Designer, Bob Crowley- Bob Crowley's Design Galleries: Concept art, costume designs, set designs and set models for the Broadway musical* Audio Commentary: with stars Julie Andrews, Dick Van Dyke, Karen Dotrice and songwriter Richard Sherman. There are a few archival comments included from Walt Disney and others. Fantastic track that really adds to the enjoyment of the film. Especially interesting is the "Feed the Birds" number, where Sherman talks about Mary Poppins instilling social responsibility into the children by planting the idea of feeding the birds with tuppence, thus setting off the important string of events at the end of the film. It is refreshing to hear that so many years later, both Andrews & Van Dyke (as well as Dotrice) still have a fondness for this film and the experience of making it.* Poppins Pop-Up Fun Facts: View fun-filled facts about the creation of the movie during viewing. Mirrors some of the information from the commentary track, but still enjoyable to learn some of the behind-the-scenes info as you are watching the movie.* "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious: The Making of Mary Poppins": The definitive behind-the- scenes look at how this unique and beloved film came into being.* Movie Magic: A look at the special effect techniques used to bring the magical world of Mary Poppins to life. This one is interesting, but appears to be geared more towards the young ones and early teens. Doesn't really go very deep.* The Gala World Premiere: Footage from the Red Carpet. What a feast this is; a few different rolls of film (mixing bw and color) have been edited together to recreate as much as possible of this magical evening. See Julie Andrews, Dick Van Dyke, Mary Tyler Moore, Ed Wynn, Cesar Romero, and so many more classic stars. Even Walt & his wife are on hand (it even appears that Walt is gently chastising the costumed Mickey character at one point).* Dick Van Dyke Make-Up Test for his role of the elder Mr. Dawes. On the commentary track, Karen Dotrice (Jane Banks) admits that during filming, she was not told that Dick Van Dyke was playing the elder Mr. Dawes. She thought it was just some old smelly man who was close to death!* Trailers, Ads and More from the Original Release and Reissue of the Film* Mary Poppins Still Art GalleriesMusic & More* Disney's Song Selection: Sing along to "A Spoonful of Sugar," "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" and any of the film's other memorable songs as the lyrics pop up on screen. Each song can be selected separately or while watching the film.* Magical Musical Reunion: Julie Andrews, Dick Van Dyke and songwriter Richard Sherman reminisce about making Mary Poppins and the music that makes it so special.* A Musical Journey with Richard Sherman: A delightful magical journey through some of the film's locations with co-composer Richard Sherman, who reveals surprising secrets about the music of Mary Poppins along the way.* Bonus Short: "The Cat That Looked at a King": Live action and animation based on a chapter from P.L. Travers' sequel "Mary Poppins Opens the Door." Julie Andrews hosts this short done in the style of the whimsical chalk drawings from the movie "Mary Poppins." Vocal talents of Sarah Ferguson, Tracey Ullman, and David Ogden Stiers.* Deleted Song: "Chimpanzoo": A reconstruction of a song that did not appear in the movie using original storyboard and concept art, accompanied by a new rendition of the song performed by co- composer Richard Sherman. Personally, I agree with the deletion of this number!Specs: Video is original aspect ration of 1:66:1, and audio is 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround Sound with French & Spanish language tracks & subtitles. The picture, as in the 40th release, is fantastic. Colors bright, image sharp. The 5.1 mix is fantastic, especially during the musical numbers--all of your speakers will get full use! I read another review on here that only seemed to get front-speaker action, but I clearly heard music and effects loud and clear from my rear speakers, giving a very nice surround effect.There are also sneak peaks into the next Tinker Bell installment as well as other upcoming DVD/Bluray releases (Monsters Inc and Pinocchio this Spring and Beverly Hills Chihuahua).

I thought there were extra features in this DVD that were different from the ones I saw in the 40th anniversary or after. There weren't. But honestly it was cheap and you can't have too many copies of this movie.

Nice to see again. Looked great. Familiar.

Great movie

Classic Movie!!!? Won Several Oscars!!

"Mary Poppins." Many film critics call it the best Walt Disney movie ever made... the crowning achievement from a studio that has brought us such timeless classics as "Fantasia," "Snow White and the Seven Dwarves," "Bambi," "Beauty and the Beast," and "The Lion King." For my money, Mary Poppins tops `em all! This fabulous musical comedy, starring Julie Andrews, Dick Van Dyke, David Tomlinson, and Glynis Johns, and based on the best selling British children's books written by P.L. Travers, ranks as one of the two best children's movies ever made. (The other being "The Wizard of Oz.")Where to begin? This is such an extraordinary movie!! It has everything that a great kid's movie should have: a wonderful story that teaches strong family values; a brilliant cast; absolutely stunning special effects (even by today's standards); and wonderful music. Here are just a few of the things I like best about "Mary Poppins:"THE ACTING is absolutely brilliant! Julie Andrews won a Best Actress Academy Award for her portrayal of Mary Poppins. She imbues her character with the reserve so prevalent in British society during the Victorian and Edwardian eras. At the same time, she manages to convey a wonderful sense of joy, kindness, and compassion toward the children. Dick Van Dyke is superb as the carefree chimney sweep ans jack-of-all-trades, Bert. His relaxed comic style is perfectly matched to his character. And, while his Cockney accent doesn't quite deliver the goods accurately, it's nevertheless pretty good. (By the way, look for Mr. Van Dyke in a secondary role in this film. I won't tell you which one... but it's unlikely you'll miss him!) David Tomlinson is the third stand-out member of this fabulous ensemble cast. He's practically perfect as the pompous, stuffy martinet of a father, George Banks. Other cast members are excellent as well, especially Glynis Johns as Winifred Banks; and Ed Wynn in his hilarious role as the laughing man, Uncle Albert.THE WRITING: Screen writers Bill Walsh and Don Da Gradi adapted "Mary Poppins" from the series of British children's books authored by P.L. Travers (1899-1996) This is a tender story that addresses many family issues that were as problematic at the beginning of the twentieth century as they are today: responsibility, accountability, and the proper role of parents in the rearing of their children. In the Banks household, we find a family with many of the same problems that afflict today's families: two parents, each focused on their own interests, each so busy with their own lives that they have precious little time to forge and maintain loving bonds with their children. What are the possible consequences for the children? How can these problems be addressed and solved? The beauty of this story is that it's done in a way that's easy for kids, even younger ones (I'd say ages six and older) to understand and learn from.THE MUSIC: All of the music and lyrics in "Mary Poppins" are original... composed by Richard Sherman and his brother Robert. This film has some of the best songs ever to appear in a movie! Each song is in itself a classic: "A Spoonful of Sugar;" "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious;" (I think that's how it's spelled!); "Feed the Birds" (my personal favorite); Academy Award-winning "Chim Chim Cher-ee;" "Step in Time;" and "Let's Go Fly a Kite" are but a few of the magical, sometimes whimsical, but always "practically perfect" songs that make this film such a wonderful musical experience.And then there's THE MAGIC... the special effects! In its day, "Mary Poppins" was on the "cutting edge" of movie-making technology. Examples of these (what were then) ultra-modern special effects: this was one of the first films to use miniature robotics for animation. (That robin that lands on the window sill during "A Spoonful of Sugar" is a miniature robotic bird!) And, of course, this is also one of the first films to combine real-life actors and animation extensively (the entire sequence with Mary, Bert and the children inside the sidewalk chalk picture.) These special effects may seem a bit tame when compared with today's computer-generated graphics, but make no mistake: they're still eye-popping!Go beyond all the glitz and glitter of the film, and you'll find at the heart of "Mary Poppins" a simple story about family, with important lessons for all of us - children and adults alike - on how we can make our homes better and happier places to live.By today's standards, "Mary Poppins" may seem a little old-fashioned, even dated. But it's still a great kid's movie! With a well written, touching story, superb music, and outstanding special effects, it's at once brilliantly funny, poignant, joyous, carefree, and just plain marvelous entertainment. It earns my highest recommendation.

One of the Best movies I have ever seen!!!! I have several in VHS but wanted a Blu-Ray version for the sound and picture quality. We watch the move frequently. We already have the second one with Emily Blunt in Blue ray. We prefer the Original although the sequel is well done too.

Mary Poppins é um filme divertido, leve e cheio de valores familiares. Apresenta o comportamento incoerente de vários personagens e os conduz de volta aos aspectos valiosos da vida familiar.

Está es una de mis películas favoritas, se ve súper bien, el envío fue muy rápido y llegó súper bien.

Intramontabile.....

Histoire extraordinaire dans un Londres bien ordinaire.Quelles chansons intemporelles qui me suivent encore avec tant de joie et de bonheur !Merci Disney et bravo Amazon !