Mary Poppins (1964) (Disney) [1965]

Customer reviews:

A Spoon full of pure delight !, 2008-02-06
This film follows the character of Mary Poppins the nanny who's practically perfect in every way. This timeless classic has magical and unforgettable songs for the whole family to enjoy. And this special 40th anniversary edition has some brilliant extras from a new short story with Julie Andrews, cut songs and a documentary of the making of the film.

"Most delightful in every way", 2007-11-22
This 40th Anniversary Edition on Mary Poppins is a credit all the re-releases that have both boggled (with odd cuts/features) and enhanced our experiences. Packed with extras and the restored film, its a bargain!
The first thing you'll notice, if like me you've been stingy enough to stick to your VHS version when it was on TV, is that the sheer clarity makes it appear like it was filmed yesterday. Bright, bold colours, not a single defect in clarity, it could easily pass as a new release. Theirs no 'cell' shake like on original features too, were it would appear as if the screen was a bit shakey at times.
If you've taken an interest into this film (and you've never seen it) then it's likely you've gathered the storyline by now, so I won't pound on with what happens. But as far as Disneys go, this is on level with Bed Knobs and Broomsticks when it comes to superior technicality and animation.
I have to admit, this is the first time i've seen the film for over 10 years, and it's never looked so good. As a kid, we hammered the video it was so magical, and as an adult you only appreciate the work that's been put in it further. The merging of cell animation with the acting is truly seamless, and entertaining in its own right because is just so clever. Though this is actually a rare Disney in that the animation is spread through the film - its only used for a few scenes in the first half of the film. And perhaps this allowed Disney to concentrate their time better on producing such tight and accurate merges with the actors, from Dick van Dyk seemingly dancing around the penguins (while they dance around him) to the incredible horse chase scene. But in an of the instances, most credit goes to the actors for their sheer ability to percieve how they're going interact with the animation, in the latter stages of production. This must have been incredibly time consuming, but it was worth it, because this is something no computer generated film can copy. The combining of art and acting.
The dance scenes are perfect as usual - in time, and incredibly (almost cringingly!) impossible, as the chimney sweepers smoothly dart about all over the place. The musical score ties in nicely, and gives the extra edge to the animated sequences.
Favourite scene? Has to be Berts (Dick van dyk) and May Poppins (Julie Andrews) jolly outing as they group enter the summery animated world. The way they interact with their surroundings is truly amazing, from Bert picking a bunch of cell animated flowers and giving them to Mary, to the general composition and landscape, to which both actors ramble about in the perfect directions that don't look un-real at all. You may think I'm hapring on about this theme, but it has to be seen, thought of, and the realised that this is film making at its creative peak.
This 2 disc edition contains fantastic extras that explain in great detail how the many wonderful effects were created, and a fab commentary in the film too. I can't recommend this DVD enough. I had to laugh though at the only 1 star review for this film.. why not check it out for yourself!