Mary Poppins is not just a fictional character; in fact, she is a staple of our childhood. From giving the mundane a spoonful of sugar to helping us rise to the occasion with the help of a kite, Mary Poppins can be considered a cornerstone in the foundation of imagination.

Many of us grew up with Mary Poppins, all of different ages and backgrounds. For us, she was a fond memory, but now it would seem that a new generation gets to experience the magic and imagination in the 2018 film "Mary Poppins Returns." From the start, the question of the movie's quality was posed and approached with great apprehension. After, the original Mary Poppins was and still is beloved by people across the globe. It is to be expected that a movie sequel is to be ever-so-slightly dreaded and feared as the release date crawls closer and closer. Thus, when the movie was released, people flooded the theaters in anticipation. What had Disney done to such an adored character like Mary Poppins?

I will be the first to admit, I was not insanely anticipating this movie given Disney's track record with molding past material into a shiny, new package. In fact, I was most excited to see this movie because I am a huge music nerd. Give up a chance to see Lin-Manuel Miranda? I think not. Besides, having seen the Mary Poppins musical on Broadway, I was looking forward to the musical aspect of this film. So, I traveled to the theatre with my family and sat myself down, not knowing what to expect.

In short, I can safely say that Disney did not ruin or sully the original movie with this new sequel. I know that seems rather underwhelming when it comes to all the love and joy associated with Mary Poppins, but in a short and simple way, that is my best answer.

There were many aspects of the movie that I found to be incredibly enjoyable. Obviously, as a huge musical geek, I absolutely adored the music in this film. The tunes were incredibly catchy and most, if not all, have become my own personal earworms. Some would say that the music is too much like the original film at times and I can't say that I don't see that side of the argument. However, I saw this more as an homage to the original. In fact, you can hear within the songs moments where the original songs are referenced. Perhaps then the similarities to the original soundtrack could be chalked up to Mary Poppins' need to return to the Banks family. After all, she is once again helping the Banks children, perhaps they still need the same lessons and magic as a reminder of their past. For me, I enjoyed the music and found, though similar to the original, there is definitely enough originality and effort put in to make it its own.

Along the same lines, the singing talent is also very good in this movie. Lin-Manuel Miranda, as expected, does a wonderful job and has many fun moments and songs. Similarly, Emily Blunt has a wonderful voice that, to me, really adds to the whimsy that surrounds her world and the character of Mary Poppins as well. Her signing voice really exemplifies the heart and soul of the original Mary Poppins. Overall, the signing talent in this movie had me absolutely drawn in when it comes to this movie.

When I entered the movie theater to watch the film, I was expected to be visually blown away by this film. My experience with the original film and the Broadway musical left me with high expectation and this 2018 sequel did not disappoint. Visually, this movie was extremely pleasing to watch. The colors and choice of the costume coupled with the amazing design of all the sets or settings took my breath away. On top of this, the choreography was absolutely energized and fun to watch on the screen. You can definitely tell that this movie was made with a musical mindset. Branching away, however, from the realm of reality, the animation in this movie was absolutely stunning and wonderful. I truly miss watching traditional animation on the big screen and to see, even for only part of the movie, Disney play with 2D animation again was heartwarming. As always, the colors and fluidity of the animation were absolutely mesmerizing and I found myself wishing to see more of it.

As much as I have been signing this movies praises when it comes to its visuals and music, I cannot say that I found this movie to be completely without flaws. Personally, the story in this movie did not meet the same level as the soundtrack or choreography. For me, the original Mary Poppins was a very people-oriented film; it was about a family coming together, working together through aspects of real life that focused on the gray area. There was not a designated bad guy in the original Mary Poppins, there was just a family that needed time to bond and understand one another. This sequel, in my opinion, could really use a better focus in that department. Personally, I felt like I was going back in screenwriting time; a chase-oriented plot that involves trying to save a home from the evil banking corporation seems to be a concept exhausted of most potential. I just found that the plot could have had a greater focus on the personal relationships between the characters instead of pinpointing most of the Banks family problems to a singular enemy. For me, Mary Poppins is about rising together, joining hands; we should be able to join those hands to point at one individual.

Overall, I thought that this movie was a fun watch and definitely a great listen. Though not perfect (and what film doesn't have any sort of flaws) Mary Poppins has returned to provide audience members with a visually pleasing movie that will have you humming as you exit the theater.