DVD review (region 1)
Directed by Robert Stevenson
Starring Julie Andrews, Dick Van Dyke, David Tomlinson, Glynis Johns
Release date Out now

A mysterious flying nanny arrives to take care of two young children, whose bad behaviour is directly attributed to their parents’ neglect...

Often wrongly viewed as a rather twee film – possibly due to the leading lady’s onscreen image at the time – the 1964 adaptation of P.L. Travers’ whimsical novel is a unique tale. Weird (London is full of oddball characters), frightening (check out the sequence in which the children become lost in the city) and socially aware (the kids’ father is a workaholic banker and their mother too busy being a suffragette), this is a film with far more going on than its reputation suggests.

The performances are pitched just right. Andrews is “practically perfect in every way”, and there are plenty of neat touches from director Robert Stevenson. Mary Poppins' slide up the banisters is especially cool, but equally interesting is the fact she never gets to interact with the children’s mother. The look she gives to the reunited family at the film’s climax is perhaps the most heartbreakingly beautiful shot in a movie that’s always a joy to watch.

Dick Van Dyke has always been seen as the weak link in the movie, but his charming chimney sweep is great, sounding a bit like a 30-years-too-early impersonation of Loyd Grossman. Who cares if he doesn’t sound like an authentic cockney? It’s hardly a film built on realism and Van Dyke has such an utterly charming screen presence he gets away with it in style!

Despite being shot entirely in a studio, the film never feels stagey. The special effects are terrific as Edwardian London is stylishly recreated, and the fantasy settings, including the famous live-action/cartoon sequence, are still dazzling to watch.

The special features on the disc range from a documentary plugging the Broadway show to a charming reunion between Andrews, Van Dyke and Sherman. Best of all is the audio commentary in which the three are joined by Karen Dotrice, who played the young Jane Banks.

Sweeping aside the odd notion of issuing a “45th Anniversary Edition” (expect to see yet another release in five years time), this is a typically charming release from Disney. Jonathan Wilkins

VERDICT: 10/10
A cracking tale with a surprisingly dark edge.