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rfunke
Reviews
Mary Poppins Returns (2018)
A little surprised anyone would rate this less.
But then again, no. It depends on one's expectations. Emily Blunt was excellent in the roll. I understand she tried to stay more consistent with the book than the 1964 movie, but I never read the book. To me, it had all the magic the first movie did. I think where people may have rated less had to do with the following:
- It was a long movie - over two hours. If one sees it in the movie theater, one could feel a little "trapped." With modern day streaming, our attention spans are getting shorter and we we're used to streaming which enables us to watch in parts. Also, back then, movies in theaters had intermissions for the projectionist to change reels. There is no need for that today, so there is no break in the middle.
- One reviewer claimed the songs were not as "memorable" as the first movie. The songs seemed consistent with the Sherman brothers' style. However, we forget as adults that at that time, if children liked a movie, they would see it over and over again in the theater. I remember kids in the neighborhood bragging about how many times they saw Mary Poppins. Songs don't stay in our heads until we hear them repeatedly.
- For some who were too young to remember seeing Mary Poppins, live action musicals are not done as much as they used to be; although, Disney cartoon movies such as Frozen still may have a musical format.
For those that did not rate it well, I recommend going back to watching the original and then streaming this movie when it comes available. I think it would stand up quite nicely.
Bob Funk (2009)
Nice name for the title.
Of course I like the title. It's phonetically the same as my name. However, I would have preferred the main character to be an action hero that saves the universe from total annihilation. Instead, he is an alcoholic loser who has a hard time getting it together. He comes through at the end of the movie.
Bob Funk is employed by his widow mother, who is a shrewd business woman. His brother, Ron, appears to be the favored son, but Ron has his own problems with his marriage. Both Bob and Ron take an interest in the same woman, who sets Ron straight since Ron is a married man. Bob is divorced and eventually ends up with the woman, who is naturally clumsy.
It's not a must see movie by any stretch, but it kept me engaged and it ends nicely.