Mary Poppins Returns

I went to this movie twice in the theater (so far!). Mary Poppins Returns follows The Banks kids from movie one all grown up. Michael Banks has 3 children and after his wife passing he is struggling to pay a loan he took out against his house. The movie is 2 hours and 10 mins of typical Mary Poppins fun and music tied up with saving their house from the big bad wolf.

I took my 2 nieces and 1 nephew the first time I saw it. It was Christmas Eve, which may be why my 4 year old nephew and 6 year old niece had a hard time sitting through it. My 9 year old niece really enjoyed it though. The 2nd time, I brought my other 9 year old niece and she was up dancing through all the songs (thank goodness we were in the back and there was only 4 others in the theater! lol).

I absolutely love the sound track. A few of my favorites are

1. Can You Imagine That
• This song gets stuck in my head all day long! It is super cute! My niece sings it with me
2. Turning Turtle
• Who doesn't like a crazy Meryl Streep? She plays Mary Poppins cousin Topsy and every 2nd Wednesday her life gets topsy turny (or as she calls it turning turtle). The songs is cute and crazy!
3. Trip A Light Fantastic
• This song is similar to Burt's Step in Time from the 1st movie but follows people who light the sidewalk lamps instead of chimney sweeps. This song has a lot of dancing and silly words.
4. A Cover is Not the Book
• This is a great song for a good lesson learned. It's pretty much about not judging a book by it's cover. It ties in nicely with the wolf in the scene. Mary and Jack sing about different stories. It's another fun song with lots a dancing!

I will most definitely be buying this movie when it comes out on DVD/Streaming. I would recommend seeing it in theaters if you have older children. I feel like it was a little long (and maybe a little slow) for a 4 year old. He may sit through it later at home if he can play with his toys at the same time though.

SPOILER BELOW........

The one thing I wasn't happy with was Dick Van Dyke's part. Disney had the perfect opportunity to bring him back as Burt but he came back as a banker. I loved that he was in it though, he even danced a little! But, had I have written him in, I would have had him come down the chimney at the bank with the burned up page from the shares ledger, not as the bad guy's uncle! He came back as Mr Dawes Jr and saved the day though, so it all turned out for the Banks family!

I also wish some of the other actors/actresses made a cameo. I know they are all older now, but they could have come back as someone else like Dick Van Dyke did and not necessarily their original part.

Disney's Descendants 2

Last week we watched the new Descendants 2 movie and the kids LOVED it! Yes, all 4 of my nieces and nephew LOVED this movie.

Plot:
Descendants 2 follows Mal, who is still at Auradon Prep and dating King Ben. At the beginning of the movie, several months after moving to Auradon, Mal starts to feel like she doesn't belong and that she doesn't know who she is anymore. She admits her issues to her friends, Evie, Carlos, and Jay, but they are content with their new lives in Auradon and do not wish to return to the Isle of the Lost. Evie scolds Mal for relying on her mother’s spell book to solve her issues. Ben eventually discovers Mal’s reliance on magic, and she comes clean about her insecurities, causing the two to have a falling out. Mal returns to the Isle, now ruled by her former friend Uma, the daughter of Ursula. Ben, Evie, Jay, and Carlos learn of Mal’s departure and sneak onto the island to find her, but one of Uma's gang recognizes them. Ben confronts Mal, who rejects his feelings for his sake and Auradon’s. Ben leaves dejected, only to be captured by Uma, who orders Mal and her friends to retrieve the Fairy Godmother’s wand or Ben dies. Carlos and Jay return to Auradon Prep, where they create a replica of the wand using a 3D printer. Uma speaks with Ben, bitter that she and the others were not chosen to go to Auradon. Ben takes this into account and invites her to Auradon, but Uma instead plots to make her own way there. Mal’s group return, handing over the fake wand in exchange for Ben, but Uma realises it is a forgery. The group flee back to Auradon, but Mal and Ben’s relationship is still on the rocks. Aboard a ship during the Cotillion, Ben stuns everyone by appearing with Uma, who he declares as his true love and announces he will destroy the barrier on the Isle. Jane unveils a stain glass display Ben commissioned to show his affection for Mal, who realises he loved her for who she was all along. Suspecting Uma has given Ben a love potion, Mal kisses him, breaking it. Uma leaps into the water, using her mother Ursula’s magic seashell to transform into an octopus, Mal fighting back by transforming into a dragon. Ben intervenes, quelling the battle, and Uma swims away despite his offer still standing. Mal and Ben reunite, Mal surrendering her spell book over to the Fairy Godmother. Mal and Evie request that Dizzy be allowed to attend Auradon Prep.

This movie was cute, as all Disney channel movies are. The music was fun, which is what my nieces and nephew liked the most (obviously!). They were singing and dancing to the songs, their favorite was What's My Name that Uma sang. Check out the videos of them having a blast! I feel like we will be buying this sound track to listen in the car!