Mary Poppins* (1964)

Those who know me well know that I do, in fact, have a soft spot for cheerful good fun. It’s hard to get more cheerful than Mary Poppins. It’s vibrant, playful, and even a little daring in the filmmaking. Some films lose their luster over time as special effects become more dated and obvious. This does not hold Mary Poppins back at all. Full of sass and wit, this one charms its way almost to the top of my rating scale.

The Banks children are quite a handful, going through nanny after nanny. They have a no-nonsense father and a flighty mother who seems more interested in women’s suffrage than child-rearing. Enter Mary Poppins- a lady-like young woman who insists on proper behavior from children but also knows when to throw the rule book away (and how!). She introduces the Banks children to etiquette, manners, and brand new ways of having fun that are sure to make their parents freak out.

Let’s get the few and largely meaningless quibbles out first. Some of the special effects (like when Mary has the kids cleaning their room) do show their age and may look hokey. Many of the prim and proper adults set bad examples for their kids- a workaholic father and an absentee mother? Where’s child services? Finally, Dick Van Dyke delivers a noticeably poor Cockney accent.

But who cares? Julie Andrews is delightful as the spirited, firm-but-fun Mary Poppins. Dick Van Dyke’s Bert is warm and inviting. The kids aren’t even very annoying. All the principle characters are a perfect fit and help the story unfold naturally.

Other than a handful of dated special effects, the filmmaking is remarkable in every way. The songs are great, the hybrid live action and animated sequences are darn near perfect, and there are plenty of other practical and special effects shots that still look great. This film is nothing short of a textbook example of how to make a family movie. All the ingredients complement each other in just the right ways. It is a time-honored classic that still pleases children and parents alike. Naysayers be darned, Mary Poppins is a classic.

RATING: 4.5 out of 5

Enchanted (2007)

After several years worth of snarky, self-aware fairy tale-skewering Hollywood hits, Disney finally caught on and took aim at its own lengthy portfolio of animated cheese. Enchanted more than hits the mark. It destroys the mark altogether. Where one would expect Disney to hold back in reverence to its most time-honored fairy tale conventions, Enchanted lays it on thick, as if it were one of the cynical hecklers that live to berate schmaltz.

The film opens as if it were an animated film. A beautiful young maiden named Giselle has secretly caught the ire of an evil queen. Giselle wakes in the morning, sings a sweet song and receives help in getting ready for the day with the help of her animal friends. These early scenes had my eyes rolling and my gut busting with laughter. Make no mistake, Disney’s pulling no punches.

The evil queen tries but fails to dispatch of the maiden before her dashing prince of a son discovers and falls madly in love with her. It’s perfectly gag-tastic. As a last ditch effort, the queen throws the girl into an enchanted well and she ends up as a flesh and blood human being in our world. Wanting to break the idealistic Giselle’s outlook, the queen sent her to New York City, where she would be surrounded by cynical, impatient and rude people around every corner.

Dressed in a huge, poofy dress, Giselle walks the streets looking for help. Jaded and bitter New Yorkers just pay her no mind and she is left nearly desperate. She finds help in Robert Phillip (Patrick Dempsey), a divorced father of one. His daughter quickly falls in love with the idea of having a real princess in their apartment but Robert just wants to put her up for a night and get the nut out of his place.

Sure enough, her prince travels to our world in search of his one true love. He is “assisted” by one of his mother’s advisors, who tries to do everything he can to prevent the prince from succeeding. More of the culture clash humor arises from his quest than from Giselle’s predicament. There are plenty of laughs from her end of the story, but there is also the serious side, which dilutes the fun ever so slightly. You know, the moral of the story.

For all the goofy fun that Enchanted brings to the table, Disney couldn’t help but fall victim to some of the same conventions they roast. The ending is fairly predictable, but it is, after all, a fairy tale. What fairy tale isn’t predictable?

Enchanted is one of the rare films that just about everyone can enjoy. The snarky jibes at fairy tale clichés will appeal to the cynics while the idealistic romanticism will appeal to the rest of the crowd. It makes a few things very clear- First, there’s a reason why fairy tales are best left animated. The costumes and songs are all immensely ridiculous when being worn and sung by flesh and blood actors. Second, cynical views of life and happiness are only okay in small doses. Enchanted really manages to kill two birds with one stone and get two messages out there. Good job.

Also, credit has to be given to the actors. Amy Adams and James Marsden really sell their vapid characters. They go all out and appear to be uninhibited by any doubts about looking or sounding as silly as they do. Dempsey gives a committed performance as an all-too-straight talking dad who doesn’t wish to be bothered by any of Giselle’s delusional yammerings.

The writing is dead on, the acting is tight and the music is light and fun. Enchanted shows that Disney has a sense of humor and can pick on themselves like nobody else. It’s a solid film overall, but it’s not worthy of multiple viewings. You’ll either grow too cynical or to idealistic if you watch it too much. Pull this one out from time to time when you need a good laugh.

RATING: 3.5 out of 5