SPECIAL EFFECTS

The original Mary Poppins was way ahead of its time and won the 1965 Oscar for visual effects. Mary could fly with the aid of her umbrella, summon an endless array of mystifying objects from her bottomless carpet bag and understand the language of animals.

Wires and harnesses were used to create the flying sequences and animation was carefully edited into the film to make it look as if animals were right alongside the characters.

Mary Poppins Returns promises even more jaw-dropping delights, but filmmakers have stylised modern CGI technology to give the film a nostalgic twist. Expect animated penguins, bathtub diving, flying bicycles, a wonderful underwater world and a mirror reflection with a mind of its own. In short, it’s supercalifragilisticexpialidociously charming.