MARY POPPINS RETURNS

Emily Blunt, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Meryl Streep In theaters Dec. 19 PG

IT certainly will be a jolly holiday now that practically perfect Mary Poppins (Blunt) has floated back to town just in time for Christmas! In this supercalifragilisticexpialidocious sequel to the 1964 film, starring Julie Andrews as the titular tidy-upper, the no-nonsense nanny is back to look after now-grown siblings Jane (Emily Mortimer) and Michael Banks (Ben Whishaw) now that tragedy has struck their household. Michael is trying to hold it together for his three children (Joel Dawson, Pixie Davies, Nathanael Saleh), despite the sudden death of his wife and threats that the bank will take possession of his home. However, Mary Poppins and a few of her kindhearted pals, including Jack (Miranda, playing Bert the chimney sweep’s apprentice) and Mary’s kooky cousin, Topsy (Blunt’s Devil Wears Prada costar Streep), show up at his doorstep with a spoonful of sugar and the promise of a better tomorrow. And with the live-action-digital-animation update on track to bring in $65 million through Christmas Day, Disney is sure to be shouting “chim chim cher-ee” from every rooftop in London!