DVD Toons has taken a look at tomorrow’s 40th Anniversary release of Walt Disney’s Mary Poppins, calling the disc “practically perfect, but not quite”, citing a none too accurate aspect ratio and several extras missing from previous incarnations as the reason the disc doesn’t reach top marks. But there are good words for what is included, pointing out that “everything you needed to know about Mary Poppins is here. An immensely enjoyable commentary is the most fun I’ve had in ages listening to such a track, with wonderful new supplements that are very magical in their own right! The Cat That Looked At A King is a witty new piece, while the Japanese-produced animation style, directed by Disney Treasures producer Dave Bossert, invokes the feel of a classic Disney short in a comical, 1950’s way, not quite up to feature animation standards, but streets ahead of what the DTV unit traditionally churns out. Bringing real magic is Julie Andrews, who recreates some poses and lines from the original. The one bad mark is in the scoring, which has been performed on synthesized samples instead of by a real orchestra, bringing the short down a notch or two and lending it a ‘cheapness’ that Walt would never had allowed. All in all, it encompasses all that is good and bad about this edition, but coupled with the new CD soundtrack, this DVD makes it definitely worth upgrading to – Mary Poppins is not just a Disney classic, but a bona fide movie legend, and as such automatically belongs in your DVD collections!”

GREY→WORD