Search: Directed by Rob Marshall

Screenwriter Bill Condon and director Rob Marshall have retained the spirit of the original.

In the woods, we are firmly placed in the shoes of the children and slowly start to understand the adults through their songs.

The presence of human faces in some places makes this no less an act of animation than anything made solely of ink on paper.

This a memorable film, luxurious and intense.

The stakes are high and the fears tangible in this return, which invites discussion and doesn't protect parents from uncomfortable questions. This is the power of the film. Mary Poppins herself wouldn't want it any other way.

It reminds me of a series of auditions where actresses, lighting experts, choreographers and so on, all demonstrate their impeccable skills. What is totally lacking is any semblance of a film upon which to apply them.

A genuinely entertaining outing for the series, managing to generate both novelty and surprise while preserving all the best features of the preceding pictures.