Took the time to see the original version of Mary Poppins recently before I saw this sequel. I grew up experiencing Julie Andrews as Mary Poppins as a child and again I re-experienced the gaiety and the lightness, and the many memorable songs, songs that seem to keep playing in one's head long after the movie ends. The sequel is more of a pale update to the original movie; but I would agree with Chris that it does have its charms and as a contemporary nanny movie it does credit to its origins. Nevertheless, I think the movie tries too hard to be both its own movie and also attempts to retain some of the original magic. In doing so, this likely impossible feat makes for a rather unfair comparison. In some ways, maybe each generation should let each generation have their own Mary Poppins instead.