In Theaters ****^ Mary Poppins Returns (2018)

In Theaters ****^ Mary Poppins Returns 

Emily Blunt wows as Mary Poppins and Lin-Manuel Miranda thrills as Jack, the Lamp Lighter and former apprentice of Bert from the original film.  And the Banks family is made up of Michael, (Ben Whishaw) and his sister Jane (Emily Mortimer) who are in the original but now 25 years older.  Michael is a widower.  He has three children, Anabel (Pixie Davies), John (Nathanael Saleh) and Georgie (Joel Dawson).  Meryl Streep also portrays a cameo, cousin of Mary Poppins, Topsy, who is a fix-it person.  Michael has borrowed money against the bank, and the bank president (Colin Firth) is intent on taking the home, even if he has to hide stock records to do so.  ALs taking cameo rolls are Dick Van Dyck (bank president’s boss) and Angela Lansbury, balloon seller.   With this cast and Mary Poppins story we are in for a ride.  It seems P.L. Travers published eight Mary Poppins books in all with many stories.  Sheri really loved the music, but it still isn’t in my head like some of the original songs.  I need to return to see this again.

Movie Review: Curious George (2006)

This is a full length movie based on the lovable monkey of Margret and H.A. Rey.  Will Ferrell gave voice to Ted, The Man with the Yellow Hat.  There is a woman (Drew Barrymore) who has interest in Ted  the museum owner (Dick Van Dyke) and his son Junior (David Cross) who is determined to sell the museum for a parking garage.  George's noises are voiced by Frank Welker.
In this movie, George befriends Ted when he visits Africa looking for a relic.  George comes away with his hat, and follows him to America, and eventually to his apartment.  The relic, turns out to be only three inches tall.  However it is billed to be 40 feet tall.  And this was the last effort to save the museum.  George, in his usual way, crashes the dinosaur bones, and all efforts seem to fail.  Ted has to eventually decide what is really important.
I found this movie cute, and the grand babies love it.  It is good for the little ones, however even Tony likes it.  The music is very catchy.  It was done by Jack Johnson.  The music track CD album hit number 1.

Upside Down lyrics - Jack Johnson

Who's to say

What's impossible

Well they forgot

This world keeps spinning

And with each new day

I can feel a change in everything

And as the surface breaks reflections fade

But in some ways they remain the same

And as my mind begins to spread its wings

There's no stopping curiosity

I want to turn the whole thing upside down

I'll find the things they say just can't be found

I'll share this love I find with everyone

We'll sing and dance to Mother Nature's songs

I don't want this feeling to go away

Who's to say

I can't do everything

Well I can try

And as I roll along I begin to find

Things aren't always just what they seem

I want to turn the whole thing upside down

I'll find the things they say just can't be found

I'll share this love I find with everyone

We'll sing and dance to Mother Nature's songs

This world keeps spinning and there's no time to waste

Well it all keeps spinning spinning round and round and

Upside down

Who's to say what's impossible and can't be found

I don't want this feeling to go away

Please don't go away

Please don't go away

Please don't go away

Is this how it's supposed to be

Is this how it's supposed to be

The song "We Are Going to be Friends is just as enjoyable. 

Movie Review: Night at the Museum

Night at the Museum is an intriguing story.  At one time it seems to lose its way with just too much noise, confusion and stuff going on, but it gets back to the major plot. 

Larry Daley (Ben Stiller) takes a job as a night watchman. He doesn’t really want to, as he is an inventor who has had bad luck.  However, in order to continue to visit his son who lives with his ex-wife, he needs a job. He replaces three old codgers, which provides cameos for Dick Van Dyke, Mickey Rooney and Bill Cobbs.  The thing only the night watchmen at this museum know, everything comes to life at night.  This is because of an ancient Egyptian tablet.  Amongst the characters we also meet Teddy Roosevelt (Robin Williams) Sacagawea (Mizuo Peck) Jedediah a cowboy (Owen Wilson) and a centurion (Steve Coogan). We also add a tour guide (Carla Gugino) at the museum, for a love interest.  Our old codgers are too pleased about being replaced.  The plan to steal the tablet, and anything else they can take, and pin it all on our new night guard.  It is gong to take the cooperation of everyone to fix this mess.  Worse, if any museum characters are out at night, the turn to dust, and it will be the end of the job.

Musical Movie Review: ****Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968)

This is a classic Dick Van Dyke musical.   Van Dyke portrays Caractacus Potts, a down-on-his luck inventor; father of two children, Jermina and Jeremy (Heather Ripley and Adrian Hall)  who have their hearts set on an older motor car which is going to be sold from the junk yard, and Potts doesn't have money to purchase it.  He first tries to sell his tooting candy invention to Lord Scrumptious (James Robertson Justice), an old gentleman, but rather stodgy, and the father of Truly (Sally Ann Howes), a woman he offended the day before.  When this fails, Potts sings to his children:

"A gentle breeze from Hushabye Mountain
Softly blows o'er lullaby bay.
It fills the sails of boats that are waiting--
Waiting to sail your worries away.
It isn't far to Hushabye Mountain
And your boat waits down by the quay.
The winds of night so softly are sighing--
Soon they will fly your troubles to sea.
So close your eyes on Hushabye Mountain.
Wave good-bye to cares of the day.
And watch your boat from Hushabye Mountain
Sail far away from lullaby bay."
Potts then tries an automatic hair cutting machine at the carnival, but he destroys his customer's hair.  Fleeing his customer, he becomes part of a bamboo dance, "Me'ol Bamboo."  This is cool, the way they dance with the bamboo sticks.   The company gives him the most of the money that is tossed at them, as he brought them success; and there is enough for the old car.
He then goes into a work period where he restores the car, and adds a few extra gadgets and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is born.
Potts gets the car working, and the go to picnic with Truly Scrumptious.  "Truly Scrumptious" is another favorite song.  Then it's time for a story, and off to the land of Baron and Baroness Bomburst (Gert Frobe and Anna Quayle.)  They sing a clever duet, "Chu-chu Face."  In this story, the Baron and Baroness hate children, and have banished them to the sewers.  Only the efforts toy make (Benny Hill) and Truly and Potts dancing "Doll on a Music Box and Truly Scrumptious."  The children are rescued, and the end of the story sees the group flying away in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
This is a classic, with beautiful songs, great dancing and a plot that is a bit contrived, having to add this story and such things.  However, it works.

Movie Musical Review: ****Bye Bye Birdie 1963

Bye Bye Birdie;  This is the original made for t.v. version which stars Dick Van Dyke as Albert, the song writer who has recruited Birdie to sing his song before he goes to the Army, as he has been drafted.  He wants to use this as leverage with his mother, to prove he is a success and can marry his secretary, Rosie, (Janet Leigh).  This version includes the actual Ed Sullivan playing himself, and Birdie is suppose to kiss a girl on national television.  However, the Russian ballet is puts a damper on their dream, as this is to play instead of Birdie.  Somehow they get a speed potions (seems like not a good example of doing drugs) into the conductors drink, and he conducts the ballet at an accelerated speed, making it a comedy routine rather than a ballet.  It finishes early and Birdie will perform “One last Kiss, Oh baby one last kiss.”  This is a classic.  Things are looking good, until it all goes bad.  Jesse Pearson plays Birdie, Paul Lynde the father of the daughter to be kissed, and Ann-Margeret the girl to be kissed.