1917 - 5/5

This movie is impeccably acted, with a compelling story and empathetic characters, but the main draw comes from the fact that the entire thing is a oner. Of course there are several cleverly hidden cuts and one plot-based one, but the effect is more than just window dressing; it brings the audience with the characters on their urgent journey. The main characters have a few lucky escapes from bad marksmen, but that’s a minor quibble at best in a film like this. The period costuming and set design is jaw-dropping, and everything comes together in an impressive and epic package.

Content warning: war violence

Closest comparison: Where Dunkirk (2017) shuffled its timeline, 1917’s is seamless.

Setting: War
Plot: Adventure
Tone: Thriller

Mary Poppins Returns - 4/5

Tasked with the impossible, this movie does quite well. No one can recreate Julie Andrews’ iconic performance, but Emily Blunt does a great job as the character. There’s singing and dancing, as one might expect, and it follows the beats of the original movie in a way that is more comforting than distracting. Still, it finds plenty of new things to do. They go into a cartoon world again, but this time it’s a ceramic bowl. There are villainous bankers again, but this time with more tie-ins with the children. They even manage to have tear-jerking song that far surpasses the heartfelt “Feed The Birds”. If you like the original, definitely give this one a watch.

Closest Comparison: It’s an updated Mary Poppins with a new coat of paint.