Dick Tracy (1990) - 1/5

This movie has an amazing style somewhere between Sin City and Edward Scissorhands, but it’s plot and execution is so wildly ill-advised that it’s surprising it got made. It serves as a warning to anyone attempting to make a film that purports to be for children in its intellectual property, style, and tone, but insists on including mistreatment and exploitation of women in a gritty gangster plot.

Content warning: female nudity

Closest comparison: It’s like The Maltese Falcon by way of Speed Racer (2008).

Setting: Noir
Plot: Detective
Tone: Adventure

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.