"MARY POPPINS 45TH ANNIVERSARY," Disney, 2 discs, 139 minutes, Rated G, $29.99
It's tempting, really tempting, to say that the new DVD rerelease of the award-winning "Mary Poppins" is "supercalifragilisticexpialidocious."
So I won't — don't want to sound precocious.
But the 45th anniversary DVD is super, especially the bonus DVD that gives a behind-the-scenes, fact-filled look at the music, choreography and performers in Disney's beloved children's classic. Highlights include a Broadway cast performing "Step in Time" (also downloadable as an MP3 audio file) and reminiscences of Julie Andrews, Dick Van Dyke and songwriter Richard Sherman on the making of the movie and its music. Richard Sherman composed the songs with his late brother, Robert.
Did you know that some songs that didn't make the cut for "Mary Poppins" were later used in the "Jungle Book" and "Bedknobs and Broomsticks"? Or that one song, "Chipmanzoo," was scheduled for the film but pulled at the last minute?
In fact, the Sherman brothers wrote 32 songs for the show but used only 14.
Or that Andrews whistled for the movie? In the nursery scene of "A Spoonful of Sugar," Poppins (Julie Andrews) sings a duet with a mechanical bird. Andrews, who had worked in English vaudeville with her parents and was an expert whistler, did the bird whistling, too. Walt Disney had hired a professional whistler but didn't like the result. So Andrews did both the singing and whistling. (As Andrews, Van Dyke and Sherman tell stories about the production, Disney's attention to detail and aim for perfection is evident.)
Among the many bonus features is a live action/animation short, "The Cat That Looked at a King," where Andrews "steps" into an animated, whimsical chalk drawing. Voices in the animated story include Sarah Ferguson and David Ogden Stiers.
You can also sing along with many of the memorable songs by choosing on-screen lyrics, either with separate songs or as you watch the movie.
This isn't the first DVD release of the 1964 family classic — one came out in 2004 — but its stars have reached their golden years (Van Dyke is 83), so this new DVD presents an opportunity to get their insight before the backstage stories fade.
By the way, Van Dyke, in the bonus material, demonstrates that he still remembers part of his high-stepping chimney sweep role.
The DVD makes for a fun family night.
Bonus material: Disney on Broadway, costume and set design galleries, special effects, footage of world premiere, audio commentary, song selection, deleted song, animated/live action short.
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"Mary Poppins" isn't the only family-friendly DVD fare from Disney this month. There's another classic plus several newer Disney films.
"Oliver & Company," Disney, 82 minutes, rated G, $29.99
Charles Dickens' "Oliver Twist" — including some loose interpretations of it — has had many lives. This one comes in the form of a cat.
Oliver is a clever kitten who leads a band of stray pups against a would-be kidnapper.
In this 20th anniversary of the full-length, animated musical, the DVD features some great voice talents as the cast of characters. They include Joey Lawrence as Oliver, Billy Joel as Dodger, Robert Loggia as Sykes, Cheech Marin as Tito, Richard Mulligan as Einstein, Dom DeLuise as Fagin and a hilarious Bette Midler as the spoiled poodle Georgette.
The original music is by Barry Manilow and J.A.C. Redford.
Bonus material: The making of "Oliver & Company," an animated short starring Pluto, an all-new game, a history of animals in Disney films.
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"The Secret of the Magic Gourd," Disney, 82 minutes, rated G, $29.99
This animated film was Disney's first Chinese movie, earning $1 million in its first week when it debuted in China in 2007. It became one of China's top-grossing family films.
It's based on a popular Chinese novel, "The Secret of the Magic Gourd," and tells the story of Raymond, a young daydreamer who learns the value of work after a magic gourd grants him anything he wishes. Each wish backfires, and he learns that there is no such thing as an unearned reward.
Corbin Bleu of "High School Musical" is the voice of the Gourd. Besides English, the soundtrack is also available in Mandarin and Cantonese on the DVD soundtrack.
Bonus material: multilevel game, behind-the-scenes featurette, bloopers.
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"Space Buddies," Disney, 84 minutes, rated G (bonus material not rated, $29.99
Parent alert: Skip this one.
The golden retriever puppies — Rosebud, Buddha, Budderball, B-Dawg and Mudbud — are back as they travel to the moon in search of a dream.
Remember the 1997 movie "Air Bud" about the high-jumping, basketball-playing dog? There's no lift-off for the descendants in this 2009 tale. Its tag line — "one small step for dog, one giant leap for dogkind" — reflects the level of creativity for this dog of a kids movie.
Bonus material: buddy bloopers, new music video, scavenger, moments with space buddies and special Blu-ray features in the Blu-ray version ($34.99).
E-mail: angie@desnews.com