Fifty-four years have passed—the largest gap between an original movie and its sequel—but the time is right for another dose of Mary Poppins.

Set during the “Great Slump” of the 1930s, the film takes place 25 years after the original. The Banks children, Jane and Michael, played by Emily Mortimer and Ben Whishaw, are grown up and still living on Cherry Tree Lane.

Having suffered the loss of his wife and left to raise his three children, Michael receives an unexpected blow when he discovers that his house will be repossessed within five days.

Enter Mary Poppins, expertly played by Emily Blunt.

Delivering a spoonful less sugar and a pinch more spice than Julie Andrews (the original Mary Poppins), Blunt captivates us from the start. After a graceful landing, she proclaims herself the children’s nanny and sets about reforming the household. Her singing and dancing are impeccable. In a recent interview, Dick Van Dyke suggested that Blunt’s sterner approach is much closer to author P.L. Travers’s vision.

“Hamilton” star Lin-Manuel Miranda nails the part of East End London lamplighter Jack. Determined to master the Cockney accent, he worked extensively with a dialect coach while filming Mary Poppins Returns.

I was thrilled to see Dick Van Dyke in a brief cameo as banker Mr. Dawes Junior. Still spry at age 92, he delivers a short monologue, jumps onto a desk, and starts dancing. Definitely the emotional peak of the movie.

The all-star lineup includes Colin Firth as a wolfish banker and entertaining cameos from Meryl Streep and Angela Lansbury.

With four Golden Globe Nominations—Best Actor, Actress, Film, Original Score—Mary Poppins Returns is a strong contender in this year’s award season.

Simply delightful or as Mary Poppins would say: “Practically perfect in every way.”

I couldn’t take my eyes off the screen as I watched Christian Bale deliver a stellar performance as Dick Cheney. The transformation is a remarkable one: Bale gained forty pounds and adopted the mannerisms, subdued voice, and lumbering gait of the former vice president.

It is not surprising that Bale has been nominated for a Golden Globe. In fact, Vice has six Golden Globe nominations—Best Actor, Supporting Actor, Supporting Actress, Director, Screenplay, Motion Picture— and is poised to dominate the upcoming award season.

Amy Adams boldly portrays Lynne Cheney, effectively capturing the former Second Lady’s superior intellect and ambition. Without her not-so-gentle prodding, Dick Cheney would not have evolved beyond his two DUIs and limited prospects in Wyoming.

Determined to keep Lynne in his life, Cheney agrees to straighten out. At first, quiet and unassuming, he gradually develops a taste for power and an ability to read people.

I was both fascinated—and repelled—by the manipulative skills that enabled Cheney to rise from congressional intern to White House Chief of Staff to CEO of an oil-field services company to vice-president. Persuading a presidential candidate to abdicate major responsibilities is a testament to his well-honed skills.

While supporting actors Steve Carrell and Sam Rockwell deliver excellent performances as Donald Rumsfeld and George W. Bush, their roles are not as fleshed out as Bale’s.

Writer-director Adam McKay weaves in humor and irreverence with flashbacks to pivotal events throughout the six-decade span of the film. References to American Idol and Survivor collide with footage of torture and bombings. Spoiler alert: Halfway through the film, McKay teases us with a false ending, one that would have pleased many of us.

A thought-provoking film!