Is the 45th anniversary of a film worthy of a special DVD release?
It’s not that 45 is a magic number; it’s to promote the touring musical
Five years ago, a two-disc DVD set was released to coincide with the 40th anniversary of Mary Poppins. The bonus features added to my enjoyment of this entertaining and well-made movie. You can read Movie Habit’s review at Mary Poppins.
A new DVD set has all but one of the bonus features from the 2004 release. What’s new is that Disney wants us all to see the stage version of Mary Poppins. It has played in London and New York and is just about to go on tour. Thus, the latest DVD release includes a package of extras devoted to the stage play, including a 48-minute making-of featurette. It also has the Step in Time sequence from the play and a downloadable MP3 of that song.
Disney is in the business of making money through entertainment, and it’s a common practice to use the DVD content to advertise other products. If you have a hankering to see Mary Poppins this DVD is worth a look. But anyone who already owns the previous DVD set can probably skip the 2009 release.