For those of us who grew up enchanted with the classic 1964 Mary Poppins film, staring the fabulous Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke, any hint of a sequel, re-boot or re-make is understandably met with skepticism and little enthusiasm. I had no expectations about Mary Poppins Returns. It could have gone either way, as an instant classic or a total bomb (I was hoping this wasn’t like that cringy Tim Burton Charlie and the Chocolate Factory disaster). But fear not, Mary Poppins Returns is a worthy continuation of the adventures of the cheeky London nanny, based on the stories by P.L. Travers.

Emily Blunt was chosen to play Mary Poppins, and I can’t imagine who, besides Andrews, could have done a more perfect job of encapsulating they magic of the character. Mary Poppins Returns takes place years after the first film left off. Jane and Michael are now adults, and the magic of childhood has certainly worn off. Michael, especially, is a bit jaded after his wife dies and he’s in danger of losing his house (the same house the siblings grew up in). Michael’s three kids, Anabel, John and Georgie, think of a plan to find the missing deed to the house. But things get a little out of control for the single father and that’s when Mary flies down from the sky to set everything straight.

There are so many characters that have that familiarity of the older film, but are given new life for this story. It opens with the nice number “Underneath the Lovely London Sky,” sung by the Bert-like character Jack (Lin-Manuel Miranda). Add to that, an older Admiral Boom (David Warner) who is still perched atop his house, marking the hour and sending the neighborhood into a tizzy. We get to see Jane (Emily Mortimer) as an adult, and very much like her mother, she is off saving the world, fighting for the advancement of the working class.

But it’s really Michael’s (Ben Whishaw) dire situation, and the heartbreaking song “A Conversation,” that makes the audience yearn for Mary Poppins to come back and make it all better. And she absolutely does. I have to admit, I felt like a nine-year-old again when she sang “Can You Imagine That?” After meeting the three wide-eyed Banks children.

Let’s talk about the most important element of the film–the music. This film was scored by Marc Shaiman (who was nominated for an Oscar for the song “Blame Canada” from the Southpark movie) and Scott Wittman (who wrote lyrics for the TV show “Smash”). There are comedic elements to songs like “Turning Turtle,” sung by Meryl Streep and “A Cover is Not the Book,” which is sung in an animated world. The songs are clever lyrically, which will please parents who grew up loving those classic Disney tunes. The music is also big and exciting, adding to the stunning visuals. I noticed kids in the audience were captivated by the boisterous numbers. But, much in the spirit of the original Mary Poppins, there are those numbers that tug at the heart, like “The Place Where the Lost Things Go” which has the soul of “Feed the Birds” and “Stay Awake.”

There is so much to love about Mary Poppins Returns. The characters, the music, the set design, costumes and little details that give a loving nod to the classic (and to musicals in general). Blunt is perfect in her role and continues to reinforce her place as an A-list talent. I’m convinced now there is nothing she can’t do. The kids are super talented and charming as well, as are the background characters. But prepare yourself. The best part of this musical is a song and dance cameo by a certain 90-something-year-old who, I was told, did NOT have a dance or stunt double.

However, it does have a few minor issues. As great as Miranda is with the song and dance, I don’t think he was the best choice to play Jack. His cockney accent goes in and out for most of the film, and pretty much sounds like an American doing an English accent. Yes, he’s huge right now, with the whole Hamilton thing. But that doesn’t take away from his character feeling a bit out of place at times, especially next to Blunt’s tour de force. Though not totally unpleasant, Blunt and Miranda don’t have the same chemistry that Andrews and Van Dyke did.

Speaking of characters that feel out of place, Colin Firth’s character, the bank manager Wilkins, is flatly written. He is the villain of the film, but the character has no layered motivation. He’s just a greedy jerk. But what is lacking of his character, is gained in hilarity and heart by the two guys who work under him, Gooding (Jeremy Swift) and Frye (Kobna Holdbrook-Smith).

Mary Poppins Returns could easily be a tongue and cheek, popcorn musical, and Disney still would have made bank on the Bank’s story. But they certainly knew the importance of preserving and honoring the ‘Mary Poppins’ brand. This movie already feels like a classic. It’s one that should be seen in a theater.