It's hard to believe that fifty years have passed since Mary Poppins applied for the position of nanny for the Banks family at 17 Cherry Tree Lane. But as history would have it, it's lucky she ever made it onto the screen at all.

Walt Disney was very keen on the books and was determined to turn author P.L. Travers' work into a major motion picture. Travers was less keen however. So when Walt asked for the rights to the book, she turned him down. More than once. In fact Travers repeatedly rejected Disney's request for nearly twenty years. But finally said yes.

This period of Disney history has just been chronicled in Saving Mr Banks, starring Tom Hanks and Emma Thompson, and makes the perfect accompaniment to the original film, which it has to be said has stood the test of time remarkably well.

All is running smoothly in the Banks household, except in one department: the children. Brother and sister Michael (Matthew Garber) and Jane (Karen Dotrice) are going through nannies like there's no tomorrow. They decide between themselves that they should write the advertisement for the position of nanny themselves, but their father George (David Tomlinson) tears up their version in favour of his own.

The first candidate to come waltzing in is a certain Mary Poppins (Julie Andrews). George finds her a little curious, but likes the cut of her jib so decides to hire her.

Mary Poppins is certainly not your conventional nanny and it's no surprise she soon becomes a favourite with the children as they embark on the most fantastic of adventures. Life in the Banks' residence may never be the same again.

This new David Attenborough documentary is a little unusual, but I like it!

Travers was probably glad she finally agreed to the project when it was greeted so enthusiastically. Not only did it make a killing at the box office, it was nominated for an impressive thirteen Oscars, of which it won five.

Nearly fifty years on and the film still manages to hold its own against more modern competition. Although its blend of live action and animation had been seen before, it had never looked more vibrant, colourful or attractive.

Where it truly shone however was with its incredible soundtrack, which features true musical classics such as 'A Spoonful of Sugar', 'Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious' and the Oscar-winning 'Chim Chim Cher-ee'. It is absolutely impossible to not join in with these tunes, in one form or another; if they have no affect on you then you must be dead inside.

The film as a whole is just a sheer magical experience from beginning to end. The majority of the scenes are simply enchanting, with its heady mix of live action high spirits and adorable Disney animated visuals, all washed over with the bounciest of soundtracks.

Sitting through it now however does take some stamina for both young and old. There is an inordinate amount of singing throughout its two and half hours duration, which can start to grate after a while. Clearly the reason for so many songs is the fact there's not much in the way of story, as much of it is one musical number followed by another. There's also a sub plot of a father's story of redemption that doesn't quite work, particularly when you consider he ultimately returns to the position that made him so rigid in the first place. It's also hinted at that Poppins may have a drinking problem, but sadly this isn't pursued in the slightest.

As far as this 50th edition is concerned, there's not a whole lot new here, with much of the extras featured here also popping up in the fairly recent 45th anniversary DVD set, but at least it makes its debut on Blu-ray.

It may well be nearly fifty years old but this Disney classic still knows how to make a proper song and dance that's bound to entertain the whole family.