Reviews of Mamma Mia Do Mit Again
Doesn't have the same charm as the original
Warning: Spoilers
Mamma Mia was my favorite movie growing up. It came out when I was 10 and my friends and I learned all of all the songs. Going into this movie, I was expecting to absolutely love it. However, minutes within the first scene of the movie it was revealed that Donna had died. This really upset me because Donna made the entire first movie. And they didn't even bother to mention how she died. Next, we get to the flashback scenes of young Donna. This I love because the fashion is beautiful and Lily James is wonderful and has a good singing voice. I really like how she sang the original songs but the newer songs were just meh (I don't see people getting into them). At first it doesn't really make sense how she meets the three dads because during the flashback in the previous movie they look way different. The current time scenes were pretty boring and just revolves around everyone being depressed about Donna. They could have done so much more if they had kept her alive. The movie overall lacked much of a plot or direction and you knew exactly what was going to happen (other than maybe Cher arriving on a helicopter?). Ultimately, Mamma MIA, Here We Go Again cannot match the charm and authenticity that made me and everyone else adore the first movie but I still think it's worth a watch.
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Waste of time and money
Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again fails to bring anything new to the table. It is made purely based on the success of the first film. Hollywood tend to do that a lot. When a film becomes successful, they make a 2nd film out of it, which lacks pretty much everything. First of all, if you want to go to see this film because Meryl Streep is in, don't bother, because she has a scene of 5 minutes in the end. She just sings two songs and that's pretty much it. She is in the front row of the film poster, she is the main image of the final trailer, because production company uses her image to attract audience. These kinds of tricks can be seen a lot, while advertising substandard quality films. Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again has one purpose, and that is to make more money by using the fame of the first film. I failed to understand why they even bothered making a sequel when everything was wrapped beautifully in the first film. Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again is written and directed by Ol Parker. I said written, but I really don't know what he has exactly written, because in the means of story there is nothing.
The people in this film are like from a different planet. They live in a parallel universe or something. There is no one ugly in the film. Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again is all about beautiful people, their artificially created problems, fake tears, sadness and meaningless joy. They are all very successful, their secret bonds don't have a resource. We don't know why those characters love each other so much, but they do. The film takes place five years after the previous events. Donna is dead. Sophie (Amada Seyfried) takes over the hotel and builds it from zero. While they prepare for the grand opening, we go back to 1979, where everything starts for Donna. She is claimed to be a free soul and an independent woman, but someone must tell the writer of this character that having one night stands with handsome men on your way to Greek Island is not independence. Young Donna (Lily James) is presented to be a very different girl, but when you watch her behaviors, she is pretty much superficial. She falls in love with a man, gets depressed after he leaves, and in the very same day, she has sex with a different guy because she is very sad. Sophie and her problems regarding the hotel in the present day are told in parallel with Donna's youth and her story, how she met Sam (Pierce Brosnan), Harry (Colin Firth) and Bill, (Stellan Skargard) how she moved to the island of Kalokairi and how she built the hotel.
Young Donna's friends Tanya and Rosie, as well as her lovers, Harry, Bill and Sam, are played by actors and actresses who have nothing to do with the actual characters. They all look very different. The story takes place in a Greek island but the film was shot in Croatia and Shepperton Studios in Surrey England. Set up of the sequel is pretty much similar with the first film. There is a song for every situation. The story was created based on the situations in those songs, and there is a song for every character, problem and situation. That's the reason why I said there is no story. It is time for a sad song, a sad situation is created. It is time for a joyful song, and something happy happens. There are very few scenes that can be compared with real life situations. Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again is a complete waste of money and time. I had a good taste in my mouth after the first film, but now that is all gone thanks to this useless film that was made just because of financial matters.
The strongest point of the film is its songs. It is satisfying in the means of music. You get to hear songs mostly from ABBA, as usual, and Arrival. After all, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again is also a musical, but even so, some songs are really bad for my taste. When I Kissed the Teacher from Arrival is one, for an example. Just to be able to sing this song, they created a graduation scene. This is what I meant when I said, circumstances are created based on the songs in the film. I have never seen such a thing in my life. I haven't seen an acting performance worth mentioning. This film was released on July 16, 2018 in Hammersmith Apollo and on July 20, 2018 in the United Kingdom and United States. It has 114 minutes of runtime and made with a budget of $75 Million. With a forced story and meaningless characters, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again is a film that I will never watch again. Having actors and actresses in the film just because they look beautiful shouldn't be a criteria while choosing your characters. This sequel is so hopeless that even the presence of Andy Garcia and Cher couldn't save it.
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Here we go again
In a world that has gone crazy, it was so nice just to sit back for 114 minutes and forget about real life. Transport yourself back to a simpler time and of course to the wonderful music of ABBA. Throughout the movie you go through all the emotions yet once it had finished you just want to sit there and wish you could do it all again The whole cast looked like they had as much fun making it as we did watching it. Everyone did their bit although Lily James was outstanding as the young Donna. It's one of those rare films as you leave your seat and enter the real world you do so with the biggest smiles of your face.
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Not even close to the original story
Warning: Spoilers
First off, the reason the first movie was so great was because of the great story and actors. So killing off the Donna was in poor taste. Also, going back in time to young Donna didn't look at all right. They went back in time while in modern clothes and hairstyles. Stories didn't match even a little with what was told in the first movie. Basically, mostly same actors, same songs, different movie with different story unrelated to the first. If it had been portrayed as being many years later it would've made more sense. Maybe. But it was portrayed as being only five years or so later. Not very long. Everyone was/looked too old to be only few years later. Just wasn't as good as first one. The energy was better the first time
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Money, Money, Money
Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again is a musical sequel that has a stretched story focusing on the young Donna and how she encountered her three men. Even though we did see those scenes in the first movie.
The film starts with Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) refurbishing her Greek island Hotel. Donna has passed away. Sky is in New York learning the hotel business and things do not seem to be going well between them.
For the grand opening of the hotel in honour of her mother, Sophie has invited her three dads and her mother's best friends.
The main part of the story is seeing the young Donna (Lily James) travelling through Europe after graduating at university. Some of the scenes switch with that of Sophie.
It required three writers to come up with the story concept. The story is admittedly thin. The new songs are ok. Cher just looks odd when she makes her belated appearance as Sophie's grandmother. She looks like someone who has just turned up for the pay cheque and decided to do an album of Abba covers out of it.
The Abba songs keep it entertaining but this movie stinks of a cash grab.
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I was definitely cheated by you, Mamma Mia 2
Warning: Spoilers
So... I went into this movie LOVING the first one and happy they were making a second. I left the movie ... um... empty? Okay, I love the idea of them going back to when Donna was first pregnant with Sophie and her journey, however... like none of the events actually added up to the story of how it all happened in Mamma Mia when Sophie found her diary. Literally none of it.. at all. Also WHY WAS CHER EVEN IN THIS MOVIE?!?!! Her character did NOTHING to the plot and it just was kind of stupid the movie would have been better without her since, again IN THE FIRST FILM (did you guys just not go back to the first script before planning this?) her mom was presumably DEAD (cut to the scene after Donna and them sing Super Trooper and are in her room and Donna says "somebody up there has it in for me, I bet its my mother" ... POINTING TO THE CEILING LIKE HER MOM WAS DEAD). I just am disappointed. I feel like Cher was just in there to sing Fernando cause that's...all she did. I loved who played young Donna, Lily James, though she was sweet. I don't know, this movie just didn't have the same feel as the first one. Although, I did cry in the end and I know I wasn't the only one that did cause I heard the sniffles in the theater xD that last scene was very touching. But um .... that's about all I got. Loved the original cast and the young cast (although it would've been HILARIOUS if the guys dressed like in the first movie when Donna had flashbacks of them hahaha). The songs are decent, also the replays of the classic hits were great. It was just ... kinda there. Probably won't see it again, I'll stick with the first movie.
Also, these are JUST MY OPINIONS, if you see it differently awesome I'm so happy for you, I just feel like... they had a chance and they missed the shot. It wasn't a complete miss in my opinion, the story of how Donna met the guys and how it all happened just didn't really add up to how it was told originally and that kind of bugged me. I get they were going completely back and creating a whole new story, however, they made an "outline" of how she met them all when Amanda sung Honey, Honey ... so ... and I just again don't get why Cher was even in this. It just made zero sense. If she wasn't in the movie it'd be 5 minutes shorter, that's it. Maybe I'll see it again once it comes out to video and watch them back to back and have a different reaction, but until then ... I'm empty.
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Oh god, what have they wrought?!
I wanted to like this, I really did. I love ABBA music and I'm a dude. But seriously, I could not stomach 20-mins of this female fantasy musical. It gets a "3" rating from me because the production values and casting were top notch, it's gorgeous to behold but ugh, the plot, the painful singing, the unrealistic situations, just tortuous, sorry, but I did try.
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VERY disappointing
Lousy sequel to the wonderful 2008 movie. It has Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) renovating and reopening the inn her mom Donna ran. Then it flashes back to Donna as a young girl (Lily James) meeting the three men who become Sophie's father. As with the first there's plenty of great ABBA songs on the soundtrack.
This movie has a lot going for it. Great songs, big beautiful production numbers, a good cast...but it doesn't work. The death of a main character (Donna) hangs over the movie. It's dark and downright depressing. Slow-moving too and the script is full of plot holes and inconsistencies. . The wonderful singing and dancing helps to a point. Also Cher's much publicized role is little more than an extended cameo. Also Andy Garcia is on hand looking terrible. The new young cast is certainly attractive but given no time to develop their characters. Dreary, dark and depressing. Skip it.
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Utterly dreadful
Warning: Spoilers
Meryl Streep reportedly didn't want to do a full role, so she only appears for a few minutes near the end of the movie. They basically explain that Donna has died...without Streep, this film never should have been made. It even has a very downbeat, lackluster opening instead of the dynamics the first film had in its opening...and that was a bad sign to start off with. Technically, it's very well photographed (albeit much darker-looking than the first film) and technically accomplished, but that's not enough. Musically...they used all the good and well-known songs in the first movie, so this one uses much lesser ABBA tunes, and unfortunately reuses several songs from the first film...that gets very tiresome very quickly because the viewer (at least I did) wants to hear songs not used the first time around. The only two standouts were "Knowing Me, Knowing You" and the song "Waterloo" (only heard and performed during the first film's end credits) but redone here as a big production number. Half the movie is spent on flashback scenes to Donna's past using younger actors as the characters. There was also absolutely no need for Cher to be in the film, as she adds nothing...nada...zero...to the story...only reason is so her character can sing the song "Fernando" (not used the first time around). She's accompanied by Andy Garcia, whose only reason for being there is he plays Fernando, giving a very weak reason for Cher's character to sing to (and with) him, and there's no reason for his character to be there either. There's also really weak reasoning for Rosie and Bill's breakup to be part of the story, rather odd considering they got together near the end of Mamma Mia. Most annoying was how there was no mention at all of Harry Bright's (Colin) sexuality...in Mamma Mia, it turns out he's gay and ends up with a handsome boyfriend, but that gets thrown right out the window with no mention of his being gay or what happened to his partner from the first film (except for some brief hinting at in the flashbacks with the younger Harry). Personally, I would not recommend this movie to anyone. Stick to the first movie because it's a continual feel-good time and is much more fun. Mamma Mia 2 is almost depressing to watch.
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Over-the-top, melodramatic, cliched and fantastic.
Feel-good film of the year. I cannot get over how good this movie was. It was the most entertaining sequel I've seen. Point. There was a portion in the middle of the film where I laughed after every line said.
This is a humorous, light-hearted film that gets you addicted to the feeling of being young; having no plans and being okay with the uncertainty of it all.
A aesthetically beautiful film that captures the heart of the disco eva of the 70's. Costumes are beautiful - especially that scene in the orchard when the girl wears that orange skirt. Gorgeous.
A film to watch with your mum, ganny and best friend. Go into the film with a smile and leave laughing. Don't expect to learn life lessons - just enjoy the silliness of the Mamma Mia universe.
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Pure Escapism
I'm at a loss why there are so many poor reviews of this film. But everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I loved it from the start. Lily James was outstanding as young Donna. Yes it was a shame Meryl Streep didn't play a bigger part but such is life. Take it for what it is. There were a couple of songs i didn't know so it may have been better keeping to the well known songs, however they did fit in with the script. It was a rollercoaster or emotions. Laughing and crying in equal measure. Julie Walters was as fabulous as always too. I loved it and will be watching it again as soon as i can.
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A solid sequel to a surprise hit
This sequel takes place a year after the death of Donna. Her daughter Sophie plans to reopen her mother's hotel, on a Greek island, unfortunately it looks as if neither her three fathers nor her husband will be able to attend the opening party. Intertwined with scenes of her preparing for the reopening we see how her mother came to the island all those years ago... and how she encountered the three men who are Sophie's fathers. Of course at every possible opportunity the cast sing an appropriate ABBA song.
If you didn't enjoy 'Mamma Mia' you certainly won't enjoy this as it is more of the same; this of course means if you did enjoy the first you are likely to enjoy this too. The story is fairly simple but it is fun; especially the flashback scenes of Donna making her way to the island and meeting the younger versions of the 'three fathers' for the first time. The songs are fun even if things are stretched a bit to justify the inclusion of some well-known songs... particularly 'Fernando'. Of course the songs are a lot of fun, even the less well-known ones. The cast does a fine job and are clearly having fun; Lily James stands out as the young Donna. The setting, with its beautiful settings and mostly fine weather, only add to the pleasure provided by the film. Overall I'd say this won't be for everybody but it is good cheesy fun if you enjoy that sort of thing... and I did, more than I expected.
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Loved everything but the script...
Warning: Spoilers
I didn't like it and will explain it in a bit. First I have to say I love the team of actors which makes it even harder to admite my thoughts on this sequel. I am a huge ABBA fan. I loved Mamma Mia - saw it in Europe performed by the London team, saw it again in Broadway NY and later the movie. It was a really happy fun story, that made me want to sing and dance the whole time while really enjoying the story. Mamma Mia - Here We Go Again... It's a sad story! I felt emotional most of the time, missing Donna, feeling for her, for her family and friends. And the movie keeps pulling us back to the fact that she is gone and it is so sad... The few moments of laughter felt pushed into there without much sense or context. As an ABBA and Mamma Mia 1 fan, I got out of the movie feeling sad and disappointed quite frankly.
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Why?
Warning: Spoilers
I felt really let down by the creators of this film. Why would they make a movie without the main character because they had killed her off already. The film was depressing. I may be the only one that has this view...
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Even better than the first one!
Let's get the obvious out of the way: Meryl Streep is in this movie for five minutes. She may be front and center in the promotional poster, and she may get the "and" in the credits, but she makes her entrance during the very last scene of the movie. The premise of this prequel/sequel is that her character has died, and her daughter is struggling to run the hotel by herself. I know; no one told me that, either. This one's a drama, folks.
I thought this movie was going to be terrible, a silly excuse to prance around and sing more ABBA songs, alongside a thin plot that was described in five minutes during the original and didn't need more detail. But it's so much better than the first one! Not constrained by the ill-fitting songs of the original Broadway musical that stuck numbers into scenes with no connection to furthering the story, this movie actually puts songs in when they matter. There are a few overlaps of songs that were used in the first movie, but the vast majority of the songs are new (to the movie, not to ABBA fans); and many of them have a more somber tone that fit the story. "One of Us" is sung by Amanda Seyfried and Dominic Cooper when they break up at the start of the movie. "I Wonder" (a great number that you'll only find in the deleted scenes) is sung by Lily James as she heads off to have a European adventure after graduation.
The best part of the movie, and the reason it's infinitely better than the first one, is the respect the "younger cast" gives to the "older cast". While part of the plot is a sequel, five years after the first movie ended, with Amanda Seyfried planning a grand re-opening of the hotel with one of her dads, Pierce Brosnan, by her side, the main plot is a prequel, chronicling her mother's journey to Greece and her encounter with three young men. In this extensive flashback, everyone was given a younger counterpart, and everyone did extensive research. Lily James projects all of Meryl Streep's mannerisms from the first movie, Jeremy Irvine perfects Pierce Brosnan's accent, Hugh Skinner matches Colin Firth's hesitation and speech patterns, Josh Dylan is just as carefree and fun as Stellan Skarsgard, Alexa Davies puts in shoulder rolls and wacky movements to channel Julie Walters, and Jessica Keenan Wynn seems like someone put Christine Baranski in a time machine. It's wonderful to see the younger cast and the older cast in alternating scenes, and, just like the original, you can feel how much fun everyone had while filming.
While it's rude to pick out one member among the cast as the highlight, Lily James is such an adorable, likable sweetheart, she deserves an extra mention. It's no small task to make everyone in the audience forget they came to the theaters to see Meryl Streep, and yet to continually remind everyone that you're playing her younger counterpart. No offense to Miss Streep, but no one will miss her in this movie. With a bright, fresh, new actress on the screen who embodies the free spirit of a time period that passed before she was born, it's just not possible to think anything's missing from the leading lady of the film. She's delightful, beautiful, sunny, frisky, and full of life. You might even puzzle as to where you've seen her before, since she's so transformed from the famed cinder girl, Churchill's secretary, and, most notably, the flapper cousin to the Granthams.
There's so much attention to detail in this movie, and as someone who knows the first Mamma Mia like the back of my hand, I was able to appreciate all of it. Writer-director Ol Parker obviously loved the original and studied it, including references to every clue dropped in the script, from adding in a twin to making sure Hugh Skinner wore a Johnny Rocket t-shirt. Just don't pay attention to the order of the relationships written in the diary from the first movie. This one makes so much more sense, so just go with it. With fun, flashy colors, costumes, and on-location filming, every song and scene is enchanting.
Keep in mind it's a drama. I may be an easy target, since I bawl my way through the first Mamma Mia every time Meryl Streep sings "Slipping Through My Fingers," but I cried twice as hard during this movie. There are a couple of songs that connect mother and daughter, and, depending on your level of sappiness, you'll need between one and fifty Kleenexes to get through them. In my opinion, it's a great compliment to the film if the audience cries. I wouldn't have cried so much if Lily James was unlikable or if the story wasn't interesting.
Trust me, even if you think it's going to be silly, you've love it far more than you thought possible. From songs that declare children the love of a parent's life, to big '70s hair, to finding home where you least expect it, to seeing everyone reunited ten years later with jokes and winks to go around, this is a movie you'll want to watch over and over again. If you thought the end credits of the first movie were fun, you'll love the credits in these, as the older and younger people dance together and savor adorable curtain calls. I know what I'm getting for Christmas-that, and a box of Kleenex.
DLM Warning: If you suffer from vertigo or dizzy spells, like my mom does, this movie might not be your friend. When Amanda Seyfried lies down on her bed during "One of Us" the camera spins around in a circle, and it will make you sick. There's another circle during "Waterloo" right after it shows the chorus woman in a wheelchair. A third spin is in the closing credits during a group shot. In other words, "Don't Look, Mom!"
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will not watch it again
Warning: Spoilers
I went to the cinema really happy to see this movie and left feeling drained emotional and tearful and not happy. I didn't see any trailers about it other than the one shown in cinemas before. Didn't realise that Meryl Streep wasn't in it as a major character just for 2 minutes at the end in a dream sequence with daughter at the church for the baby's baptism. I liked the actress playing young Donna and she had a good voice. The dancing and singing was good and enjoyable. New songs like "I kissed a teacher" was not appropriate. Pierce Brosnan also sang well this time although poignantly as he was singing about missing Donna. I cried all throughout this movie. laughed at the Titantic Spoof moment on the boat. On the whole the people in the cinema were all ages from 19 to 80 yrs old and it was quiet except for those two moments of brevity. A lot of the people agreed with my evaulation of the movie and were disappointed. I looked up in Google and saw reports that Meryl doesn't do sequels and was thrilled that she was handing over the baton to the younger unknown actors.She said she didn't want to dance and sing again as she did it before. So I wont't be buying this on DVD or streaming it on Amazon even if it was free to watch I definitely would not watch this again.I will stick to the first movie as that left me feeling uplifted and happy. This is the reason I rated it one star which I rarely do.
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Beautiful Setting, Hilarious Storyline, Great Music
This film has many beautiful settings and hilarious scenes that had the audience laughing. I love the unique story line that is unpredictable and interesting. Although I enjoyed it, younger children might not understand some of the jokes. This film is for more mature audiences.
We learn more about Donna's (Meryl Streep, Lily James). We learn about Sophie's (Amanda Seyfried) three possible dads and what risks Donna took for Sophie. Sophie now is pregnant and finishing up her mother's dream of fixing up the property to become a beautiful hotel.
Lily James has to do a lot of difficult acting in this film and she pulls through. She fits the personality of the younger Donna perfectly, which is great because it makes it easier to see the connection between younger and present day Donna. All the actors have amazing singing voices, whether they are singing solos or blending their voices with the others. They break out in song often and I wasn't bothered about that at all. They are all great dancers and seem to really just have fun.
The sets are so pleasing to the eye. The setting on a Greek island with gorgeous views are amazing. All of the cities look authentic and colorful, which makes everything even more pleasing to watch. The costumes are colorful and flashy as well.
My favorite part of the film is when two of Sophie's three possible fathers attend her party and they bring many guests. Sophie is so happy to see her fathers in that scene and to have everyone see how much hard work had been done to renovate the property. I also like this scene because, on the boats people, are climbing everywhere, dancing and singing together. This scene is really hyped up and has so much energy.
One message of this film is that family should always love you and be there for one another, no matter what. In this film, Sophie's three dads all stick with her and support her, even though they are very busy. They never abandon her or her mother.
This is definitely an unpredictable and interesting film. To better understand it, it would be best to watch the previous one, Mamma Mia. I give this film 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 13 to 18, as well as adults.
Reviewed by Jolleen M., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic. For more reviews by youth, visit kidsfirst dot org.
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The worst sequel ever
No words can do justice to the sheer deep disappointment of this so-called sequel. It's blasphemy to the original.
For the of $$$ will any producer dare to make a sequel of SINGIN' IN THE RAIN????
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Musical broadcast from Utopia
Warning: Spoilers
A film series based around having an exclamation point in the name. Therefore, you are giving the bases that it will always be fun, exciting, and uplifting. Mamma Mia 2 shall I say is just that. A franchise built around the perfect, and utopia of worlds on the shores of Greece. The sequel starts just about where you would expect, with the unexpected passing away of you guessed it! Meryl Streep! Because when I think sequel I think get rid of Meryl Streep, maybe one of the most prolific actresses of all time. Besides this, the plot of the movie revolves around the plot of the original. From the beginning to the end, this film is really not about much, plot isn't really a thing they were worried about. Because who needs a plot when you can have three different young lads in search for the heart of a pretty girl. Because yes they killed Meryl, but the whole movie is about, you guessed it! Meryl Streep! Young Meryl yes, but she was obviously the reason for the initial movie. What the movie does offer is some fun songs, more flashbacks to the first movie, and the addition of Cher, with an almost last minute addition that changes almost nothing, but probably got a few more fans to the theatres. A summer flick for sure, a happy series definitely, and an end could still be not in sight, because they already have two movies with very little plot. It won't be hard to make another.
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a look back
Greetings again from the darkness. It's been 10 years since director Phyllida Lloyd presented the crowd-pleasing MAMMA MIA! movie. It was a box office hit (over $600 million worldwide) and was, for a few years, the highest grossing musical of all-time. Most importantly, it was extremely entertaining and a joyous cinematic romp for viewers. This year's sequel is directed by Ol Parker (THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL and husband to actress Thandie Newton), and though the melancholy is slathered on a bit too thick, it also fulfills its number one priority - entertaining the fans.
The story begins with Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) putting the final touches on the house-turned-hotel in preparation for the upcoming Grand Opening. It's named Hotel Bella Donna in honor of Sophie's mother (Meryl Streep). What looks to be a straight-forward story surprises us with a flashback to Donna's 1979 graduation, which features not only the first song-and-dance number "When I Kissed the Teacher", but also the first of two ABBA cameos ... Bjorn Ulvaeus as a professor. The young Donna is played brilliantly by Lily James, and she effortlessly captures the free-spiritedness that led to the conundrum of the first movie - 3 possible dads for Sophie.
Those 3 dads return not only as Pierce Brosnan (Sam), Stellan Skarsgard (Bill), and Colin Firth (Harry), but also as Jeremy Irvine (young Sam), Josh Dylan (young Bill), and Hugh Skinner (young Harry). In fact, most of the run time is dedicated to the backstory of these characters and how they first met as youngsters. Each has a segment (and song) with young Harry featured in "Waterloo" accompanied by Benny Andersson (ABBA cameo #2) on piano. Young Bill is the charming sailor who saves the day for Donna, while young Sam assists her with saving a storm-shaken horse (kind of humorous since Mr. Irvine starred in WAR HORSE).
Also back are Dominic Cooper as Sky, Sophie's true love, who can't decide between romance and career, and Donna's life-long friends Tanya (Christine Baranski) and Rosie (Julie Walters), who are also part of the flashback as Jessica Keenan Wynn (excellent as young Tanya) and Alexa Davies (as young Rosie). New to the cast are Celia Imrie in the graduation number, Andy Garcia as the hotel manager, and drawing the biggest applause of all ... Cher as Sophie's grandmother (and as my viewing partner commented, an early peek at what Lady Gaga will look like as a grandma)! It's best if you experience Cher for yourself, and it should be noted that this is her first big screen appearance since BURLESQUE in 2010.
Of course, the songs are key and many of the ABBA numbers from the first movie are featured again this time. In particular, "Dancing Queen" is a nautical standout, and "Fernando" is a show-stopper. While it may not be quite as raucous as the first, it's a treat watching Lily James, and there is a wonderful blending of "old" and "new" in the finale. The only real question remaining is, did the casting director do the math before casting Cher (age 72) as Meryl Streep's (age 69) mother?
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A really enjoyable feel good film
Loved it better than the first . Lily James was impressive . Colin Firth and Julie Walters were amusing . The songs of course were great . Cher did a brilliant version of Fernando . Really very very good .We waited till all the credits were shown and saw the funniest clip at the end . The cinema had almost emptied by that time and there were only 7 of us who saw it .
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Intolerable, miserable and downright brain-damaging
Warning: Spoilers
Choreography is extremely lame (sometimes it's just some "waving" and that's for like 3 of the songs), especially during the Waterloo segment, where they all look like a high school theater musical gone wrong. Songs are just re-hashed from the original, with nothing different to make it watchable. Actors are flat-out incompetent, especially the younger ones and Cher (give her the Razzie already). Script is... well, there isn't one. It adds NOTHING new to the original story. We still have no idea who the father is and no new information that could make this go forward in any kind of way. Streep is in this as a freakin' GHOST for the very last musical number.
There is NO reason for this to suck as much as it did. I expected average, at the very least boring. But this is an insult to ANYONE, even fans of the original will be pissed by how this brings NOTHING new and barely makes any sense.
Avoid this movie. Re-watch the original, but please do not give this movie any credit for doing anything.
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Terrbile movie it may be but this is glorious fun.
Like the first one it is, of course, critic-proof, (Meryl knew that when she agreed to put in a cameo appearance and Cher knew it when she saw a chance to resurrect her career at the age of seventy-two). There are times when it resembles nothing more than gay night at the pantomime, (and if you thought the first one was gay wait until you see this one), but it would be churlish to try to resist it and, to be fair, this is by far the better movie. We are talking, of course, about "Mamma Mia; Here We Go Again", the sequel/prequel to the film version of the stage show that has been playing somewhere in the world for what seems an eternity.
The first film worked because the Abba songs were/are basically indestructible and I did think it quite clever how they were able to construct a story around them. It was a terrible movie but it was also undeniably good fun and there were even a couple of times when it didn't seem so terrible at all. I enjoyed it while recognizing every one of its faults but I dreaded this follow-up. Surely all the best songs had already been used up, I thought. Isn't this just cashing in on the success of the original?
Well, yes and no. It was obvious to anyone with a brain that they were on to a good thing so why not come up with another 'story', however flimsy. The plot is simply how did Donna meet the men in her life and how come she couldn't be sure first time around who the father of her child was. It isn't much of an idea to hang a whole movie on so let's have her daughter Sophia plan a big reopening of Donna's hotel, (Donna/Meryl has been dead a year when the film opens), bringing together the cast of the original, (as I said Meryl's appearance is reduced to a good-natured cameo), while cross-cutting between past and present.
In the flashbacks, Donna is Lily James while Stellan Skarsgard and Pierce Brosnan are now hunky Josh Dylan and Jeremy Irvine. Unfortunately, poor Colin Firth is reduced to a very nerdy and obviously gay Hugh Skinner who seems to have mastered the art of playing fools. No matter, he's still the first to bed Miss James, losing his virginity in the process. So far, so obvious but this time around the musical numbers are much better served by the material and are actually very well staged while the performances are, in every way, stronger. As I said, by the time 'Dancing Queen' comes around resistance is futile and the movie becomes an elaborate party, the kind you always hoped you'd be invited to. Of course, neither film will ever be on anyone's list of all-time great musicals but even if you hate yourself in the morning, this is one party worth having a hangover for.
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Thanks ABBA for the music but not for the movies...
I thought the first movie is awful then i had to go through this ...mama mia! Star studded cast and storyline that IDGAF about (being a musical) I'm just here for Cher and Meryl Streep. Enjoy your MEH ABBA tribute guys!
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Source: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6911608/reviews
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