Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, directed by Ol Parker, acts as both a sequel and a prequel to the original Mamma Mia! film that came to theaters in 2008. A decade later in 2018, the film is revived in Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again starring the same revolutionary cast: Amanda Seyfried, Meryl Streep, Dominic Cooper, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Christine Baranski, Julie Walters and Stellan Skarsgård. Yet, the film also has some lovely additions including Lily James and Cher.
Like the original, the film is set on the beautiful island of Kalokairi in Greece. Five years after the original movie was set, Donna has died and her daughter Sophie is renovating the hotel and soon finds out that she is expecting. In addition to acting as a sequel to the original film, the second film also acts a prequel clueing the audience into Donna’s life when she met Sophie’s three possible fathers: Sam, Bill, and Harry.
Once again, ABBA’s hit songs are sung with joy and passion as excitement and happiness fills the theater. Unlike the first film that showcases ABBA’s greatest hits such as “Money, Money, Money” and “The Winner Takes It All”, the second film features some of ABBA’s more underrated songs such as “When I Kissed The Teacher” and “My Love, My Life.” While some may be disappointed by the music choices, the new soundtrack gives the movie its own identity and an invigorating freshness, differentiating it from the original film. Although they may not be as well known as the songs in the original, the songs in the second film remain true to ABBA’s fun and upbeat famous nature. In addition to the music that differed from the first film, the second film also features some of ABBA’s biggest hits of all time that were in the original including “Mamma Mia!”, “Super Trouper”, and of course “Dancing Queen.” Even if the viewers do not enjoy the soundtrack of the film, they will absolutely walk out of the theater in a good mood singing one of ABBA’s catchy hits.
With regard to plot, to put it frankly, nothing exciting really happens. The film traces Donna in her younger years as she graduates from college and embarks on her journey to the island. Throughout the blast to the past, the audience travels with Donna as she meets Harry, Bill, and Sam. It is quite interesting to see Donna in her youth and her journey to the island, but I hoped for something more dense. In addition to the past, the film also focuses on the future as Sophie recovers from her mother’s death. The island of Kalokairi is nearly uneventful; Sophie simply reopens the hotel and meets some of Donna’s old friends and family. Although the film may have failed in the realm of plot, it definitely didn’t fail to put a smile on my face.
The plot is conveyed through musical numbers which may contribute to the slow pace and lack of action. Yet, the integration of the musical numbers into the plot is impeccable. For example, Sophie, played by Amanda Seyfried, and her husband Sky, played by Dominic Cooper, sing “One of Us” while they are, to quote the lyrics, quite literally “staring at the ceiling wishing [they] were somewhere else instead.” As they sing together from different locations, the film beautifully transitions between Sophie in Greece and Sky in New York.
One stark difference between the first and second films is the amount of screentime that Meryl Streep occupies. In the first film, Streep was the protagonist who the film centered around. In Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, Meryl Streep is not present throughout the entire film; she simply makes a short appearance at the end and sings several songs. Yet, the film compensates for this and adds a new freshness to the film by introducing new cast members including Lily James who plays a young Donna and Cher who plays Donna’s mother. James does an exceptional job of exuding the vibe that Meryl Streep created for Donna in the first film. She acts with a carefree, jovial attitude and exhibits the same joie de vivre that Streep did. Lily James also has an extraordinary voice and sings ABBA’s hits wonderfully. Yet, the ultimate voice in the film belongs to Cher. As she sings “Fernando” during the second half of the film, the theater felt like a concert hall.
Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again is an extraordinary musical with a simply ordinary plot. The acting is impeccable and the integration of music into the plot is great. Despite its slight pitfalls, the film is worth the trip to the theater. The lack of plot does not detract from the film’s value as a musical. It is, however, recommended to cozy up on the couch and rewatch the first film before going to see Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again.
Aviva Gonter
Honestly, I am not very familiar with either of the two movies within this series, but your review did a good job of letting me know what I was missing out on, or not missing out on. You did a good job of being honest with the film’s overall lackluster traits, but also stating its underlying pleasant characteristics. Besides the mundane storyline you described, you stated the films “cozy up on the couch” value which is something I can thoroughly relate to. Your review could have delved slightly deeper into the plot or character development, but as a whole your review was very honest and comprehensive.
Your review manages to embody everything that I thought about this movie when I watched it myself. I completely agree when you mention that the “present day” scenes have almost no sense of plot motion, but it was refreshing to see Amanda Seyfried back in the role of Sophie. I love the way that you say that Lily James ”…[exudes] the vibe” of Meryl Streep’s original Donna. To me, it’s almost like they went back in time and brought back Donna’s younger self; Lily James truly blossomed into that role. I appreciate that you give this movie credit where credit is due, but that you aren’t afraid to call it out for its mistakes. All in all, I definitely agree with you – the movie wasn’t the best, but that doesn’t mean I’m not going to watch it again!