Ryan McNeil
You might notice something different between this review and all my others – specifically the pair of star-ratings. That is because, while this may sound like a wussy cop-out, I can’t write, rate, and review it as an entity of its own. How it is seen and received will hinge on a few big factors. Do you like Abba? Do you like musicals? Have you seen the original stage production of this show? If the answer to any of these is “yes”, then the three-star review is aimed at you.
If the answer to all three of those questions is “no”, then consider the two star rating yours. Explanations of both are below.
The story of MAMMA MIA! is rather simple. Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) is getting married. She has been lovingly raised by her mother Donna (Meryl Streep), but as the big day approaches she dearly wants to find out the identity of her father. having found her mother’s diary, she discovers that there are three possible suspects: Bill (Stellan Skarsgard), Sam (Pierce Brosnan), and Harry (Colin Firth). Not having the evidence to figure out which one daddy would be, she goes to the extreme: she invites all three to her big day. To no surprise, Donna flips and leans hard on her oldest and dearest girlfriends Tanya (Christine Baranski) and Rosie (Julie Walters).
If you don’t like Abba, don’t like musicals, and didn’t see/enjoy the stage version of MM!… this movie likely won’t convert you to a believer. Many of the musical numbers feel a bit obvious, the sort of song and dance number you can see coming five lines ahead of the first note. MAMMA MIA! was the very first musical to be built around one pop act’s body of work So while the plot in most musicals serves as an excuse to move from one number to the next, here that tendency is truly running amok.
One thing that you might consider though is a theory I’ve long had. I’ve long believed that Abba’s music was a victim of 1970’s over-producing, and that many of their songs are actually pretty good so long as someone else was performing them. In the movie, along with taking on a very different life in context, the songs become much more palatable. They have more energy, a bit more weight. Hearing them in this manner, I was reminded of the cover version of “Hit Me Baby One More Time” performed by Travis. The songwriting is there, it just needed a different take to show its true colours.
MAMMA MIA! won’t be the musical that converts you into a fan of the genre, but it’s harmless, fun, and could make for a good date movie. The movie was shot on location in glorious Greece, and much like last years DARJEELING LIMITED, will have you considering a stop at your travel agent when you leave the theatre. This won’t rocket up into your all-time top five movies, but you might have some fun. Like my mother always told me when she put a plate of something new on the dinner table “Try it…you might like it”.
If you do like Abba, like musicals, and saw/enjoyed the stage version of MM!… you’ll have a blast watching this movie. Many of the numbers are staged with some great joy, and tap into the heart of Abba’s music that makes people want to dance. All four of the leading ladies get a moment or two to shine, and for my money Christine Baranski makes the most of it with her take on “Does Your Mother Know”, where she seems about ready to eat every 20-something hunk in the cast for dinner. Speaking of the 20-something hunks, they get to have some fun in “Lay All Your Love on Me” with some rather nifty moves while sporting snorkels and flippers.
Brosnan, Skarsgard, and Firth are all suitably charming, but Firth gets to have a bit more fun being the awkwardly charming button-up fish out of water. His deadpan delivery of the line “I’m being spontaneous” is worth the price of admission on its own. Of the three men, his character was the only one who evolved into something more than just a fifty-something version of himself, so his stuffy charm really gets a chance to shine.
I don’t look at MAMMA MIA! and see it taking its place among the best of the modern musicals, but it does work considerably well to do the source material justice. It uses every nook of the Greek villa it was filmed on, and gets as many people possible involved in the rollicking numbers. None of the principles will blow you away with their vocal skills, but they all have such fun wailing away that it won’t matter. All told, I don’t think MAMMA MIA! could have made the leap to the big screen in much better fashion.
So why the two points of view? I suppose I could have very easily given it a review like two-and-a-half, but that would be cheating (as if giving it two ratings isn’t cheating enough). The fact is that a movie like this is rather tricky to review out of context. So in a complete cop-out of my role as a reviewer, I leave the decision on this one up to you, the viewer.
It’s entirely possible that you might have a great time watching this movie, in which case you’re welcome for the recommendation.
On the other hand, it’s possible that you might not find it your cup of tea, in which case, don’t say I didn’t warn you.
Sorry folks…that’s the best I can do!
I still think that is a very good review, I cannot wait to see the film myself.
Good review. I agree with your double rating. Not for everyone, but great fun for fans of ABBA and/or musicals.
I have been wanting to see this movie for awhile now. Good review, keep it up
Well Mad Hatter it's clear we see eye to eye on this one. Even while I was watching it I felt slightly confused and torn. It's not an easy one to rate, let alone recommend.