Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again
2 Palm Trees out of 4
by Manuel Reynoso
Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again is a 2018 musical directed and written by Ol Parker, from a story by Parker, Catherine Johnson, and Richard Curtis. The film stars Lily James, Amanda Seyfried, Christine Baranski, Julie Walters, Pierce Brosnan, Dominic Cooper, Andy García, Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgård, Cher, and Meryl Streep. Taking place after the events of Mamma Mia!, the film revolves around Sophie’s restoration and reopening of a hotel with flashbacks of Donna’s arrival Greece and her chance run in with the three possible fathers of her daughter.
Every once in a while I watch a movie that reminds me of another way a movie can be “good”. I’m not talking about Oscar-worthy performances or gripping narratives that cut deep and expose societal ills. I’m talking about fun. Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again might not be a movie on your radar, but it’s more than enough for a fun date night. With great musical covers of our favorite Swedish pop super group, wonderfully tacky costumes and sets, and surprisingly good cinematography, there is plenty to enjoy.
That isn’t to say that Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again is an amazing movie. For every bit of ABBA goodness, there’s equal amounts of the campy love story writing that one would expect, but that okay, that was really all I expected going into this. If you wanted a gripping drama on the struggles of a woman in a rocky relationship, trying her best to make it in this world, then you came to the wrong movie.
It’s wonderful seeing a movie that felt so alive with color and vibrant energy. The costumes ranged from wonderful, to wonderfully tacky. The locations were beautiful and everything felt so colorful. It felt like this film was partly made just for sake of an aged cast to finally cut loose and have fun. Amanda Seyfried and Lily James had a number of great musical pieces throughout the film. What really surprised me was the camera work on display here. There really was some great framing and camera work during this film. As a package, while it might be a little shallow for some, it’s still a fun time to be had. There’s nothing wrong with being in the shallow side of the pool from time to time, right?
In all, there’s really little to say about the movie. It’s a fun date night movie if there isn’t really anything else to interest you. If you are an ABBA super fan, then absolutely you should see these great performances. Otherwise, you aren’t missing too much. It’s a fun ride, with some catchy tunes. 1h54m PG-13
