Mama Mia Review

Imagine this: it’s 20 years from now. Your daughter is about to get married. You don’t have a husband but three men who might be her father show up on a Greek island. It’s chaos. Pierce Brosnan is singing. It’s Mama Mia.

This movie-musical adaptation of Mama Mia! danced and jived its way to the big screen in 2008. Showcasing the songs of ABBA, the famous swedish pop group (even if you’ve never heard of them, you’ve probably have heard their music), this movie is set in a small island in Greece. Donna (Meryl Streep) has a daughter: Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) or Sophia , as one of her potential fathers, Bill Anderson (Stellan Skarsgard) says his Great-Aunt’s name was. Donna was with three different men the time Sophie was conceived, so she doesn’t know exactly who the father is. Streep plays Donna, running a hotel on a Greek island while planning the wedding of her daughter Sophie to Sky (Dominic Cooper). Sophie, the little schemer, doesn’t tell Donna she has sent wedding invites to three men—Sam (Pierce Brosnan), Harry (Colin Firth) and Bill (Stellan Skarsgård)—one of whom she thinks is her father.

And yes, you did read that right. Pierce Brosnan, 007, plays one of the potential fathers on this magical, musical Greek Island. This movie worked in so many ways, but unfortunately did not work when it came to Brosnan. His screechy voice made you cringe when he sang. In this case, I think that Brosnan should stick to kicking butt, drinking booze, and seducing women as James Bond than participate in this light-hearted musical.

However, don’t think that the music was all ruined by Brosnan, the musical covers of the ABBA songs were absolutely golden. Seyfried singing ‘Honey, Honey’ was a fun and upbeat way to get the movie going. She finds her mom’s old diary of when she had her fun summer with all three men, and reads it hoping to find some clue on who her father is. She sings with her two best friends, who’s dynamic together makes it seem like they’ve known each other forever. But no Dynamic is better than the two best friends of Donna, because they are Donna and the Dynamos! Donna and the Dynamos was the all girl singing group that Donna and her friends created when they were younger. The chemistry between Donna, Tanya (Christine Baranski), and Rosie (Julie Walters) as Donna and the Dynamos is absolutely amazing. It warms your heart to see three people as close as they are to each other. They seem even more amazing when you see them all dolled up in their Dynamo outfits when they sing ‘Super Trouper’ at Sophie's Bachelorette party.

Some people definitely said  this movie can be seen as cheesy and cheap- and I can see where people get that view. But I don’t 100% agree. I think the aesthetic of this can attribute to the movie-musical theme. But like any movie, it’s not made for everyone. The musical-go-happy movie that this is, can be enjoyed by a wide selection of people. Just not everyone. But it’s as simple as this: if you like musicals, check it out! But if you know that you hate song filled movies, maybe skip this one.

In contrast to the ‘cheesy and cheap’ vibe of the movie, the light color scheme of the island was visually pleasing to say the least. The bright blue ocean and blue skies really made you feel like you were transported somewhere else. The songs somehow just perfectly fit with what was going on with the movie and settings as well. Seyfried opening with ‘I have a Dream’ just fills your heart with hope and wonder as she rows her boat along the ocean. This is the scene when Sophie is secretly sending out her wedding invitations to her three potential fathers.

As interesting this plot is, and I don’t want to spoil the end, but there’s also a unsatisfying feeling at the end of the movie! The ending was a little cheap, but made up for it during the credits when the cast was singing and dancing to waterloo, one of the upbeat hits of ABBA. If you love musicals, light hearted movies, singing along, ABBA, and fun plots, this movie is the one for you.