"Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again" (2018) Review
“Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again”: the only successful musical sequel.
Directed by: Ol Parker
Rated: PG-13
Runtime: 1:54
Review by: Livi Edmonson
You know it is extremely rare when not only a sequel, but a musical sequel is a better flick than its predecessor. “Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again” is one, and probably the only, example of this rare occurrence.
The sequel-meets-prequel film picks up right where “Mamma Mia” (2008) left off ten years ago, except for this time, the infamous Donna, played by the outstanding Meryl Streep, is notably absent. (If you have seen the trailer, this should not be a spoiler for you). However, a younger version of Donna (played by Lily James), the 1979 golden gypsy version to be exact, is present.
The film’s plot switches back and forth between the past and the present. The present focuses on Donna’s daughter Sophie (Amanda Seyfried), as she prepares for the reopening of the Hotel Bella Donna that she and step-father, Sam (Pierce Brosnan) have renovated and made into the “ultimate romantic destination”, while Sophie’s husband Sky (Dominic Cooper) is away in New York learning how to “correctly” manage the hotel.
However, the film tends to focus a little bit more on Donna’s past, giving audiences an insight into the real stories behind the encounters between Donna and Sophie’s “three” dads, as well as into the backstory of how “Donna and the Dynamos” came to be.
But, don’t worry, “Mamma Mia” fans. Characters we all love like Sophie’s other dads Bill (Stellan Skarsgård) and Harry (Colin Firth), and Donna’s Dynamo besties, Rosie (Julie Walters) and Tanya (Christine Baranski) all return and do what they’re best at: steal scenes. Oh, and did I mention that the iconic Cher is in this film and plays Sophie’s estranged grandmother? Talk about another scene-stealer. Trust me, you don’t want to miss this blast of a film. Honestly, just come to see Cher and I think you will still leave the theater thrilled.
If I had to make any negative comments about the new “Mamma Mia!” sequel, I wouldn’t be able to. Well, on second thought, Pierce Brosnan still continues to hurt our ears with his horrendous vocals, but other than that, there aren’t any negatives to note. Believe it or not, the movie is just really that great.
Let’s be honest here for a minute. If you’re not a true “Mamma Mia!” fan, you probably watched this trailer and thought to yourself, “Wow, this movie is really going to suck.” Heck, I’m a fan and I even thought that. Musicals in general are hard to pull off, just like sequels are. So, combining both a musical and sequel together is not only risky, but also impossible to pull off, but somehow “Here We Go Again” does pull it off. The ABBA inspired flick is just as fantastic as the first, if not better. Which again, this is unheard of, but hey, it happened. Go see for yourself.
Replacing the first film’s director with Ol Parker probably had a little something to do with the sequel’s success. Filmmakers will be able to tell that “Here We Go Again” is more vibrant and unique as far as its shots and edits go. However, Parker wasn’t the only key ingredient added to the production to help with the film’s success. The British screenwriting king, Richard Curtis, was also added to the mix, helping Parker to effortlessly weave the intertwining stories shown in this sequel (and kind of prequel) together without being too choppy or cheesy. Side note: if you don’t know who Richard Curtis is, you should google him right now because trust me, you will know and already love at least one of his iconic films.
If you have been completely lost while reading this review, it is probably because you have never seen “Mamma Mia!” or maybe don’t remember seeing it. If you even remotely would like to see this box office hit, I urge you to do yourself a favor and watch the first film because you will be so lost if you go into the sequel blindly. Thus, the experience will be a complete waste of your time, when you should be “having the time of your life… ooooo…” Sorry, I had to.
All in all, this “Mamma Mia!” sequel is groundbreaking and proved all of us critics wrong in that there really can be a great musical, as well as a great sequel. I mean, who would of thought? Fans will love this flick just as much, if not more, than the first one and will be singing and dancing with all of their favorite faces, as well as some new faces that they are guaranteed to love just as much.
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