Movie Review: "Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again"

"Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again": A.  Does the existence of a few imperfections automatically eliminate a film such as Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again from being deserving of the top rating?  Not in my little world.  Exhibit A is this post.  It would be easy to find fault with a plot twist here or a string of unlikely coincidences there, but the bottom line is that I can't rip a movie I thoroughly enjoyed.  I would gladly pay to see it again.

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, sometimes publicized as MM2, is billed as the sequel to the 2008 movie, Momma Mia! (aka MM1).  It is surprising that, given the enormous commercial success of MM1, the producers waited ten years for the most recent installment.  Both movies are built around the songbook of Abba, a Swedish quartet which has sold over a half a billion records and placed fourteen tunes on Billboard's Top 40 chart.

As is common with many musicals  -- for example, the play Beehive currently offered at the the Old Log Theater -- the story lines are more or less flimsy vehicles around which songs are introduced.  While it certainly is not necessary to have seen MM1 in order to catch on quickly to the story line of the new movie, a one paragraph synopsis of the former is hereby provided as my first of three public service announcements.

MM1 tells the story of Donna (Meryl Streep) and her daughter Sophie (Amanda Seyfried).  Donna owns a Greek island villa which she has attempted to convert to a hotel, but with mixed results.  It's there Sophie plans to have her wedding.  By secretly combing through Donna's diary, Sophie has learned that any of three men, Brit banker Harry (Colin Firth), Swedish sailor Bill (Stellan Skarsgard) or Yank architect Sam (Pierce Brosnan), might possibly be her biological father.  Without informing her mother, Sophie invites all three men to her nuptials, believing that once she gets to know them she will be able to figure out which one is her dad.  Of course Donna eventually discovers her daughter's ploy, but it is too late.  The trio of her former lovers has already checked into their rooms.  What happens next are the half-baked, and therefore fun, attempts to unravel the mystery.  We are also kept waiting to find out whom Sophie chooses to walk her down the aisle.

Ten years ago I gave MM1 a pre-blog rating of B-.  My main gripes were the hokeyness level (even lower than what I expected) and the sub-standard singing by many of the main players.  How could the sequel, released three weeks ago, be so much better that it deserves an A?  The simple answer is that the new movie keeps most of the positives of the first -- great songs, well-executed, large scale choreography, beautiful scenery and almost all of the original ensemble of cast and characters -- but trims a little of the hokey aspect and for the most part leaves the singing to the actors who can actually sing.  A better answer is that the plot has much more meat on its bones, and we are treated to the appearance of an enchanting, extremely talented new actress, Lily James.

MM2 is not only a sequel to the 2008 film, but a prequel as well.  In the present day somewhere between one and five years have passed since the conclusion of the original story.  Sophie, still played by Amanda Seyfried, is experiencing bittersweet emotions.  The Greek island inn her mother had always dreamed of owning, the Hotel Bella Donna, has experienced a renaissance.  Sophie has gone to great lengths to throw an elaborate "grand reopening," with a guest list including her "three dads" from MM1 and her mother's two besties and former Dynamos bandmates, Tonya (the hilarious Christine Baranski, who will surprise you if you're only familiar with her work in the television series The Good Wife) and Rosie (Julie Walters).  But the namesake of the hotel, Donna, has recently perished.  Adding to Sophie's heartbreak is her troubled relationship with her mate, Sky (Dominic Cooper), who is in New York.  It doesn't appear that Sky will make the party, and the prospects for Harry and Bill's attendance are equally dim due to circumstances beyond Sophie's control.

Interspersed with present day scenes are many flashbacks to 1979; hence, the prequel.  We follow the rapidly moving exploits of young Donna, energetically played by James.  From the film's opening scene we viewers know this is going to be a fun ride when, during her college commencement speech, Donna breaks into the Abba song, When I Kissed The Teacher, and the whole graduating class romps all over the premises to the shock and surprise of the faculty (one of whom is Abba co-leader Benny Andersson in a cameo appearance).  This table setting reminded me very much of the opening scene from La La Land (reviewed here January 23, 2017; A), when motorists on an LA interstate get out of their vehicles to perform a huge song and dance routine.  Young Donna's travels take her to France and Greece where she meets and has one night stands with Harry, Bill and Sam in rapid succession.  It sounds so salacious, but we are neither offended nor hugely disappointed thanks to the talents of Ms. James.  Her on-screen vitality makes the flashbacks the best parts of the show.

There are two moments in the movie which merit a special commendation.  As I alluded to above, Harry and Bill have conflicts which seemingly will prevent them from making their way to the Greek isle for Sophie's party.  Harry is stuck in Tokyo negotiating a lengthly, boring business contract, while Bill, the adventure seeking sailor, is somewhere in Scandinavia where he is being presented a prestigious lifetime achievement award.  Bill solves his logistical conundrum by having his twin brother, who is disheveled and intoxicated, stand in for him without anyone at the ceremony catching on.  It is the best of several funny moments.

The other praiseworthy scene is probably my favorite in any film I've seen in recent memory.  As an armada of ships rapidly sails toward the Bella Donna, dozens of crew members and passengers all break out into Abba's best tune, Dancing Queen.  I could not resist either smiling or toe tapping!  By the way, for those of you keeping score at home, the soundtrack for MM2 contains sixteen songs, all written by one or both Abba men (Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus), and six of which were also heard on MM!.

Finally, I promised you two more PSAs.  First, if you plan to attend the movie but have not closely read the list of cast members, don't.  There are two final act surprise appearances.  I benefitted from my failure to read the entire list of cast members beforehand; lucky me!  And lastly, unless you're on your way to a fire, I recommend sitting through the entire duration of the final credits.  Another surprise awaits.