Hey there! It's been a while since I've left an actual review on this thing. Well today is your lucky day folks because I've got one right here for you! Today I will be reviewing Mamma Mia 2, the sequel to the Meryl Streep hit (in my opinion). I've got to be honest with you, I was a little nervous about this one. I read that Meryl's character was dead so she wouldn't be in it much which is the whole reason I love the first one. I mean it's Meryl. Anyway I still went into it with an open mind seeing that all my other favorites were returning along with some new cast including Cinderella herself, Lily James. I'm not going to spoil my opinion so you'll just have to read on. So as always... LET'S BEGIN.
PLOT:
So this movie takes place 5 years after the events of the first Mammia Mia. As stated above our dear, dear Meryl (also known as Donna in the movie) has passed away, leaving the hotel to Sophie (Amanda Seyfried). In memory of Donna, Sophie has redone the hotel and is planning a grand re-opening party. She has invited many special guests including her three dads: Bill (Stellan Skarsgard), Harry (the forever handsome Colin Firth), and Sam (Pierce Brosnan) along with her mom's longtime friends Tanya (Christine Baranski) and Rosie (Julie Walters). While getting ready for the party, Sophie learns more about her mother's past.
We see this past through flashbacks and learn how Donna met the three loves of her life. The film jumps back and forth from Donna's story to the present with Sophie and the rest of the gang. Don't worry there's plenty of music to go around. Favorites from the first film make a reappearance along with new songs to help tell this story.
That's a poor man's plot for you but if I tell you any more well it would give it away and what fun would that be? Let's head on down to the review shall we?
REVIEW:
So as I said before I was slightly nervous about this movie because it kind of had a lot to live up to, at least in my opinion. I loved the first one so much I wanted this one to be as great. To put it short I didn't not like this movie, it just wasn't my favorite and it definitely wasn't as good as the first one. That's not to say there weren't some good parts but overall I wasn't a huge fan.
One problem I had with this movie were the transitions between the past and the present. It felt too choppy and they didn't really line up with each other. One minute we would be with Sophie and her story and the next we're in Donna's story with no warning. It just didn't flow as nicely as it could. Also some of the younger actors weren't as strong as they could have been. I wasn't a particular fan of Hugh Skinner who played young Harry. Now I may be a bit biased just because I love Colin Firth so much. He was very awkward which granted the character of Harry is very awkward, but it seemed like he didn't feel comfortable. His performance felt a bit forced, like he was trying to hit all the cues at the right time. It just looked like he was trying too hard. He just wasn't the strongest of actors. On the other hand Lily James who played the young Donna was fantastic. She really seemed to capture the spirit of Donna that was first inhabited by Meryl. I really enjoyed her performance and every time she was on screen she grabbed my attention. She played a very convincing young Meryl which mind you is no easy feat. Not to mention she has an amazing singing voice. I've loved Lily James since her Downton Abbey days and I look forward to more movies with her in the future.
The story for this film wasn't as strong as the first film. Like I said before, it goes from past to present throughout the movie. I felt like we hardly spent any time with Sophie and the original crew. Their story wasn't as strong and I wasn't able to connect with them as well as I did in the first film. I get that the majority of this film was dedicated to telling Donna's story but I would have liked to spent more time with Sophie, Sam, Harry, Bill, etc. Although Donna's story had some interesting aspects, overall it wasn't the best. It felt choppy and moved so fast. One minute she's with Harry, the next she's with Bill which again I get, she met all three of them very quickly but we get such a small glimpse into each interaction we hardly connect with them. I also felt like Donna and Sam's love story was weak. Sam is supposed to be Donna's lost love and vice versa but we hardly spend any time with them. Sure we get a few sweet moments between the two but not enough to warrant this great love story that is talked about so much in the first film.
There were some highlights in this film. The best part in this film and the first film in my opinion are Julie Walters and Christine Baranski as Rosie and Tanya. These ladies are hilarious and constantly have me cracking up. I would be ecstatic if the whole movie was just about them. I love their dynamic and their comedic timing is the best. While watching this I kept leaning over to my dad and saying they should just make Julie Walters the star (and yes we did force my dad to go see this because he saw the first one with us and if there's one thing you can say about the Goodrums, it's that we follow traditions). Even the younger versions of Rosie and Tanya played by Alexa Davies and Jessica Keenan Wynn were fantastic. They were so funny and had the same dynamic as Walters and Baranski. Another highlight of this film was Colin Firth. Not just because of his face (I know you're probably thinking it's weird for me to have such a huge crush on him but can you blame me?) but he is hilarious in this movie. Sure we've seen a glimpse of his humor in things such as Bridget Jones' Diary although he plays more of the straight man in that and the first Mamma Mia but in this one he was just constantly funny. He had great comedic moments and lines, not to mention his dancing is the best thing I've ever seen (I'm kidding... it's horrible but it's Colin Firth so I'm going to let it slide).
Although we don't get much of Meryl which is a crime in itself we are blessed by another presence in this film. I think you know who I'm talking about but if you don't, it's Cher, I'm talking about Cher. Yes that's right friends Cher is in this movie. Now if you're anything like my oldest sister than you were probably freaking out about this news... in a good way. Now she isn't in this movie much but don't worry, she makes an impact. We get to hear that unique voice so many of us love and get to see her use her acting chops once again. Although I don't know if much acting was needed for this part. It was fun to see her on the screen and she really did add an element of fun to the film.
So as you can see overall I didn't dislike this film, it just wasn't my favorite. There were definitely some highlights but not enough to make this an outstanding film. Like I said before and will probably say many times after, this movie would have been so much better if Meryl was in it. She was the heart and soul of the first film and without her in this one, it just didn't feel the same. Again, I'm super biased about that particular criticism because I really do love Meryl. The story could have also been stronger and blended better. I would have loved to spend more time with the original gang, we just didn't get enough of them. I would still recommend this film if you're a fan of the first one or just have a deep love for ABBA. The songs in this film may not be as great as the first film but they're still pretty good. This is a fun movie to take your mind off the sweltering heat and to just relax. Not to mention, the scenery and locations of this movie are gorgeous so you can pretend that you're in Greece rather than Arkansas or wherever you're reading this.
PARENTS GUIDE:
This film is rated PG-13. There isn't really any language in this one maybe one or two cuss words. There are also implied scenes of sexy times. Other than that this movie is pretty clean. Like always it's up to you, parentals, if you would like to take your kiddos to see this one.
CONCLUSION:
I don't really need to reiterate my point so I have decided to dedicate this conclusion section to the one and only Colin Firth. Remember to leave me a comment or suggestion and tell your friends! You're welcome and enjoy.
One more for the road:
Last one I swear:
OK BYE!
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