In 1979 young Donna, Tanya and Rosie graduate from Oxford University -- leaving
Donna free to embark on a series of adventures throughout Europe. On her journeys, she makes the
acquaintances of Harry, Bill and Sam -- the latter whom she falls in love with,
but he's also the man who breaks her heart. In the present day, Donna's
pregnant daughter, Sophie, dreams of renovating a taverna while reuniting with
her mother's old friends and boyfriends on the Greek island of Kalokairi.
Director: OI Parker
Cast: Lily James, Amanda Seyfried, Christine Baranski, Julie Walters,
Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgård, Dominic Cooper, Cher, Meryl Streep
Release Date: July 20, 2018
Genres: Comedy, Musical
Rated PG-13 for some suggestive material
Runtime: 1h 54min
Review:
Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again is a surprisingly strong sequel to the fizzy
original. Getting the bad out of the
way, the film feels the loss of it’s A List cast from the original, the
majority of them appear but with limited screen time. Lily James carries the majority of film as
the young Donna and she’s more than capable.
I do wonder if they asked Grace Gummer, one of Streep’s daughters, to
play the role since she bears such a striking resemblance to her when she was
younger. Still Lily James pulls off an
impressive performance, capturing most of Streep’s mannerisms from the original
film. The rest of the younger cast is equally
as effective portraying their older, legendary counterparts. The song selections here aren’t as strong as
the original film which is understandable since the original used nearly all
the greatest hits. Still they are catchy
enough to keep any ABBA fan smiling. The
strangest thing about Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again is how reflective and
heartfelt the film is. It’s far more
emotional than you’d expect from a sequel to a light fizzy original. Meryl Streep appears in what is an extended
cameo but her appearance packs an emotional punch and really brings the film
full circle.
B
