Lily James brings to life the very unorthodox Cinderella story of young Donna Sheridan’s soul-searching journey, which culminates in the present-day events of Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again.
A decade after the first Mamma Mia! ends with all the charac
ters seemingly living happily-ever-after, the Grand Re-Opening of the island’s hotel serves as a catalyst of all sorts of grief and celebration for Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) and her newfangled family.
Cinematographer Robert Yeoman brilliantly transcends time and space with subtle yet powerful transitions that accentuate the parallels between characters. Between Sophie and young Donna or Sophie and Sky (Dominic Cooper), the visual connections are immensely creative and, for the most part, seamlessly incorporate the music with the plot.
The music of course, the muse for the films, hits you right out of the gate. Many of the ABBA renditions that we loved so much in the first movie are recycled in the sequel with different people singing them; however, they take on whole new meanings for the characters, making the soundtrack fresh but still undeniably Mamma Mia!. Fortunately, the group’s lesser known songs also have their time to shine, as do the male members of ABBA themselves with cheeky cameos spread throughout the film. Their roles are minimal but a nice addition considering their contributions).
Just like in the first movie, plot points become a reason to break out into song and dance numbers that give Broadway shows a run for their money. The fantastical impromptu musical numbers are almost enough to distract viewers from the loopholes that tear at the fabric of the plot line. For example, while we are blessed to have Cher in the film, are we just going to ignore Donna’s line in the first movie that alluded to her mother having died: “Somebody up there has got it in for me. I bet it’s my mother”? Or are we leaving that up to different interpretations? That little hiccup I can forgive because without Cher, we would miss out on Ruby Sheridan and hotel manager, Fernando (Andy Garcia) stealing the romantic spotlight with their muy caliente chemistry.
This time, the bromance between Sam, Bill, and Harry (Pierce Brosnan, Stellan Skarsgard, and Colin Firth) rivals even that of the Dynamos duo, Rosie and Tanya (Julie Walters and Christine Barnaski) now that they’ve had a few years to truly bond. Their interactions add a completely new depth of realism to the characters’ dynamics; the degree of relatability to all of them is very strong and heartwarming.
In the first Mamma Mia movie, the two generations (the parents/friends) and Sophie and Sky meant two generations of audience had something to relate to, all coming together over ABBA’s music. In the new movie, because of the look back at Donna’s younger self, we get three layers to enjoy. There’s plenty of eye candy, for sure, but also three layers of situations and life stages to relate to, broadening the audience appeal even more.
To conclude, this is a fun movie. It has its tear-jerking moments (bring tissues, seriously) but the overall story is as beautiful as the island where Donna first began her journey. 7.5/10 would have the time of their lives with Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again.
Spend some time on the official website – it’s quite fun and helps enhance the movie.
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