[usr 4]
Five years after the events of the first movie, Sophie learns about her mother’s past while pregnant herself.
If you’re not the type that enjoys a musical plot that is played out in every other scene, then this film is definitely not for you! However, if you’re the sing-songy type whereas music is life, you won’t ever get enough of the sappy chorus lines based on ABBA songs, that from the very beginning, put a melody in your heart throughout the trials and tribulations of the life of Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) whose somewhat fairy-tale existence, goes back ten years, when the original “Mamma Mia!” movie made its debut and grossed more than $600 million at the box office. Judy Craymer and Gary Goetzman who were producers of the original film are still going strong with this version along with a carry-over cast which includes Cher, Meryl Streep (Donna), Julie Walters (Rosie), Christine Baranski (Tanya), Amanda Seyfried (Sophie), Dominic Cooper (Sky), Pierce Brosnan (Sam), Stellan Skarsgård (Bill), Colin Firth (Harry), plus a few new surprises.
Director Oliver “Ol” Parker, who was one of the original creators, has done an excellent job with the reprisal of roles of a diverse group of women who embark upon a journey on the Greek island of Kalokairi. Sophie, who has made it her life’s work to build a place of refuge in honor of her late mother Donna (Meryl Streep), goes through a tremendous amount of relationship woes while relentlessly saving herself for the man of her dreams. The moving plot which goes back and forth in time shows how the relationships Sophie had with her mother, grandmother and female and male friends, molded her into the person she has become.
The development of the characters and the personalities of the men and women who help to shape Sophie’s life, make for a recklessly emotional rollercoaster ride of hilarious and sometimes sad statements of lifelong friendships. Throughout the entire film, the vocals are outstanding and the eye candy provided by Sophie’s unending trail of her mother’s suitors makes for a cool 113 minutes of entertainment on a hot summer night! Fans of Cher and Meryl Streep can look forward to great characterization in the midst of chaos in a spicy mix of age-infused harmony with music that has endured the test of time.
Available on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, DVD and On Demand October 23rd
