I need to start this review by clarifying something – the first Mamma Mia! (2008) is my happy place. It was one of those feel-good movies we would have on many times because my mum absolutely loved it back when I called the Czech Republic my home. I must have seen that movie at least ten times, and that is a conservative guess. But for whatever reason, it took me until now to watch the sequel; I think the biggest issue was it was available to stream briefly, and then it got taken down, and it wasn’t until recently I noticed it on UK’s Netflix. So I finally “corrected” this mistake and watched it.
To my genuine surprise, this sequel was excellent. Sure, it is yet again all sugary, cotton candy equivalent of filmmaking, where all you need are some ABBA songs, and all your worries will disappear. But I must say, I thought the camera work ruled here. Robert D. Yeoman not only (who shot most of Wes Anderson’s movies) made this film feel dynamic, but his shot transitions (like the phone call between Amanda Seyfried and Dominic Cooper) were inventive. I appreciated that extra mile, where you could have just shot something “traditionally”, but he and the director Ol Parker decided to put that extra sparkle on this musical, and it fit beautifully.
My main hang-up was not having Meryl Streep back (I don’t think that’s a spoiler as that’s been shown in trailers too). I had to get used to these two timelines, one where we follow Sophie and her efforts to open the hotel and the other where we see young Donna (Lily James) and her journey and how she ended up in Greece. But honestly, it didn’t take me that long to get back into this world where people break into ABBA songs spontaneously, and it makes sense. And a big part of it was Lily James.
I am so happy she is getting more traction now, in the last couple of years, as I believe she is one of the most talented actresses of her generation and one that could become an Oscar winner. For example, she convinced me that she could have been young Meryl, not just because she resembled her, but because she perfected her mannerisms from the first film with no hesitation. She also radiates this energy and her smile… One of the characters in the movie tells her something like: “Your smile radiates every room you enter.” And I honestly couldn’t agree more. I thought she carried this movie and was perfect in this role.
As for the movie itself, you get precisely what you expect from a movie called Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again! The silliness is back, the bright colours and the big dance numbers all set to ABBA songs, many of which are engraved forever in our pop culture. And as with the previous film, it can be too much positivity; too much “cotton candy” for many to digest at once. Both of these movies are the rare ones where I understand people on both sides. It’s easy to love it for it is or absolutely despise it because it’s just too much of… well, everything. But I am firmly in the first camp. And I can say that this sequel surprised me with how much they hit everything they should have, and when the final dance number began, and we watched all the actors from the different timelines jamming it together and being silly, it was hard not feeling happy.
Overall, Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again! is a movie that surprised me on several fronts. From the clever camera work and editing to Lily James effortlessly leading this film to the touching tribute to Meryl’s character, I have really enjoyed myself. And I can see this one day; when I have a Mamma Mia double feature, my rating may climb even higher. Yes, this is the movie equivalent of visiting a candy factory for a day and eating nothing else but candy, but sometimes, that’s exactly what you need.
That’s all for this one! Did you see it? What did you think about it? Let me know!
Until next time,
Luke