The second Amanda Seyfried’s Sophie starts singing at the opening scene, we’re kind of transported to that cheery place of our youth.
“Thank You For The Music” isn’t exactly a cheerful song but it gleams with so much hope and gratitude (and some level of cheesiness) that you can’t help but feel giddy inside.
Giddy. That perfectly describes the experience of watching “Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again” as it delivers one heart-tugging performance after another.
Director Ol Parker has woven together an elaborate tapestry of song-and-dance numbers braided with a narrative that’s compelling enough to hook viewers in.
The sequel to 2008’s Meryl-starrer shows a lot of promise from the get-go. It has all the basic elements–beautiful setting, familiar characters, and a plot that’s riveting enough for the audience–to make a pretty interesting movie.
The story takes place a year after Donna’s death. Sophie (Seyfried) is trying to re-open Hotel Bella Donna and trying to bring together the people she loves most (while making sense of what she really wants to do with her life). She’s still reeling from the loss of her mother while trying to come to grips with the inevitable future.
Yes, no Meryl Streep here. The idea of this movie without the legendary Streep seems heart-breaking but because the focus of this film is reliving the past to make sense of the present (and future), could there be a possibility of a Streep cameo? We’ll see.
The movie transports us from the present to the past in seamless (but sometimes cheesy) transitions that are very reminiscent of music videos. We see a young Donna (Lily James) post-college and trying to make sense of her life. She travels to Greece, propelled by her instinct and desire to do something spontaneous. On the way there, she encounters Harry, Bill, and Sam.
As we bounce back from the 80s to present day, bits and pieces of the puzzle of Donna’s personality fall into place. We get the answers to the questions presented in the first movie and we start to understand how her care-free attitude contrasts with Sophie’s current mindset.
Although the storyline doesn’t provide anything earth-shattering to propel the movie forward, it trudges along in some moments but skips and bounces thanks to the beautiful soundtrack.
Things get more exciting during the second half, particularly when the two other dads enter the picture. It is here when the party started.
Harry (Firth), Bill (Stellan Skarsgard), and Sam (Brosnan) were adorably hilarious in their song and dance numbers. Firth was exceptionally charming with his antics. It’s like they all decided to throw all caution to the wind when they shot the sequences. And it was so effin’ fun to watch!
The same goes for the other actors.
One of the highlights was Cher’s cameo. She plays Ruby, Sophie’s grandmother, who has decided to join the party and fulfill her neglected duties.
Her and Andy Garcia’s song number was just as fun to digest. Imagine seeing these high-caliber, award-winning actors, singing and dancing pop songs with the spirit of highschool musical actors.
Seyfried’s performance along with Christine Baranski and Julie Walters will make you miss Meryl’s singing.
But what stood out was, rightfully, Lily James. She’s definitely on my radar now. Her physique, demeanor, and overall personality captured the essence of a young Donna. She lights up when she picks up the microphone and dances her way through the various songs, especially “Mamma Mia.”
Seyfried, who looked considerably older (than Cher), sort of stepped back from the limelight, which is quite understandable because this was the Donna Show. She was beautiful, nonetheless.
While the songs were not particularly crucial in moving the plot foward, they were, in more ways than one, vital in making the movie come alive. They made the actors come alive–bigger than themselves, even. Because we saw them strip off the actor mask and sung their hearts out. And it was a lovely treat for us, viewers.
“Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again” is everything you could hope for in a musical. Some parts may seem a little cheesy, but that’s probably the point. It’s unabashedly entertaining. You’d be surprised to realize you’re involuntarily nodding your head, tapping your toe or even dancing a little in your seat.
To quote one of their popular songs, “without a song or a dance, what are we?” What would this movie be? Basically nothing. Glad that it isn’t the case here.
Photo credits: United International Pictures
