Dancing Queen

Mamma Mia! is all about ABBA. A swedish musical group popular in the 70’s and 80’s. Save for there two biggest hits, I never considered myself an expert of ABBA songs. So I never really considered seeing Mamma Mia! At least not until I listened to more of their music. All I knew about the movie was that it was considered a guilty pleasure. Mamma Mia! is based on a jukebox musical of the same name.

It takes place on a Greek island during a wedding. Amanda Seyfried plays the bride to be Sophie. She has a dream that her father will be able to walk her down the aisle. Her only dilemma is not knowing who that is. So she decides to invite every potential father to the wedding in the hopes that she figures it out. Since her mother Donna was with three separate men at the same time. All played by familiar actors. Pierce Brosnan as Sam, Colin Firth as Harry, and Stellan Skarsgård as Bill. She tries, but I think it’s safe to say this is one performance Meryl Streep ain’t winning awards for. Her singing voice isn’t exactly suited for pop.

Speaking of singing voices, Pierce Brosnan should stick to acting. Mamma Mia! mostly suffers from common rom-com clichés. There’s also a problem with the placement of songs in the story. Since ABBA songs are pre-existing, they have to fit them in whether they make sense or not. Not that it isn’t a lot of fun seeing elaborate dance numbers for songs like “Dancing Queen” and “Mamma Mia.” Mamma Mia! is beautiful to look at and can be very enjoyable if you’re willing to accept its silly plot.

Sophie and her family

Followed by: Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again