Whether or not you liked the original, it must be agreed upon that Meryl Streep's Donna lit up the screen. She was a trailblazing 70's disco mamma who slept around, drank, and partied with her daughter. What's not to love? This film quite shockingly finds our lead killed off somewhere in between film's 1 and 2. I would say that's a spoiler, but instead it seems to be more of a spoil. Why does this film show Meryl as though she is still part of the gang only for the film to quietly open with characters mourning her loss only a year ago. Problem 1: no Meryl Streep (be warned).
It is also evident that our screenwriters (including director Ol Parker) were working with limited resources - namely Abba songs - to create a captivating story with which to follow the remaining characters. What we are left with is a duel narrative in which Donna's daughter, Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) is working to create a hotel on that beautiful Greek island in memory of her mother - - and a flashback story in which a young Donna (the charming Lily James) first discovers the island after graduation and goes on a spree of romantic one night stands (with three distinct men, no less). Where the original had hits like "Gimme, Gimme, Gimme" and "Super Troopers," this film has memorable songs like... "When I Kissed the Teacher" and "I Have a Dream..." Problem 2: lack of Abba hits.
But why does it work? This is an old-timey musical along the lines of "Music Man" or "Singin In The Rain" in which these characters sing for an unseen audience and perform elaborate choreography out of nowhere. It's saccharine in a way that something like "La La Land" wouldn't dream. When it misses the mark such sequences can be dreadful - but I was surprised to see so many songs that landed. Call me a sucker, but it was certainly fun to watch.
What we lack in Streep-yness we are made up for by an elongated Cher cameo as Sophie's grandmother. Flying in on a helicopter for the film's climax (again, a prominent feature in the trailers, though the surprise would have been more satisfying had we not known her starring role) to sing "Fernando" to a lost lover. It's by-the-book corn - a laughable musical number that still had my audience cheering (including myself).
The cast is a laugh, including the clever choices to portray our heroes in flashback (including Jessica Keenan Wynn as a young Christine Baranski - who may well be her doppleganger). While many of the songs might not be recognizable, you can't help but smile at the overall effect. Sure, the film has awkward edits and transitions, and the Sophie character is about as boring a lead as I can remember, but sometimes movies can be fun by being predictable. We know where it's heading, we know that each new scene will have someone burst into song, we get it. In a time when movies are pushing new boundaries and exploring dark, eye-opening stories, a silly flick like Mamma Mia is a good reminder that movies can be there just to have a good time. I had a great time.
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