Movie Review: Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Fun, singing, dancing

Cons: A couple innuendos, little point to the story

The Bottom Line:

Sequel light on plot

But fun singing and dancing

Make it worth watching

Fun Second Visit with the Dancing Queens

I was intrigued to say the least when I learned that there was a sequel to Mamma Mia!  After all, what more could be done with the characters?  And could enough Abba songs be found to perfectly fit the story?  Never the less, I headed to the theater this week to catch up with everyone in Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, and I’m glad I did.

As the movie opens, Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) is working on putting the finishing touches on a grand reopening for the hotel her mother spent her life on off the coast of Greece, now renamed the Bella Donna.  Sky (Dominic Cooper) is in New York, trying to learn the hotel industry.  He’s been offered a permanent job, and he is thinking about taking it, something Sophie opposes, especially with the grand reopening just days away.

Meanwhile, we also get flashbacks about Donna, Sophie’s mother.  We first Donna (Lily James) on her college graduation day as she plots to go out and explore the world on her way to a certain island in Greece.  Not only do we meet younger versions of her friends Rosie (Alexa Davies) and Tonya (Jessica Keenan Wynn, but we also get to watch her meet the three guys who might have become Sophie’s father.

The movie splits the time between the present and the past.  I must admit that there is little point of the flashback portions.  I mean, we know where Donna winds up if we’ve seen the first one, and the flashback seems to be more of the focus than the present.  Even the story in the present isn’t that suspenseful.  We know where things are going to wind up, and anything that might have been a surprise was spoiled by the previews anyway.

But the point of this movie isn’t really any twists, turns, or surprises to the plot.  The point of the movie is the songs.  There are plenty of them, and they are a ton of fun.  I had a smile on my face for most of the movie thanks to the songs and the dances.  Yes, some of the song choices seem forced into the story, but that’s hardly a serious complaint.  The singing is top notch and the choreography and cinematography during these scenes is also fantastic.

The acting is top notch.  Yes, the key players from the original are back, and they are in fine form.  The actors playing the younger versions of the characters do a great job of making us believe they really are the younger versions of the characters.

I mentioned this movie was fun, right?  There are plenty of laughs, although there are a few sexual innuendos that could have been toned down for my taste.  Yet the movie also has a very serious side.  In fact, I dare you to watch the movie and not tear up during the final scene.

I’m not sure there is a huge point to Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again story wise, but it was fun to revisit the characters and the island, so I’m really not complaining.  If you are a fan of the original, you’ll be glad you went to see this movie.