Film Review: Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again

I was originally planning on skipping this one. I didn’t see the first one based off what I heard, and while I know it has a fanbase, the thought of watching a bunch of actors butcher ABBA songs like it said something nasty about their mother didn’t sound like my idea of fun. But I decided to bite the bullet, and yeah, it is very much Not My Jam™. It might be something that looked fun on paper, and the film does have a couple fun beats, and one great scene (the “Slipping Through My Fingers” segment), but the easy jokes, half-hearted choreography, and simplistic-to-a-fault story just didn’t do it for me. And now in 2018, while some are contemplating on the legacy of The Dark Knight on the 10th anniversary of its release, the rest of us are treated with Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, the sequel to the 2008 jukebox musical that opened on the exact same day as the comic book juggernaut, and still managed to hit well over half a billion dollars worldwide.

Taking place five years after the events of the first film, Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) is working to make sure everything is perfect for the grand re-opening of the hotel, which is happening in honor of her recently passed mother, Donna. (Meryl Streep). During this, the film periodically cuts back to 1979, where we follow young Donna (Lily James), as she sets off to find purpose in her life.

So…I’m not gonna beat around the bush with this one. I liked this a lot. Like a lot a lot. Like streaming tears from my eyeballs at the end a lot. This is probably the most surprising theatrical experience I had this year besides Superfly. It really is a significant improvement over the first film on nearly all fronts.

Now, that’s not to say that it’s perfect. There are still some significant issues I had with it. The choreography still isn’t anything to write home about. Some of the covers are still not particularly good. All the present day stuff is lacking any sense of conflict or urgency. The inclusion of Cher as Donna’s estranged mother, Ruby Sheridan, isn’t treated as big a deal as the movie previously built it up to be, and any semblance of emotional catharsis is instead replaced with an admittedly well done gag. And then there’s the fact that the original film already used up all of ABBA’s most iconic songs, so this new one is forced to use their lesser known songs, some of which are that way for a reason, as much as it pains me to say. I still don’t think it’s the perfect version of whatever this franchise wants to be, but at least the low points are far more tolerable.

The film notably doesn’t share the same creative team of the first, which was directed by Phyllida Lloyd and written by Catherine Johnson, adapting her own stage musical. The new one is written and directed by Ol Parker. Though, Johnson does share a story credit with Parker and Richard Curtis. The biggest improvement made here is with the comedy. While there definitely is plenty of humor to be found, it’s all built around characters, unlike the first film where characters are forced into wacky antics. The film allows the humor to come naturally as opposed to continuously making an effort in being a comedy. There’s also some creative and energetic camera work that made the underwhelming dancing more palatable, though I do miss the rich colors and texture of the original film’s 35mm photography.

Much like The Godfather Part II, where the film really shines is in the flashbacks with young Donna. This is where we have the film’s secret weapon, Lily James. She steals the whole movie out from under everybody. She sells the fairy tale earnestness of her character like a pro, which isn’t that surprising considering she literally played a Disney princess in Cinderella back in 2015. Her smile is radiant, her singing is the best out of the cast, and her whole journey as a young woman going around Europe, exploring everything the world has to offer, and find a sense of self and purpose is a far more engaging of a story than anything that was set in the present. I honestly wished the whole movie was taking place in the past, but that might’ve been too bold of a move.

I’m honestly still shocked at how much I enjoyed Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again. Going from the mild annoyance and indifference I experienced from the first film to the utter delightfulness and emotionally affecting moments of this was a great experience. It still has its rough patches, for sure, and while I certainly had a good time, I can’t guarantee that others who hated the first will have the same reaction that I did. The cast, both returning and newcomer alike are quite charming, and the festive and inviting nature of the whole thing is so much more effective this time around. Although I still consider Mauriel’s Wedding to be the best rom-com with an ABBA heavy soundtrack, I was absolutely won over by Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again.