Ten Stars or Less

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again had many great moments, some decent ones, and some rather head scratching ones. Whenever Lily James was moving the story along as a young Donna, the movie was great. Her voice was pitch perfect and she can dance in any surroundings, dressed in any outfit. When the story shifted to the present day where Donna’s daughter Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) was running around trying to set up the grand opening of the hotel of her mom’s dreams, it lacked everything else the movie had going for it. Andy Garcia was charming as ever, while Sophie’s three dads Harry (Colin Firth), Sam (Pierce Bronson), and Bill (Stellan Skarsgard) are my favourite characters. Their interactions are always hilarious and these guys have a heart of gold. Given the circumstances of how they all met and came together, these three are really great dads in every sense of the word. On the flip side, when young Donna is courted by all three of these guys before Sophie’s birth, good looks don’t equal good musical talents. Whether it was the songs they were stuck singing or their performances overall, these three just couldn’t get it done. Whether it past or present, I was interested in the movie and the direction it was going until Cher showed up. I checked out after her plane landed and she showed up to the party uninvited. When she started to sing, I felt that she was a disgrace to ABBA and their legacy. Even signing and slow dancing with Andy Garcia could not save my feelings. If I could turn back time, she is not the person I would have selected to showcase ABBA songs, let along steal the thunder from the rest of the cast, who did their best to get the story to this point. It had been ten years in between movies and it was amazing to see everyone come back. At the end of it all though, you’ll laugh a few times and you may even shed a tear as the story comes full circle. Mamma Mia will have a place in many people’s hearts because of the source material and the performances from everyone who was in the first one. Whether you’ve seen the musical or just love ABBA, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again should please the die-hard fans, maybe catch the attention of the casual fan, or just turn people away. 5/10