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Donna (played by a feisty Meryl
Streep) is an independent,
single mother who owns a small hotel on an idyllic Greek
island, and is about to let go of her daughter Sophie (the boggle eyed Amanda
Seyfried) - the daughter she has raised alone.
For
Sophie's wedding, Donna
has invited her two lifelong best girlfriends - but Sophie has also secretly
invited three guests of her own (Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Stellan
Skarsgård)... all of themwho could potentially her father.
So it's a case of solving the mystery, hiding the ex-lovers from Donna
and getting blind drunk in the afternoon with your friends while a bunch of topless male models dance in the background.
There
is little more than that to it.
But, at the end of the day, it really
isn't an issue when it comes to enjoying this species of film.
Let's
face it - by now you already know if you are the sort of
person who is keen to see this flick. The movie did gangbusters at the
cinema (it was so big, a limited edition "Sing-Along" version of the
film was released and acheived the odd by having the same movie
appearing in the Top 20 grossing movies in the country... in the same
week), and those who wanted to see it... generally did so several times
over.
So,
bear in mind, the review that follows isn't aimed at hard-nosed critics
who are looking for pathos - it's aimed at the girls, the gays and
closet ABBA fans who wouldn't mind bursting out a tune or two in the
privacy of their own home.
With that in mind, the real strength and appeal of Mamma Mia! The Movie isn't
it's character development nor it's storyline - but simply the
consistent tongue in cheek fashion in which each aspect of the film is
played out.
The gags are
corny, the actors are given little to work with and the
performances are so over-the-top and drizzled with cheese you could be
forgiven for thinking it was produced by Bega. But it suits
this
concept to a tee, and anything less would have spelled disaster for the
movie.
A mix of Grease
and Hairspray,
the overwhelming sense of fun and youthful air of nostalgia that
sweeps over the viewer is undeniable. It is the sort of film you can
see being played fifteen years down the track alongside The Rocky
Horror Show and Priscilla Queen of the Desert to
packed houses full of fans dressed as their favourite characters.
Meryl Streep does well to carry a good majority of the film, while the
middle-aged male trio of Brosnan, Firth and Skarsgård
are superb. The chemistry between all of them is sublime, each garnering
enough personal highlights to keep everyone happy. Colin Firth is
particularly good, but as always, seems to be repeating a role he has played
many, many times before.
The only real weak spot that seems to disrupt the flow of the
movie (and take the viewer out of the cheesy world Mama Mia! The Movie
creates) is Pierce Brosnan's attempts at singing.
Make no mistake,
the
guy knows how to hold a tune - but when it comes to miming a song and
trying to remain masculine (bear in mind, Brosnan is the ultimate
"Man's Man" - he was James Bond 007 after all) it simply doesn't work.
At the end of the day, no matter how impressive the ensemble cast is -
there are two real stars of Mama
Mia! The Movie - the songs and the scenery.
The
locations in Greece are nothing short of spectacular, with every frame like a
perfectly composed postcard of paradise. You can't blame
anyone
on that island for being in such stupidly good moods - it's that astonishingly beautiful.
As for the tracks, even non-ABBA fans could be excused for
tapping their feet along to pop culture hits like Dancing Queen, S.O.S., Money, Money, Money, Take a
Chance on Me and of course Mamma Mia!.
They are all so instantly familiar, which is why this particular
adaptation works much better than something like The
Producers did.
For those who gathered in groups like a pack of wild and horny hyenas
to see Sex And The City
on opening night with Cosmopolitans in hand, be prepared to set one
more night aside at home with your gal pals - except this time - arm yourself with a bottle of
champagne.
Pop open the bubbly, load yourselves up, and prepare
yourself for a good old fashioned girly sing-along. Because you get the
feeling that, for a particular audience, this one is going to be a
crowd favourite for years to come. DVD EXTRAS
You could really get away with excluding Special Features all
together on this one, because you just know those shoving it into their
shopping bags are just going to have the film on "Reapeat".
So,
if you are going to include anything on a DVD release of a film of this
ilk - you really can't go wrong with a "Sing A Long" option to allow
you sing your favourite hits. I really can't imagine this DVD without
it - and it's probably the most spot on extra (in terms of the wants
and needs of its audience) I've ever seen.
Also included are the usuals : Feature Commentary, Featurettes (Anatomy Of A Musical Number, The Making of Mamma Mia) and Deleted Scenes.
The Outtakes are excellent - and prove yet again how much fun it must have been on the set, while the Deleted Musical Number (Name of the Game)
offers just enough bop to tip this over the edge as one of the most
worthwhile Christmas presents for Mum you are ever likely to come
across.
Conclusion:
Movie 70% Extras: 75%
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