Now, before I begin slating this movie, I feel it’s important to stress that I can at least understand why people may like this film even if I hated it myself. Both Mamma Mia and Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again are films that, if you’re of a certain demographic or disposition, will unfailingly fill you with joy. They’re a spectacle, they pump you full of rainbows and optimism and they are exceedingly camp, which some people love. To add to this, whilst I despise seeing my childhood James Bond prancing around a Greek island sounding as if he is singing in a back alley karaoke bar, I do find some amusement and respect in the fact he, Colin Firth and Stellan Skarsgard all agreed to partake - and, more to the point, with such gusto. Credit where credit is due. And it was also nice to see Lily James getting a leading role in a big film - she deserves it. Having gone strength to strength in films such as Baby Driver, The Darkest Hour and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society I’m glad to see her career progressing even further – she is fantastic.
However, these factors are not enough to save this disaster piece. Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again picks up five years on from the original film and Sophie, Amanda Seyfried, is planning the grand opening of the ‘Hotel Bella Donna’ in memory of her mother. As she does this, nearly thirty years earlier, Donna, Lily James/Meryl Streep, goes on a summer trip which changes her life forever, introducing her to three men who each win her heart on the beautiful Greek island of Kalokairi.
Firstly, the film felt totally unnecessary. Whilst it was vaguely interesting to see Donna’s backstory, it wasn’t anything we didn’t know beforehand. Essentially, that is exactly what the first film explored, just in fewer scenes. More to the point, because Mamma Mia was written as a one-off show (and then adapted into a film) all the best ABBA songs were used already meaning Here We Go Again was left with the ABBA back catalogue that no-one really cares with the exception of super-fans, or, repeated songs that we have already heard in the first film. As a result, the little interest I had in the film quickly waned – especially, given its somewhat indulgent (just short of) two hour runtime.
Secondly, the film was far too long and couldn’t make its mind up as to what it wanted to be. The original Mamma Mia at least knew what it was - sycophantically cheesy and camp - and was unapologetic about it. Here We Go Again, however, is both half-heartedly happy and sad. Some scenes, like the garish, indulgent and skin-crawlingly cheesy rendition of ‘Waterloo’ were reminiscent of the first film’s optimism. A large chunk of the rest of the film was miserable and brooding though – something I don’t consider to be very Mamma Mia-esque. Whether it’s Sophie fretting about the opening of the hotel (essentially, all she does), Sam lamenting his dead wife or young Donna complaining about her man struggles despite having three handsome men pining after her, the overwhelming optimism found in the first is certainly diluted.
Finally, Cher’s cameo has to be mentioned. Whilst I’m sure there are people out there who loved this, it wasn’t for me. Her appearance was completely pointless and added nothing to the movie. After the obvious escalation to her token number, it was utterly underwhelming. Sorry, Cher.
Unfortunately, Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again is a totally unnecessary sequel that I would not recommend seeing unless you’re a die-hard ABBA fan or enjoy overbearing cheesiness. Whilst, admittedly, I’m a fan of the first, I do think Here We Go Again has genuine flaws which cannot be overlooked – mainly, the ropey catalogue of lesser-known ABBA songs and mundane plot. But, as always, see it for yourself – you may enjoy it!
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