Mamma Mia! [2008] - DVD (Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Amanda Seyfried, Julie Walters - Dir: Phyllida Lloyd)

The delirious sight of Meryl Streep leading a river of multigenerational women singing "Dancing Queen" is one of the high points of Mamma Mia!, the musical built around the songs of the hugely popular pop group ABBA. The plot sets in motion when Sophie (Amanda Seyfried, Mean Girls), daughter of Donna (Streep), sends a letter to three men, inviting them to her wedding--because after reading her mother's diary, she suspects that one of them is her father. When all three arrive at the Greek island where Donna runs a hotel, Donna flips out and finds that passions she thought she'd laid aside are coming back to life. But let's face it, the plot is not the point--it's a ridiculous contrivance that provides an excuse for the characters to sing the massive hits of ABBA. Regrettably, first-time film director Phyllida Lloyd (who directed the original stage production) has drawn over-the-top performances from everyone involved, even Streep; every production number hammers its exuberance into your eyeballs. Which is too bad, because Mamma Mia! is a rarity: A middle-aged love story. The kids start things off, but the story is really about Streep and the three guys (former James Bond Pierce Brosnan, former Mr. Darcy Colin Firth, and Swedish star Stellan Skarsgard), as well as Donna's best friends (Christine Baranski, best known from the TV show Cybill, and Julie Walters, Calendar Girls). It's a romantic comedy aimed at the people who were around when all these songs were new, and that's an age group Hollywood largely ignores. For that alone, Mamma Mia! deserves to find an audience. --Bret Fetzer

Customer Reviews of Mamma Mia! [2008]

Claptonite
Northampton
1st December 2008

Oh mamma!
Point one: I don't really like musicals but I watched this with my dearly beloved because she'd heard it was good fun.

Point two: I love Abba and was a big fan way back then and I still think they were just about the best pop group of the 70's.

But this film was just plain nonsense. Of course it wasn't to be taken seriously and was supposed to be fun and light-hearted. But that is no excuse for a) there being NO plot, b) some of the worst casting I have ever come across (Pierce Brosnan?), c) just about the most awful bunch of cover versions of some of the most-beloved songs in recent history.

Sorry, but this is one of the worst cases of exploitation of the value of "star pull" that I have ever come across. I hadn't seen the stage show and won't now but why, oh why, did whoever was really responsible for this pile of rubbish not think to cast some actors and actresses who could actually sing - it's supposed to be a MUSICAL after all.

This was a travesty and an insult on many levels - to music, to film, to comedy and most of all to ABBA.

(I'll let Julie Walters off 'cos she's just a great actress but I do have to question her judgement on this one).

S. Gay
Carlisle, Cumbria
1st December 2008

ghastly and awful beyond polite description!
I am astounded by the hype over this vacuous film. i watched it with my wife as part of our "spending quality time together" routine. with this kind of movie quality time is waaaaaaay over-rated. this was, without exception, the worst thing i have seen in the entire history of movie hell! meryl streep cant dance and shouldnt try. pierce brosnon and colin firth cant sing and shouldnt try. the general acting is school play standard and the storyline is something you'd expect from a primary school comprehension test. the great abba songs that we all know and love so well are butchered to death. the film is an embarrassment and a complete waste of your money!!! seriously - dont buy this film - IT'S COMPREHENSIVELY AWFUL!

Frank Wolf
London
1st December 2008

Musical comparison
Only few comparisons

The roky horror picture show: Amazing music and great story
Chicago: very good music, acting and interesting story
Mamma mia: good music, bad acting (exept for Meryl Streep), bad story (it could be interesting but isn't)

Alice

30th November 2008

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Lincoln, U.K.
30th November 2008

cheesy but fun
have to admit, this is a lot better than i expected, but still a little overhyped. this made more money than the dark knight??!! the plot's so thin as to be almost non existent, and it is very camp and pearce brosnan just cant sing. sorry pearce! but on the plus side, meryl streep is superb and easily carries the film. the rest of the cast are good too, particularly julie walters who almost steals the film away from meryl streep. only meryl streep's daughter's boyfriend comes off as bland and dull, just a pretty boy actor, but despite it's many faults, this is a great feel good film, and you don't have to be a big abba fan to like it either.