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]

Dean
London, UK
8th January 2009

Hmmmm !!!
I am so glad I saw this for real in the theatre first as i thought the production was excellent and really enjoyed the sets and the show.

The film, however was absolutely abysmal, I think it was badly cast, Colin Firth was more ridiculous than Pierce Brosnan who wasnt all that bad. Meryl Streep was so-so and the rest were all a bit forced. Glad i did not see the DVD 1st as i never would have wanted to go to the theatre!!

elo15e
Hampshire, UK
8th January 2009

My insides are twisted up!
Ouch! My ears hurt and my insides are trying to get out. Painful singing and weird acting by people who should be doing something else, I think.
Everyone seemed to be acting like they were on stage in the theatre, with BIG voices and exaggerated actions.
Poor ole Amanda Seyfried was alone in her ability to sing and come across as sincere - she has a pretty voice. Just please don't get me started on Pierce Brosnan's voice - eeek!
If only they had got a bunch of unknowns, who could sing - it would have been fabulous - I love Abba songs - why didn't they do them justice?
Oooh and Colin Firth doing 'gay' was really quite funny.
Fantastic, beautiful location thou.

Jay
Wales
6th January 2009

Fab Film
I thought the film was fab. My friends and I had a few drinks and had a great night watching the film. Julie Walters was outstanding as always. We laughed and sang all the way through the film. This is the type of film you can watch again and again. It's a feel good film.

Tilly Flop
United Kingdom
6th January 2009

Waste of money
I read all the hype and thought it would be just the thing for watching over Christmas. Oh dear. For a start was the husband-to-be supposed to be English or Greek? He had an English accent but I'm assuming that he was supposed to be an Islander. And he spent so little time on the screen that he may as well not have appeared at all. It would probably have been a better film if none of the actors had appeared on the screen - just the original Abba soundtrack - maybe they could make that as a sequel! Very bitty unbelievable plot and characters. I would be embarrassed and ashamed to know people like the characters played by Streep, Walters and Baranski.

You can buy the DVD very cheaply now so I think that says it all.

LJC
Walsall, UK
5th January 2009

Mamma Mia - more like 'get me outta here!!!'
Utter, utter pants!!! Must have cost about £2.50 to shoot with a 'script' straight off an old lolly pop stick. I watched this with 3 other people and we all agreed that it is the worst film that we have ever seen. Non existent story, terrible acting, cringe worthy singing and even worse they have messed around with some of the Abba lyrics - utter sacrilege. My partner said that this may have spoilt listening to Abba songs in the future but we agreed that we must try and clear this awful garbage from our minds and listen to the real thing. Save yourself some money, money, money and buy an Abba DVD instead..........PLEASE!!!!!