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Movies / On DVD / Mamma Mia!
Mamma Mia!

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Mamma Mia! (2008)

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Reviews Counted:169

Fresh:90

Rotten:79

Average Rating:5.5/10

Consensus: This jukebox musical is full of fluffy fun but rough singing voices and a campy tone might not make you feel like "You Can Dance" the whole 90 minutes.

Rated: PG [See Full Rating] for some sex-related comments.

Runtime: 1 hr 49 mins

Genre: Comedies

Theatrical Release:04-07-2008

Synopsis: After its run as a West End hit in London, MAMMA MIA became a Broadway smash when it opened in New York back in 2001. With a story framed around the music of the Swedish pop band Abba, crowds loved... After its run as a West End hit in London, MAMMA MIA became a Broadway smash when it opened in New York back in 2001. With a story framed around the music of the Swedish pop band Abba, crowds loved its raucous, dance party vibe. Now it comes to the silver screen, with some truly delightful performances from the likes of Meryl Streep and Pierce Brosnan. It is the story of Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) a young woman living on a picturesque Greek island with her mother, Donna (Streep.) Together, Donna and Sophie run a ramshackle island inn, and they are in the midst of preparing for Sophie's wedding. As the wedding approaches, Sophie becomes troubled by the fact that she has never known her father. She was the result of one of her mother's summer flings, and her mother has never revealed her father's identity. When Sophie stumbles upon her mother's diary, she learns that there are three possible men who could be her dad. Without telling her mother, she invites all three to her wedding. When Harry (Colin Firth), Sam (Brosnan), and Bill (Stellan Skarsgard) all arrive at the same time, Donna is of course shocked and overwhelmed by seeing her old lovers again after such a long time. She turns to her two best friends, Tanya (Christine Baranaki) and Rosie (Julia Walters), for their support, and vows to just get through the wedding and weekend. Meanwhile, Sophie spends time with each man, determined to learn the truth. Major hijinks and confusion ensues, all amidst the utterly romance scenery, and the rather irresistible, swelling love ballads. Streep has a lovely singing voice, and to watch her throw herself into this whimsical role is truly a delight. She looks like she is having a ball, and it is hard not to shimmy along with her. Baranski reliably delivers an over-the-top showstopper, and Brosnan's tender singing voice makes his character all the more touching. The film strives to be a jubilant celebration of mother/daughter relationships and the love between good friends, and no matter how cheesy some may find Abba, it is hard to resist its many charms. [More]

Starring: Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Amanda Seyfried

Starring: Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Amanda Seyfried, Stellan Skarsgard, Julie Walters, Dominic Cooper, Christine Baranski

Director: Phyllida Lloyd

Director: Phyllida Lloyd
Screenwriter: Catherine Johnson
Producer: Judy Craymer, Gary Goetzman
Composer: Benny Andersson, Bjorn Ulvaeus
Studio: Universal Pictures

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Reviews for Mamma Mia!

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1 - 20 (sorted by source; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 >> >|
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Cute, clean, camp fun, full of sunshine and toe tappers.

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
07/11/08
Angie Errigo
Angie Errigo
Empire Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The story is ... urh. No film has ever had a more irrelevant story.

Full Review Source: Guardian [UK] | comment 2 Comments
10/18/08
Peter Bradshaw
Peter Bradshaw
Guardian [UK]
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The infectious, decades-old ABBA songs on which the film is anchored are the only thing keeping it afloat.

Full Review Source: Screen International | comment Comment
10/18/08
Mike Goodridge
Mike Goodridge
Screen International

This film is so sunny that it should crack through any cynicism. Of course, it helps to have an A-list cast singing their hearts out.

Full Review Source: Shadows on the Wall | comment Comment
07/11/08
Rich Cline
Rich Cline
Shadows on the Wall

The sheer zestful force of this movie will blast anyone with an ounce of fun into the aisles for an impromptu bout of Abba karaoke

Full Review Source: Teletext | comment Comment
07/13/08
Victor Olliver
Victor Olliver
Teletext

Hugely enjoyable musical with gorgeous location work, terrific songs and superb performances from a fabulous cast.

Full Review Source: ViewLondon | comment Comment
07/18/08
Matthew Turner
Matthew Turner
ViewLondon

The big-screen Mamma Mia! rises above its flaws through an A-list leading lady and, like its stage-musical predecessor, skillful exploitation of the both fun and pathos in Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus' undeniable music.

Full Review Source: Advocate (Baton Rouge, LA) | comment Comment
07/25/08
John Wirt
John Wirt
Advocate (Baton Rouge, LA)

Even were it not the title of one of ABBA's most beloved songs, this might just be the most aptly-titled movie of the year.Because my Mom is gonna loooooooove it.

Full Review Source: AfterElton.com | comment Comment
07/15/08
Brian Juergens
Brian Juergens
AfterElton.com

I tapped my foot, I smiled, and I found myself undeniably amused. If that's the kind of experience you're looking for, and if you dig ABBA, this crazy, sloppy, mixed-up movie might just be for you.

Full Review Source: Aisle Seat | comment 4 Comments
07/30/08
Mike McGranaghan
Mike McGranaghan
Aisle Seat

There might not be anything as utterly dispiriting as watching people pretending to have fun, and that is quite literally the only card the movie has to play.

Full Review Source: Antagony & Ecstasy | comment 1 Comment
07/22/08
Tim Brayton
Tim Brayton
Antagony & Ecstasy

Mamma Mia! is not going to make you think, nor does it want to. But it will make you sing, as long as Brosnan keeps his mouth shut.

Full Review Source: Arizona Republic | comment Comment
07/17/08
Bill Goodykoontz
Bill Goodykoontz
Arizona Republic

If Mamma Mia! works on any level at all, it's through the sheer radiance of Meryl Streep.

Full Review Source: Associated Press | comment Comment
07/15/08
Christy Lemire
Christy Lemire
Associated Press

Perhaps your enjoyment will depend on how much you like the songs (I’m not a huge ABBA fan), but the great thing about this film is its joyousness.

Full Review Source: At the Movies (Australia) | comment 3 Comments
07/18/08
David Stratton
David Stratton
At the Movies (Australia)

I could do without 'Dancing Queen' stuck in my head, but that will unstick soon enough, and with any luck so too will the memory of Streep noodling on an air guitar.

Full Review Source: Austin Chronicle | comment Comment
07/17/08
Kimberly Jones
Kimberly Jones
Austin Chronicle

Constructing a play -- and now a clumsily staged film -- around ABBA songs is the definition of a frivolous enterprise, and little has been done to temper the ecstatic mood with other shadings of human emotion.

Full Review Source: AV Club | comment Comment
07/17/08
Scott Tobias
Scott Tobias
AV Club

A party where everyone is so desperate to have a good time that it makes you miserable.

Full Review Source: Baltimore Sun | comment Comment
07/18/08
Michael Sragow
Michael Sragow
Baltimore Sun

You could spend all week eating bacon at a pig farm and still find more ham in "Mamma Mia!," an irrepressible, unstoppable kaleidoscope of karaoke camp gone berserk that features a cast happily mainlining ABBA's songbook.

Full Review Source: Bangor Daily News (Maine) | comment Comment
07/22/08
Christopher Smith
Christopher Smith
Bangor Daily News (Maine)

The only way to make Abba songs sound worse than they already are is to have them spring forth from the mouths of Meryl Streep and Pierce Brosnan.

Full Review Source: Beaumont Journal | comment 9 Comments
07/15/08
Danny Minton
Danny Minton
Beaumont Journal

The movie version of the musical has been released or rather unleashed, powerful enough to make the most hard-hearted indie rock absolutist clap along.

Full Review Source: Beliefnet | comment Comment
07/18/08
Nell Minow
Nell Minow
Beliefnet

As my dignity tried to flee the premises, my heart wouldn't let me go.

Full Review Source: Boston Globe | comment Comment
07/18/08
Wesley Morris
Wesley Morris
Boston Globe
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by source; UK critics are listed first)
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Latest News for Mamma Mia!

February 04, 2009: Exclusive: Inside Pinewood/Shepperton - A Photo Tour
Every year, the BAFTA film awards present a trophy for Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema. Introduced in 1978, the award recognises an organisation or a person's career... More...

January 21, 2009: Razzies Name 2008's Worst Movie Nominees
No awards season would be complete without the Golden Raspberry Awards (AKA The Razzies), awarded each year to the very worst movies to hit Hollywood. This year's winners will... More...

January 07, 2009: People's Choice Awards Winners Announced
The 35th annual People's Choice Awards were handed out on January 7, 2009. A complete list of film nominees, with winners in bold, follows below. More...

December 28, 2008: There's a neat free spirit versus family values message here, about a dad being no big deal when you can have three. Not to mention that family is more about who loves you, than whatever does or doesn't dangle between their legs. Opens in new window
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