Cute, clean, camp fun, full of sunshine and toe tappers.
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.
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
Reviews for Mamma Mia!
The story is ... urh. No film has ever had a more irrelevant story.
The infectious, decades-old ABBA songs on which the film is anchored are the only thing keeping it afloat.
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.
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
Hugely enjoyable musical with gorgeous location work, terrific songs and superb performances from a fabulous cast.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
If Mamma Mia! works on any level at all, it's through the sheer radiance of Meryl Streep.
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.
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.
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.
A party where everyone is so desperate to have a good time that it makes you miserable.
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.
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.
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.
As my dignity tried to flee the premises, my heart wouldn't let me go.
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. ![]()
More...
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