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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: Musical & Performing Arts

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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41 - 60 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 >> >|
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The movie gets by on sheer exuberance. Your appreciation of it, I suspect, will strongly depend on your mood and the enthusiasm of the audience members around you.

Full Review Source: Windy City Times | comment 2 Comments
07/22/08
Richard Knight
Richard Knight
Windy City Times

I love musicals and I love ABBA, so I was really excited for this movie. I pretty much got what I deserved.

Full Review Source: Sin Magazine | comment 4 Comments
07/21/08
Austin Kennedy
Austin Kennedy
Sin Magazine

It's My Two Dads set to crappy Swedish music.

Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment 2 Comments
07/21/08
David Cornelius
David Cornelius
eFilmCritic.com

It is not merely that Pierce Brosnan cannot sing; it is that he looks so uncomfortable doing it.

Full Review Source: FilmStew.com | comment 7 Comments
07/21/08
Pam Grady
Pam Grady
FilmStew.com

There is a whole lot of screaming, giggling and squealing in this film, and that's just the men. Seriously, this is a chick flick.

Full Review Source: Laramie Movie Scope | comment 2 Comments
07/21/08
Robert Roten
Robert Roten
Laramie Movie Scope

The legal definition of torture has been much aired in recent years, and I take Mamma Mia! to be a useful contribution to that debate.

Full Review Source: New Yorker | comment 5 Comments
07/21/08
Anthony Lane
Anthony Lane
New Yorker

A lot of fun.

Full Review Source: Ebert & Roeper | comment 3 Comments
07/21/08
Richard Roeper
Richard Roeper
Ebert & Roeper

Mamma Mia! is a delightful crowd pleaser, evidenced by the enthusiastic applause I heard at the smash ending.

Full Review Source: Houston Community Newspapers | comment Comment
07/21/08
Gary Brown
Gary Brown
Houston Community Newspapers

It's a magical movie. Just as fun as a movie based on a musical based on ABBA songs involving a wedding with assorted misunderstandings set on a fairy tale Greek island should be. What a tragedy if it were a bore (besides, 'Tragedy' is a Bee Gees song ).

Full Review Source: Seacoast Newspapers (NH/Maine) | comment Comment
07/20/08
Gina Carbone
Gina Carbone
Seacoast Newspapers (NH/Maine)

Goofy fun.

Full Review Source: Ozus' World Movie Reviews | comment Comment
07/20/08
Dennis Schwartz
Dennis Schwartz
Ozus' World Movie Reviews

Miscast, poorly shot, possibly choreographed by a spastic eight-year-old, Mamma Mia! is a mess, but it's kind of an impressive mess.

Full Review Source: Movie Retriever | comment 5 Comments
07/20/08
Brian Tallerico
Brian Tallerico
Movie Retriever

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.

Full Review Source: NewsBlaze | comment Comment
07/20/08
Prairie Miller
Prairie Miller
NewsBlaze

Trust Dr. Cook on this one: You're going to walk out of "Mamma Mia!" with an ear worm.

Full Review Source: Quad City Times (Davenport, IA) | comment Comment
07/19/08
Linda Cook
Linda Cook
Quad City Times (Davenport, IA)

Amanda Seyfried wows us with her lovely voice, and Meryl Streep belts out showstoppers as if she were born to be a musical star.

Full Review Source: ReelTalk Movie Reviews | comment Comment
07/19/08
Betty Jo Tucker
Betty Jo Tucker
ReelTalk Movie Reviews

Mamma Mia! is a sloppy, overwrought mess of a musical, but then those darn ABBA songs pop up and all is bliss for the next three minutes.

Full Review Source: Washington Times | comment Comment
07/19/08
Christian Toto
Christian Toto
Washington Times

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

Mamma Mia! works spectacularly despite its best efforts at self-sabotage.

Full Review Source: Colorado Springs Gazette | comment Comment
07/18/08
Brandon Fibbs
Brandon Fibbs
Colorado Springs Gazette

Yuck!...the very model of the modern musical comedy--there's absolutely nothing original in it...[and] it looks awful.

Full Review Source: One Guy's Opinion | comment 1 Comment
07/18/08
Frank Swietek
Frank Swietek
One Guy's Opinion

The movie's spirit is somewhere between High School Musical and Hedwig and the Angry Inch; it's at once dorkily wholesome and proudly slutty.

Full Review Source: Slate | comment 1 Comment
07/18/08
Dana Stevens
Dana Stevens
Slate

Sophie invites the three beaus to her wedding, hoping she'll be able to pick her father out of the group. Such a shame that Sophie hasn't heard about DNA testing.

Full Review Source: LivePDX | comment 4 Comments
07/18/08
Kimberly Gadette
Kimberly Gadette
LivePDX
 
 
41 - 60 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 >> >|
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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...

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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
More...

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