Mama Mia! Here We Go Again (2018)

Directed by: Ol Parker | 114 minutes | comedy, musical | Actors: Lily James, Amanda Seyfried, Meryl Streep, Dominic Cooper, Pierce Brosnan, Stellan Skarsgård, Christine Baranski, Colin Firth, Cher, Julie Walters, Jeremy Irvine, Andy Garcia, Josh Dylan, Hugh Skinner, Celia Imrie, Jessica Keenan Wynn, Alexa Davies, Naoko Moric

A sequel is rarely a good idea. For Hollywood, it is mainly a way to stretch successful films just a little longer than necessary. If it is also not a high-quality work, true film lovers will avoid a second cinema visit like the plague. In the sequel to ABBA musical film ‘Mamma Mia!’ from 2008 this will be no different. That film was not very well received by critics, but with its shameless charm (and Meryl Streep) still managed to lure a large audience to the cinema. The sequel had to happen at some point, but it really didn’t come until ten years later, in the form of the wonderfully subtly titled ‘Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again’.

The sequel to ‘Mamma Mia!’ Contrary to expectations, does not opt ​​for an automatic repetition exercise. Although the story hardly has anything new to offer (except for a few small surprises), it is in any case commendable that the makers have opted for a slightly different approach. The makers opt for a ‘Godfather II’-like approach in their storytelling: on the one hand we follow Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) who has drastically renovated the hotel of her mother Donna (Meryl Streep) and turns out to be pregnant by her boyfriend Sky (Dominic Cooper). In parallel, we follow the young Donna (Lily James) in 1979, and we see how she ended up on the paradise Greek island and how she experiences stormy affairs with Sophie’s ‘fathers’.

In fact, there is no need to waste more words on the plot, where the trailer is actually the entire film in a nutshell. But just like with the first part, the plot is actually just secondary and you shouldn’t worry too much about this. The film is bittersweet and averse to any pretension, just as the fans will wish.

The choice to have half the film played in the past does not work out very well and that is mainly due to the mediocre acting of the younger actors. The rather unknown actors here are mainly busy imitating their ‘older versions’ as much as possible; for example, Donna’s friends (in the older version wonderfully portrayed by Christine Baranski and Julie Walters, who actually deserve a spin-off) are in fact caricatures of themselves. The singing skills of the younger actors are also not entirely flawless. The great thing about ‘Mamma Mia’ was the shameless fun with which actors such as Colin Firth, Meryl Streep and Pierce Brosnan walked and sang (out of tune) around. It had an infectious effect, and it’s exactly where the part of the film that revolves around the young Donna is mediocre. The older actors are now also given much less space, so that someone like Colin Firth is in the picture for less than ten minutes. A shame, because it was precisely those actors who managed to make the first part manageable. Still, there are a few moments that are wonderfully over the top again: think of Stellan Skarsgård and Colin Firth going wild on ‘Dancing Queen’ and the way Pierce ‘007’ Brosnan bounces back on the storm of criticism he received for his vocal performance in the first part.

The step back in time is therefore quite annoying for the story, but has one very strong weapon in his hands: Lily James (who already made an impression in films such as ‘Baby Driver’ and ‘The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society’). James is so charismatic and acting so infectious that the rest of the young cast doesn’t stand a chance in her presence. And although the sung parts have certainly been refurbished in the studio, James also proves to be more than her man vocally. James is the absolute star of this film and is therefore a worthy ‘replacement’ for Meryl Streep. In short: an actress to really keep an eye on.

The big question that many fans struggled with for ‘Here We Go Again’ was what exactly Meryl Streep’s role would be in this part. The answer will not be revealed here, but the makers opt for a daring (and perhaps unnecessary) twist. However, it hardly gets in the way of the fun. With dazzlingly filmed songs, the ever-bitter sweet but catchy music of Abba and a lot of acting fun, ‘Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again’ does everything the fans could hope for in a sequel. It is certainly not pompous and if you are going to get annoyed by the many clichés and the bittersweet tone, it is better to avoid the film. If you want to see Cher sing a duet with Andy Garcia (yes, they’re still around in this sequel) and above all, have some shameless fun, this summer movie is all you need for two hours of unpretentious entertainment. In cynical times, a movie like ‘Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again’ is the ultimate escapism: irresistible nonsense that doesn’t really hurt anyone.