Original artwork by Leiann Huddleston.
This article originally appeared on Silly Girl Reviews. Silly Girl Reviews is a space where two generations of women discuss films. Silly girl herself is a 24-year-old woman who goes to films with her 84-years-young grandmother (but she calls her Grams). This article has been edited from its original publication.
The summer of sequels continues with Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again, pun entirely intended. With the likes of the Incredibles 2, The Equalizer 2, Oceans 8 revival, Jurassic World 2 and the franchise that may never die Mission Impossible 7. It’s as though the studios are determined to choke us with nostalgia. Mamma Mia 2 is no different. The original cast returns to take us back to the lives of Sophie, and the gang. Much like its predecessor, Here We Go Again is filled with ABBA centric song and dance numbers on the Greek isle of Kalokairi.
I noticed that the casino (venue for the theater) was more crowded than usual, but I thought that it was due to the lunch hour, or another round of bingo, so on and so forth.
Part of life in Vegas is if you want to see a movie, most likely, it will be in a casino.
So, I brushed it aside … until they began to converge on the box office. We, like the mob, hurried to claim our spot in line. The box office line began to grow significantly. Filled with a disgruntled and aged mob. A chorus of voices began to rise above the masses culminating in their irritation.
“Why isn’t the line moving?!” exclaimed one disgruntled man. “Would you look at this old woman! She is holding up the line!” said a woman of similar age to the ‘old woman’ “Oh for Pete’s sake she doesn’t even know what she is coming to see!” said the other.
Grams typically gets flustered in crowded spaces, but today there was much to discuss. She will usually talk with those around us, but today she was pretending I wasn’t even there so she could theorize with other guests about what obstacle was keeping the line from moving.
By the time we got to the counter to purchase tickets, the movie had already started. The only seats that remained were separate from each other. Since Grams couldn’t hear the woman behind the glass, I decided we would see the next showing which was three hours later. Grams was okay with this. I think she was just glad to be out of line, away from the flustered masses. But she did proceed to warn everyone in line as we walked past that if they were planning on seeing Mamma Mia 2, it was completely sold out. Gasps and other exclamations could be heard all down the line.
Instead of going home we decided to grab a bite since we had the time. Neither of us had eaten lunch yet anyway. After a meal of burger and fries, only an hour and a half had passed. Grams was in a great mood; I say this because she wanted to exercise by walking around the casino. It was not long after we started that Grams decided we had had enough exercise and sat at the Wild Buffalos slot game, her favorite. She gambled a bit, lost a bit, won a bit, then lost it all again. With the money gone, it was time to go back to the theater.
Grams was excited to return to the Isle of Kalokairi. Me not so much. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed the original. However, I did not feel the need to go back. I thought the story had run its course. The storyline for the sequel seemed forced to me.
Spoiler alert. You’ve been warned.
Five years have passed, Donna has passed away leaving Sophie and a lovesick Sam (Pierce Brosnan) the task of finishing renovation and opening the hotel, Bella Donna.
Oh yes, you read that correctly Meryl Streep is only in this movie in spirit. Through Lily James’ portrayal of young Donna and right before the credits roll.
On the eve of the grand opening, Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) is in emotional peril. Two of her three fathers, Harry (Colin Firth) and Bill (Stellan Skarsgard), are not coming to the grand opening of the hotel, a storm is closing in and she, once again, has broken up with her boyfriend, Sky (Dominic Cooper). But wait there’s more. Sophie discovers she is pregnant and feels an immediate connection with her mother. This plot point felt very forced to me; as well as Donna’s death. For the sake of the plot Donna had to be dead, but Sophie did not need to be pregnant in the same place as her mother to feel this profound connection with her.
The plot, I believe, was meant to explore the importance of relationships–familial or otherwise–as well as the processes of grief. Through flashbacks, we see how Donna met the three men who would eventually become Sophie’s fathers. One of which was the younger version of Bill (Josh Dylan), from the first moment, it was love. Immediately, Grams and I discovered that we have similar taste in men. By the end, Grams was sad he was not picked as Donna’s soulmate. I think it may have been because Pierce Brosnan has ever the slightest of edges over Stellan Skarsgard in the “dreaminess” department.
Halfway through she leaned over to ask, “Oh, I wonder who Donna is going to pick?!” I laughed and sarcastically said, “Well, I’m pretty sure she picks Sam, you know given the first one.” She gives me a side glance that says ‘don’t be a smart aleck.’ “I know that, but I just want her to pick the man on the boat!”
During young Donna’s adventures, we see her become the legend we know her as in Mamma Mia, as she sings and dances across France and Greece. However, these ABBA centric numbers were missing something.
…*cough, cough, Meryl Streep*…
For one reason or another, the musical numbers did not flow within the story. I think Wesley Morris described it best in his New York Times review “…you’re also watching something more inscrutably sad: karaoke of karaoke.” This is precisely how I felt from the very first number When I Kissed the Teacher.
As the film continues with sub-par musical numbers, wanting nothing more than to rewatch the original, Cher choppers in on the night of the grand opening. Cher plays the role of Sophie’s grandmother who cares nothing for the family until this point. Not only reconnecting with her granddaughter but her long-lost lover, Fernando Cienfuegos (Andy Garcia).
If you are wondering why I have not mentioned Andy Garcia until now, it is because over halfway through the movie I completely forgot he was in it. That is how important this character was to the story.
Cher and Andy embrace with a musical number. Sophie’s other 2 fathers come to the grand opening and she reconnects with Sky. Everyone celebrates their happy ending. Then we flash forward to the birth of Sophie’s child and my favorite scene in the entire movie. Meryl Streep’s return. Donna’s spirit sings a duet with her daughter Sophie as all those important to Sophie surround her welcoming her child to the world. The scene is set in the cliff side church from the first movie. It is genuinely heartwarming to see a mother and daughter have a last moment together. Sophie accepts her mother’s death as Donna fades and she embraces her child.
*queue the tears*
Overall, the film for me is a mediocre follow up to an enjoyable movie. If you enjoy the original, feel free to give the sequel a go, just don’t build up your expectations too high. Grams, on the other hand, thoroughly enjoyed Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again, and has seen both the original film with Meryl Streep and theatrical version several times. So, take my lack of enthusiasm with a grain of salt. See this sun-soaked, Meryl-less film for your self and try not to become disenchanted with the original.
