Photo from Flickr
Jessica Keenan Wynn, Lily James and Alexa Davies perform title track “Mamma Mia” in sequel.
BY MIRANDA WHEELER ’19
“Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again” serves as a playful reminder that art does not have to imitate life — it just needs to celebrate it. With the first film’s takeaway point being an ode to laughing one’s way through messy-wonderful accidents, the second takes a similar tone: loving company (and maybe a good party) as a remedy for grief. The film is a bubbly, feel-good tribute to the (spoiler alert) now-late Donna (Meryl Streep, “The Devil Wears Prada.”)
The recipe for the movie is familiar but effective: one part ’70s rom-com flashback to a young Donna (Lily James, “Cinderella”) falling in and out of unlikely lovers’ beds, and one part following present-day Sophie as she navigates pregnancy, mourning her late mother Donna, and re-opening her namesake hotel. As Sophie longs for Donna, the audience is transported back into the story of Sophie’s conception: how Donna left college, discovered Greece and fell into the arms of Sophie’s three dads (Colin Firth, “Love Actually” as Harry, Pierce Brosnan, “Die Another Day” as Sam and Stellan Skarsgard, “The Avengers” as Bill). “Here We Go Again” is a refreshing, if messy, escape to Greece set to a soundtrack of ABBA’s greatest hits.
If you’re deathly loyal to the original cast, you may be taken aback by the otherwise minimal presence of the original cast members except for Seyfried, who, as in the original, is still given little to do but fret and brood until the final sequence. Even then, she’s nearly upstaged by a strange but delightful appearance from Cher — Sophie’s Vegas showgirl grandmother — who’s all too willing to sing for you. We’re almost willing to ignore the shocking lack of Streep in the film thanks to a bright and enchanting performance from James, who handles the heartbreak as flawlessly as the intense musical numbers. James is as easy to fall in love with as Streep or Seyfried: she’s infinitely likable, happy-go-lucky and stunning, never missing a beat and performing with the same vivacious energy and free-spirited attitude that is quintessentially Mamma Mia.
The music, all ABBA classics, reintroduces the group to a folk-pop-loving 2018 ear. The soundtrack gives way to music video-worthy dance sequences that are delightfully, and sometimes ambitiously, choreographed, yet successfully segue the plot. “Here We Go Again” accomplishes its mission by telling a story removed from reality and humbled by its spirit of never taking itself too seriously. Campy, upbeat and pure-hearted, “Mamma Mia 2” is a saccharine, trouble-free guilty pleasure, much like the ABBA songs that comprise its soundtrack.
After spending the first three-quarters critically analyzing every scene and sequence with a hard stare, I learned the hard way that cynics, grumps and snobs expecting to take the film too seriously will be laughed (or charmed) out of the cinema. With a timeline that makes as little sense as casting Cher as Meryl Streep’s mother and a plot so lacking in a coherent arc, it’s unlikely that anyone will be heralding the film as a narrative hall-of-famer. However, I know I wasn’t the only one who left the theatre smiling and feeling better than I had when I entered. “Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again” is no different than its take on life: it’s not perfect, but it’s worth showing up for.