First things, first (everyone should know by now that I hate skirting any issue), Mamma Mia is probably exactly what you all thought it would be. If you love musicals and were psyched to see this one make it to a multi-plex near you, you were certainly not disappointed. If you hate musicals and your bowels start to turn at the mere mention of Stephen Sondheim, then you probably skipped this one and went right into the Dark Knight theater for the fourth time (you know it's true for some).
If, however, by some unforseen circumstance, or perhaps as the result of an alien abduction, you were merely complacent and wondering whether or not Mamma Mia would be worth the price of admission, I'm here, as a perfectly biased lover of musicals to tell you that, for the money, it is worth it.
Although I may not be biased when it comes to musicals, Mamma Mia, does contain one element I am wishy-washy about, and that's the oft-revered, often accented Meryl Streep. I never really know where I stand with her. No doubt, she's highly respected in Hollywood but sometimes her performances are so forced, I just can't abide by them. However, in Mamma Mia, Ms. Meryl (yes, I was going for alliteracy there) is pretty great. She made me cry when necessary, she made me laugh (especially at the end, bedecked in a spandex jumpsuit, joking with the audience) it was refreshing to see her just being a normal woman. A normal woman, who slept with three different guys in so short a time period she's just not sure who the father is, but normal, nonetheless. Hey Maury Povich has seen his fair share of women who could easily be this character, so I'll cut Meryl a break on the morality point.
Amanda Seyfried, not a rookie entirely, thanks to her turn as a Mean Girl, is fresh and young and perfectly fitting in the role of doting daughter and passionate bride-to-be. Of course, what more is there to say about the rest of the cast. Colin Firth (who'll always be Mr. Darcy, no matter how hard he tries), Pierce Brosnan, Stellan Skarsgaard, Julie Walters and Christine Baranski are all time-tested veterans, of just the right age group to love ABBA and know when to take things seriously and when to kick up the cheese factor to Velveeta.
Here's the bottom line: It's a musical, It's ABBA, the background is Greece (can you really argue with that) and it's so darn catchy that you can't help but download the soundtrack on I-tunes. If you go, just be prepared to beat the walkers to get a seat (the crowd is IN GENERAL, slightly older and almost all-women, so boys don't say you weren't warned) and be prepared to laugh at how wonderfully cheesy and totally swedish and ABBA-riffic this fun, summer movie is!
Verdict:
3 & 1/2 swedish Fish!
If, however, by some unforseen circumstance, or perhaps as the result of an alien abduction, you were merely complacent and wondering whether or not Mamma Mia would be worth the price of admission, I'm here, as a perfectly biased lover of musicals to tell you that, for the money, it is worth it.
Although I may not be biased when it comes to musicals, Mamma Mia, does contain one element I am wishy-washy about, and that's the oft-revered, often accented Meryl Streep. I never really know where I stand with her. No doubt, she's highly respected in Hollywood but sometimes her performances are so forced, I just can't abide by them. However, in Mamma Mia, Ms. Meryl (yes, I was going for alliteracy there) is pretty great. She made me cry when necessary, she made me laugh (especially at the end, bedecked in a spandex jumpsuit, joking with the audience) it was refreshing to see her just being a normal woman. A normal woman, who slept with three different guys in so short a time period she's just not sure who the father is, but normal, nonetheless. Hey Maury Povich has seen his fair share of women who could easily be this character, so I'll cut Meryl a break on the morality point.
Amanda Seyfried, not a rookie entirely, thanks to her turn as a Mean Girl, is fresh and young and perfectly fitting in the role of doting daughter and passionate bride-to-be. Of course, what more is there to say about the rest of the cast. Colin Firth (who'll always be Mr. Darcy, no matter how hard he tries), Pierce Brosnan, Stellan Skarsgaard, Julie Walters and Christine Baranski are all time-tested veterans, of just the right age group to love ABBA and know when to take things seriously and when to kick up the cheese factor to Velveeta.
Here's the bottom line: It's a musical, It's ABBA, the background is Greece (can you really argue with that) and it's so darn catchy that you can't help but download the soundtrack on I-tunes. If you go, just be prepared to beat the walkers to get a seat (the crowd is IN GENERAL, slightly older and almost all-women, so boys don't say you weren't warned) and be prepared to laugh at how wonderfully cheesy and totally swedish and ABBA-riffic this fun, summer movie is!
Verdict:
3 & 1/2 swedish Fish!
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