Mamma Mia! – Movie Review

Last night the Lady Wife and I nipped along to the Regent Centre in Christchurch to see Mamma Mia!… and what a great movie it is!

First of all, unless you’re remotely an Abba fan, then I must warn you that you may not like this movie; it’s not to everyone’s taste… we can’t all be lucky

However, if you have even a passing taste for Abba, are willing to switch off any preconceptions in your mind about this movie and are willing to indulge in the kitsch, campiness and the flavour of all that is Abba-esque, then this movie is for you.

Based very loosely on the film entitled, “Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell” with Gina Lollobrigida (shown recently on TV) and adapted from the stage musical of Mamma Mia!, this movie is a smorgasbord of angel delight, pink blancmange and all manner of saccharine sweet stuff liberally sprinkled with hundreds-and-thousands of sugar strands; pure Abba fest… and I loved every minute.

Set on the Greek island of Skopelos, which acts as visual cheesecake for the eyes as a beautiful backdrop, Mamma Mia! is a heavily laden goods train chugging along at cruising speed carrying a full cargo of some of the most memorable Abba songs which can’t fail to sate the appetite of Abba fans everywhere.

From the opening strains of “I Have A Dream”, through the imaginative and dreamlike “Money, Money, Money” and more, Mamma Mia! carries you along with it at a comfortable pace and although you sometimes don’t see the next song coming, they’re all well placed within the script and there’s never a lull.

Nicely woven into an easy-to-follow fun script together with high-spirited choreography, Mamma Mia! reminds me of a pyjama party where the cast simply let themselves go, have some fun and have a “to hell with the critics” attitude.

Don’t think that Mamma Mia! has no substance to it and that it’s simply a vehicle for Abba’s music.  No, it’s not a “throwaway” film at all.  Take for example Meryl Streep’s rendition of “The Winner Takes It All”; I defy anyone not to be moved by her performance.

As for the “Does Your Mother Know?” sequence on the beach with Christine Baranski, well, I challenge anyone, even without a sense of rhythm not to at least tap their feet to this great arrangement of the track with the fabulous Über feel-good choreography.

Mamma Mia! for me is reminiscent of Cliff Richard’s Summer Holiday mixed in any of Elvis’ Hawaiian travelogues, with a touch of Grease and all mixed together with the cult dress-up-for-the-movie The Rocky Horror Picture Show… and of course all wrapped in the gold wrapping paper of Abba.

When Mamma Mia! does evolve into a must-see cult movie along the lines of the “Rocky Horror Picture Show” (as it surely will), how will you dress up to see Mamma Mia! the movie?  As a bride, Greek waiter, beach bum, fruit picker?

How about dungarees becoming de rigeur for the ladies who see this movie?

I would however refrain from trying to jump 5 feet into the air and doing the splits in the stalls

I would also refrain from leaving the movie auditorium too quickly once the closing credits of Mamma Mia! start rolling… you have been warned… trust me, you’ll thank me for it… or blame me… whichever of the two

Lady Wife and I loved this movie and even I had “happy tears” in my eyes from “Dancing Queen” onwards.

Our feet tapped, our chuckle muscles got a good workout and we’re definitely going to see it again soon.

It’s only a matter of time before Mamma Mia! the movie becomes a popular cult classic.

I was there at the birth…

… were you?

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Here are a couple of Mamma Mia! trailers to whet your appetite if you haven’t seen the movie yet… aren’t I good to you?

and

Enjoy!

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