- Actors: Christine Baranski, Pierce Brosnan, Dominic Cooper, Colin Firth, Andy Garcia
- Director: Ol Parker
- Writer: Ol Parker
- Producers: Judy Craymer, Gary Goetzman
- Disc Format: 4K
- Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo)
- Subtitles: French, Spanish, English
- Region: Region A/1
- Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1
- Number of discs: 2
- Rated: PG-13
- Studio: Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
- Release Date: October 23, 2018
- Run Time: 114 minutes
Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again is a shameless
excuse to shoehorn more ridiculous over-the-top renditions of ABBA songs into a
near non-existent story. That’s it. There is no need to consider this film’s
artistic merits, because the filmmakers didn’t make this effort. This movie is
a self-indulgent cash-grab, and one that effectively capitalized on an often
neglected audience demographic. It is the same reason that faith-based films
continue to thrive in the box office, regardless of quality, But the Mamma Mia sequel is far from a Christian
film, this time allowing us to see the flashbacks of Donna (played by Lily
James) as she sleeps with three men in a row.
This might be a
little more unsavory if it weren’t for the casual manner with which the film
addresses every situation. Everything about the film is frivolous and
inconsequential, so much that it is impossible to be offended, even when the
male characters are treated as nothing more than worshipers at the feet of
women. And as badly as they still dance, it is not surprising that this is
where they have been delegated, their fame a comparable stand-in for the beauty
that has made most female stars little more than a prop since the beginning of
cinema. But it is one thing to make a female-centric narrative, and it is
another thing to make a movie that is actually good, or at least watchable. Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again is a movie
for people who don’t like movies.
The plot is extremely
simple, because there isn’t much of it, and most of that just rehashes the same
story from the first time around. Instead of just hearing about Donna’s young
sexual escapades in the Greek islands, we actually see them. This occurs
alongside a continuation of her daughter’s story. Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) has
remained on the island, tied to her deceased mother, even though her husband (Dominic
Cooper) has a successful career in New York. That is about it. If this doesn’t
feel like enough story to fill a film, consider the fact that every other scene
is a musical number that was not written for this film, and therefor never advances
the plot in any way. And those of you wondering about the highly advertised
inclusion of Cher as Sophie’s grandmother should know that it also doesn’t do
anything for the story, and she only appears to sing a few songs at the end of
the movie. It is a cameo as pointless as the film.
Perhaps I should
spend more time talking about the film itself, but I’m still annoyed by the
time lost watching it. The disc itself has been given the treatment one would
expect from a franchise looking to bleed its loyal fans dry. Released on 4K,
the gorgeous Croatian filming locations are enhanced by the vivid colors of the
format, at least for the scenes actually shot on location and not just a studio
set in England. The package has also been released as the “Sing-Along Edition”
(with the theatrical version also an option), clearly aware of what type of
people like these obnoxious bits of fluff.
The special
features on the disc also include additional musical sequences, along with
extended versions of existing ones. There are also featurettes about some of
the technical aspects of the film, mostly focusing on the costumes and the
actors involved. There is also plenty of promotional materials, even going so
far as to include a talk show interview Cher did. I’m sure all of this will be
of interest to someone, but clearly I am not that person.
Entertainment Value:
3/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 4/10
Historical
Significance: 2/10
Special Features: 4.5/10
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