To See or Not to See: Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again

Dancing queens, get out your disco shoes: we have been blessed with a new Mamma Mia! Adapted from the West End/Broadway jukebox musical that was based on the songs of ABBA, the first Mamma Mia! film premiered in 2008, a simpler time. Now, ten years later, we’ve gotten a sequel/prequel that is just as charming and comfortingly light as the original. Much like the first film, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again succeeds through a combination of frothy fun and heartfelt, feel-good moments.

The spoiler-free version of the plot goes something like this: the film jumps between two timelines to tell two stories. In what is presumed to be the present day (or 2013? or 2005? or 2003? No one really knows, but that’s okay, because the film is thrillingly vague about little details like dates! What a time to be alive!) Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) reopens her mother Donna’s (Meryl Streep) beloved hotel on that familiar Greek island after having given it some swanky TLC. The film then cuts to the second story. In what (rather arbitrarily) claims to be 1979, we get the real story behind Donna’s (Lily James as Young Donna) magical summer when she had hot flings with three studs– Harry, Bill, and Sam– each of whom may or may not be Sophie’s biological father. All of this unfolds across sun-kissed, azure-framed Mediterranean beaches to the soundtrack of ABBA. We get some song repeats from the first film (like “I Have a Dream” and “The Name of the Game”) that are nonetheless reimagined in ways that make sense for the new stories. Other songs are ABBA tunes with which the casual listener might not be as familiar (“When I Kissed the Teacher,” for one).

Are these the B-side ABBA songs that aren’t quite as memorable as the ones that graced the first film? Yup! Is the plot littered with more holes than an interstate in construction season? You bet! Is it campy? Of course! But as was the case with the first movie, all of this contributes to Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again‘s charm, and the film adds up to more than the sum of its parts. Tying together Sophie and Donna’s stories are themes of love, loss, friendship, and motherhood. These themes are unraveled and revealed in tender, aching ways that will catch you off guard and unexpectedly move you. (I admit to breaking down in tears twice… both times I saw it.)

Part of the reason why this film succeeds as well as it does is because of the infectious charm of the luminous Lily James. She dazzles as Young Donna and brings the beloved character to life in ways that feel more natural and convincing than Meryl Streep’s portrayal of an older Donna in the 2008 film. An alum of Downton Abbey, Cinderella, and War and Peace, James fills the role with both effervescent energy and depth when Donna’s life takes unexpected turns. Moreover, James seems at home in the confines of what is essentially musical theater, and she proves she is a triple-threat: she can act, sing, and dance with the best of them. Her expressive, warm voice is put to good use in a range of songs from the spirited “When I Kissed the Teacher” to the vulnerable, seductive “Andante, Andante” and the hopeful “I Have a Dream.” (Plus, she nails the American accent like a champ, no small achievement for a British actor.)

Joining James as the younger versions of characters that appeared in the first film are Hugh Skinner, Josh Dylan, and Jeremy Irvine as Harry, Bill, and Sam, respectively. Are these characters flatter than the individual layers of baklava? Absolutely. But, frankly, we’re not here to marvel at the journeys of three young men traipsing across southern Europe– we’re here to watch Donna’s story unfold; it’s not really about them. That’s what’s kind of exciting about Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again: the men are here to service Donna’s story, not the other way around. That’s not to say that they don’t play important roles; they obviously do. But they are supporting characters in her journey towards single motherhood. Even though not much is required of them, each of these young actors thankfully brings plenty of charm to his role. (A special shout-out goes to Josh Dylan, who transforms Young Bill into the flirty, playful heartthrob that we didn’t know we needed. The actual song “Why Did It Have to Be Me?” isn’t memorable per se, but his delightful performance of it alongside Lily James is one of the film’s many highlights.) Donna’s dynamo side-kicks Tanya and Rosie– played by Christine Baranski and Julie Walters in the 2008 and 2018 films– also get younger versions of themselves, and Jessica Keenan Wynn and Alexa Davies shine in these roles. Broadway vet Wynn in particular was so good at replicating the inflections and mannerisms of Baranksi’s Tanya that I’m not entirely convinced she isn’t actually 1970s Christine Baranski who tumbled through a wormhole and onto the film set. Her performance is that good. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the most high-profile performer that Mamma Mia! Here We Go gives us. The queen of the newcomers in this film is, of course, Cher– who plays Donna’s mother– and she injects the songs “Fernando” and “Super Trouper” with glitter and glamour.

The actors who have stuck around from the first movie are just as good as before. Amanda Seyfried’s glorious voice is on display again, and her Sophie is less ingénue than she was the first time round– the character appears more mature and self-assured, yet vulnerable. Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgård, and Pierce Brosnan are as lovable as ever. Julie Walters and Christine Baranski are the girl friends we all have and adore. (Baranski, in particular, has some fabulous moments and she should be president of everything.) Meryl Streep proves that she is the queen of tears, and her presence pervades the entire film. (Fair warning: the song “My Love, My Life” will destroy you. Bring tissues. I’m serious, y’all.)

All of the ingredients in the secret sauce that made the first Mamma Mia such a hit– escapism, frothy fun, catchy tunes, endearing characters, dreamy locations– also transform the sequel/prequel into a delicious, delectable dish that is a welcome treat in 2018, a world that feels very different than 2008. Indeed, there is an ache to this film that wasn’t in the first, and this feeling of having lost something really resonates in 2018– Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again has found dramatic depths that the first one did not explore. But, thankfully, there is plenty of joy to counteract that sorrow. After all, now more than ever, we need another heaping dose of the sunshine that this franchise radiates. Yes, ten years is a long time; but, as with any good, old friendship, when you watch Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again you’ll feel as though no time has passed at all.

Photo Credit: Jonathan Prime/Universal Pictures