Summertime is a great time for new movies and this past summer certainly had some successful movie releases. From the “Incredibles 2” to “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom” and so many more, the box office did not fail movie fans this past summer. My personal favorite that recently came out was “Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again.” I saw it the day it came out with my mom and have listened to the soundtrack again and again since.
The new “Mamma Mia!” came out on July 20 as the sequel to the original “Mamma Mia!” that was released in 2008. Both are musicals that follow an ABBA theme. ABBA was a pop music group popular in the 1970s so that’s one thing that makes these movies unique. The first “Mamma Mia!” was about a mother named Donna played by Meryl Streep and her daughter Sophie, played by Amanda Seyfried. It takes place on the islands of Greece where they run a hotel. The whole movie revolves around Sophie’s upcoming wedding and her wanting to discover who her father is. However, there are three men who are possibly her father, and she invites all three without her mom knowing. Her goal is to find her true father to walk her down the aisle; you will have to watch the movie to discover the rest.
Clearly you can guess that I am a huge “Mamma Mia!” fan. The original is the type of movie my family puts on whenever it’s on TV and the soundtrack is on almost every time my mom cleans around the house. Unfortunately, not all people are into musicals and most of my friends didn’t even know it was a musical until I told them.
The original “Mamma Mia!” was poorly received on Rotten Tomatoes and only earned a 55 percent rating. However, the new “Mamma Mia!,” which only recently came out currently has over 200 reviews which give it an aggregate 80 percent rating, a big improvement for the movie.
A very popular film critique is how original movies are normally better than their sequels. Many people believe the first is always the best. I don’t think that is so much the case with “Mamma Mia!”
“Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again” had the original cast appear throughout the movie along with new stars representing them at a younger age. This movie followed along with the original story but is about the grand opening of Sophie’s hotel in remembrance of her mother, Donna. The movie goes back in time and Lily James plays the role of young Donna. Through a series of flashbacks, Sophie learns more about her mother and how she found her way, which later guides her to find her own way. Along with the three possible fathers in the first movie, new actors are introduced to portray younger versions of Bill, Harry and Sam in the sequel. If I do say so myself, these three attractive men made the movie more appealing to a girl my age.
A touching story with comedy, romance, great music and an amazing cast makes this movie the full package.
If the reviews don’t convince you enough that this movie is as good or better than the original then all the reasons I listed might convince you. If you have seen “Mamma Mia!” before then the second movie is certainly for you and if not I would recommend giving these movies a look.
Amanda Hearn is a second-year student majoring in psychology. ✉ AH888217@wcupa.edu.