Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again asks “Why?” - Steve's Review

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again is in theaters on July 20th, 2018.

Don’t get me wrong, I loved the first movie and I also am a big fan of ABBA’s music, I just didn’t really see the need for a sequel. That being said; I was pleasantly surprised that I ended up really enjoying the movie.

Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again is both a sequel AND a prequel, picking up some years after the end of the first movie and (potential spoiler alert) after the death of the beloved super mom Donna(Meryl Streep). We find her daughter Sophie(Amanda Seyfried) preparing a grand re-opening of her mother’s hotel after extensive renovations while dealing with loss of her mother and other issues life has thrown her way. As all the characters from the first film begin to flock to the island for the celebration, were introduced to a young Donna(Lily James) as she graduates college and sets off on an adventure to discover herself and we learn how she met Sophie’s three dad’s from the first film.

Lily James was excellent as the younger Donna and blew me away with her voice. I thought the concept of flashing back to Donna’s journey as her friends and family reminisced in the present was an interesting choice and at times was well done. Overall though, I felt that cramming in both aspects ultimately left me wanting more of each storyline.

The film definitely had its funny moments, Christine Baranski and Julie Walters in particular as the remaining two members of the Bella Donna’s brought some good laughs. It also had a lot of heart and was able to effectively pull from the relationships established in the first film to build upon.

Overall it was a decent feel-good movie/musical that’s easy to dance along with in your seat that at times felt a little cheesy, but who doesn’t love a little cheese every once in a while?

Rating: 3.8 out of 5

Steve (Contributor) is a Philadelphia resident, originally from South Jersey. When he isn't on the hunt for chicken nuggets, he can be found watching a horror movie, binge watching a new tv show he found, or dissecting the latest conspiracy theory documentary.
Click Here to check out Steve's Articles.