Here we go again

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again

Starring: Amanda Seyfried, Lily James, Pierce Brosnan

Director: Ol Parker

Genre: Musical rom-com

Rating: PG15

RUNTIME: 114 Mins

Set five years after the 2008 Mamma Mia! wedding, Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) continues her mother’s legacy on a musical Greek island – yet, things are disconcerted. Between running the La Bella Donna Hotel and trying to fix her marriage with Sky (Dominic Cooper), Sophie isn’t sure whether she has what it takes to follow in her mother’s footsteps.

As the story unfolds, a wonderful collection of ABBA songs reprise, old ones from the first movie – the namesake, Mamma Mia – as well as new ones such as Fernando, sung by the ‘Goddess of Pop’ herself. Cher’s character only shows up when there’s 20 minutes left which might seem like a waste of time, but her vocals are certainly not.

All performances were brilliantly-executed, with James, Seyfried, and Cher’s voices stealing the show.

Screen-time is divided equally between flashbacks of young Donna’s (Lily James) early European adventures and Sophie’s current dilemmas. However, there is no difficulty in discerning what is past and what is present. The plot is more of a recount of events rather than a progression.

The emphasis on flashbacks makes it easy to rival young Donna to Meryl Streep’s older version of the character in the previous film.

Despite her outstanding vocals and charming looks, James’s portrayal of youthful Donna’s enthusiasm is, however, overdone at times.

The character is conveyed to be ridiculously happy-go-lucky, with the mind-set that nothing could go wrong while she’s sleeping her way through France and Greece.

This idealistic innocence translates only as naivety, which looks forced on James’s behalf – it doesn’t flow naturally and isn’t very believable, as though you can tell she’s acting. Nonetheless, her energy is admirable as she commits fully to choreography and singing, sure to be the main attraction in every scene she is in.

With regard to character development, Seyfried displays a considerable difference in her character’s maturity between the first film and this one.

You can see how Sophie has grown, becoming stronger and more independent, which is rewarding to watch as the idea of motherhood and its significance is explored, with Sophie beginning to step into her mother’s shoes.

This concept is most prevalently captured in one of the final scenes of the movie … but I will not give the game away, you’ll have to go and see it! The parallel between young Donna and Sophie at present was ethereal in its symbolism, tear-inducing in its performance.

The movie is predominantly comedic, with familiar faces like the father trio – Sam (Pierce Brosnan), Harry (Colin Firth), Bill (Stellan Skarsgård) – and two-thirds of the movie’s iconic girl-band threesome Donna and the Dynamos, Tanya (Christine Baranski) and Rosie (Julie Waters), as well as younger versions of these characters, all hilarious in their own right.

This meant that sensitive scenes were called for to balance out emotion, giving the movie, in my opinion, its overall feel-good dynamic with an added touch of drama.

Akin to its 2008 predecessor, the movie is set on the island of Kalokairi, which has exquisite scenery – having been filmed in Croatia – giving the film its vintage ambience: paling buildings in ruins, reminiscent of ancient Greek architecture, while still employing a modern aesthetic.

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again is colourful, bold and full of life – accomplished without taking away the true essence of its moral message on the greatness of a mother’s love.

Showing in: Cineco, Seef I, Saar, Wadi Al Sail, Mukta A2

Dilara’s verdict: 4/5