Film Review: Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again    

Release date: 20^th July 2018

Director: Ol Parker    

Starring: Amanda Seyfried, Lily James, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgĺrd, Julie Walters, Dominic Cooper, Christine Baranski, Josh Dylan, Hugh Skinner, Jeremy Irvine, Alexa Davies, Jessica Keenan Wynn, Andy Garcia, Meryl Streep and Cher    

Runtime: 114 minutes

Genre: Musical, Romance  

Watched in: 2D

Rating: 4/5 stars

The much anticipated sequel to Mamma Mia!, ten years on from the original film, carries the same spark and barmy hilarity as the first. Five years later, Sophie is getting ready to open the hotel on the island that her mother dreamed of, while the story of Donna’s three love affairs many years earlier is told in flashbacks.

If you loved Mamma Mia!, you’ll probably love the sequel. If you didn’t like the first, this probably isn’t the film for you. The plot is a little flimsy, but really that’s not the point. This is a feel-good film and it definitely ticks that box.

Lily James was brilliant as the young Donna and it was great to see all the younger versions of the original cast. Now we know what happened on the island all those years ago! I wondered if it were really necessary to see the prequel side to the story, but I actually loved watching the story of young Donna. The returning cast also did a great job at reprising their roles in the sequel side to the plot.

The return of songs Mamma Mia and Dancing Queen were very welcome, as they are two of my favourites. Those who were disappointed Waterloo didn’t make the main movie first time round will be pleased to see it included as a main musical number in the sequel. Being too young to have grown up with ABBA, it was nice to have some of their less well-known songs included in this film, as I was introduced to some new ones I hadn’t really heard before.

As with the first film, there are some slightly odd and barmy sequences but that’s the charm of these films. So much of it is silly and cheesy but I couldn’t help smiling most of the way through. There are some very funny moments that made the whole theatre laugh aloud. On the flip side to that there were some sad and touching moments (I will admit I may have shed a tear or two).

At the end I was left smiling and wanting to sing ABBA songs and dance through the streets – except this is the UK we’re talking about and I’d probably have got some funny looks. If you want a feel-good film that doesn’t take itself too seriously and will leave a smile plastered on your face for the rest of the day, this is the movie to see.