Mamma Mia! (2008 movie) Review

I have already seen this movie 3x--twice within 48 hrs.  I loved this movie!  I thought the talent of the cast was spectacular.  Pierce Brosnan admitted he wasn't comfortable singing so I didn't have too many high expectations for him but he is still sweet eye candy.  He did okay once he got into the third or fourth song.  I loved this movie so much that right after we were dismissed I went to Walmart to get the soundtrack.  It was soldout so I went to another Walmart.  I believe the CD was about $14.88. 

Christina Baranski (Tanya) has got some major talent as a singer and dancer.  My girl friends and I were in tears (of laughter) when she performed "Does Your Mamma Know" with Pepper.  She has you from the moment she gets off the paddle boat.  And can she do some high kicks--ouch!  I didn't know ladies her age could still do that stuff. Amanda Seyfried (Streep's daughter in the movie) is so young and animated.  I loved watching her facial expressions; especially when she was performing "Honey Honey" and talking with her three perspective fathers.  You can just imagine a young child begging someone to keep a secret for them and she does it with such passion that I'm in the theater telling the guys, "Promise her you'll keep the secret."  Merryl Streep puts on a spectacular show when performing "Mamma Mia"--loved that in flight spread eagle she did over the bed and the "Winner Takes It All"--that's a kleenex moment. Another hankie moment is when she sings "Slipping Thru My Fingers"--it takes you back to your childhood or your young courting days when you would climb into someone's lap and have a heart-to-heart.  II'm small and youthful enough to still do that with some family and close friends.  You laugh so hard you think you're going to wet your pants and then the tears fall during some unexpected, very touching moments. 

Seyfried finds her mother's diary and realizes that there are three possible men out there who could be her father.  So without her mother (Meryl Streep) knowing she invites them all to her wedding.  Meryl Streep has her two zany sidekicks come in also and then you have the three potential fathers, Brosnan being one of them.

If you love musicals along the line of Hairspray (2007), Footloose, Grease, etc. you will probably love this one.  It's a real treat for ABBA fans--one session was like a sing along as everyone in the audience sang with the movie.  My main fascination or praise for the movie was that it wasn't just a movie with lots of music in the backgroung.  The directors did an awesome job of incorporating the song lyrics into the dialogue so that the cast of characters actually spoke the lines of the song as part of a conversation.

I believe the ladies will love it because it's a chick flick, mother/daughter bonding, etc.  I think men will enjoy it because the five leading men have such talent and it will peak anyone's curiosity to see how Pierce Brosnan goes from playing James Bond to this!  And if the guys don't really want to see it--it's a nice gesture for them to take the love of their life so that she can see it.  After all, how many movies, in theaters or at home, do we "endure" for the sake of spending time with that special guy?  

I can't wait for it to be released on DVD--I will be at the store on new movie Tuesday that day!! I have been listening to the soundtrack and another good song is "Our Last Summer"--it gives you a pleasant rendezvous thru Paris.   I loved "Hairspray" (2007 ver.) and have always been a great fan of Grease--well, believe it or not, I finally found a movie/musical that I can say was better than Grease.  John Travolta and Olivia fans please forgive me!

"Mamma Mia, here I go again...."  Let me move on to something else now!!