An encore that taps into glorious nostalgia

Johnson Thomas

Spawned by the film adapted from a successful musical, that surprised everyone with its phenomenal ($ 600 million worldwide) take at the Box-Office, this sequel Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, is a much more expensive production and has added singing-star value in Cher, Andy Garcia, and Lily James but the experience of it is not as fulfilling as the first. 

This film is again, inspired by the music of ABBA, set on a picturesque Greek island, and plies on the greatest hits in stunning new voices, with great felicity–powered by the enthusiasm and excitement of its singing cast. 

It’s not a ‘the winner takes it all’ kind of show of strength though. For one, Meryl Streep is barely there in the film. Her character, Donna’s younger avatar as played by Lily James, keeps flitting in and out of the past-juxtaposed-by-the-present narrative that throws up Donna as dead and has her daughter, Sophie (Amanda Seyfried), trying to step into her mother’s shoes by re-opening the inn her mom ran—now christened the Hotel Bella Donna—on the same idyllic (and fictional) Greek island of Kalokairi where the first film took place. 

Visual effects and nifty match cut flashbacks reveal Donna’s past in fascinating surreal alchemy. This is, in fact, a throwback to old-school musicals with the cast looking smitten performing just as we are while watching it.  

This experience is largely about A-list stars belting out catchy tunes in an idyllic setting – thus revving up some mojo for yet another successful run. This may not be a great movie in cinematic terms but it’s an enjoyable one!