Nicole Burns
Mamma Mia is back a decade later with the same charm as the first, but twice the fun! *SPOILERS AHEAD*
Ah, yes, everyone knows it. Everyone hears it getting closer in the night, peeking in the corner of everyone’s eyes: the dreaded sequel. Now, rarely have there been remakes, reboots, and sequels that have been on par with or daresay, better than the original film, but Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again might be the exception.
Now, no one thought the 2008 classic, jukebox-musical, Mamma Mia would be getting a sequel. Especially not a decade later and yet, Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again hit theaters on July 20th, 2018, only ten years and two days after the first movie.
The trailer made some wary as it contained Cher and… no Meryl Streep! Well, the trailer included the iconic Donna Sheridan in the form of flashbacks and being referenced in the third person. Everyone’s worst fears came true: Donna Sheridan was dead.
The movie, unfortunately, was lazy in this aspect and never truly explained her death, only the fact that she had been dead for a year. However, the characters are seen grieving in ways very akin to their personalities.
Even without Donna in the form of Meryl Streep, she is still present in the form of her younger self (played by Lily James).
The film captures the younger Donna’s adventures traveling the world and meeting the three potential fathers of Sophie. Now, in the first film, it is never shown who Sophie’s real father is and much to the audience’s dismay… neither does the sequel.
Yup, that’s right. Ten years and two films later, the identity of Sophie Sheridan’s father is still unknown. Despite that, the sequel is still an amazing film.
Here We Go Again carries the same charm from the first film, bringing back classics like Mamma Mia, Dancing Queen, The Name of the Game and more, while it also throws in some new Abba songs like Waterloo, When I Kissed The Teacher, Why Did it Have to be Me?, and more.
Lily James expertly captured the same wild, and reckless energy of Donna Sheridan and made for an excellent performance. She brought a vibe to the film that was simultaneously new and fresh while still familiar.
Of course, the matured Sophie Sheridan still had the same recklessness and passion about things, especially when it came to remodeling the falling-apart hotel from the first film in her mother’s name.
It is also discovered that her boyfriend, Sky, is off in New York learning how to manage hotels and the two face problems, leading to a tear-jerking duet of Knowing Me, Knowing You.
However, like any film filled with bright colorful sets and Abba songs, there is a happy ending. The hotel’s grand opening goes smoothly, Sky surprises Sophie (a scene serenaded by the classic Dancing Queen), and surprise! Sophie’s pregnant!
The film comes to a close with a heartfelt epilogue in the form of a duet between Sophie and the image of her mother at her son’s christening. It’s pretty certain everybody in the theater was sobbing by then.
Overall, Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again is a heartwarming, tear-jerking, feel-good film that is just as iconic as the first film.
