Movie Review: Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again

LET'S NOT get too fussy about this musical.
The first movie, Mamma Mia! (2008), was good old-fashioned campy fun, and let's just say the sequel (and prequel) is also good fun – especially if you are a fan of Swedish pop group Abba.
Some songs are rehashed such as Mamma Mia, Knowing Me Knowing You, I Have a Dream, and of course, Dancing Queen.
But there are also more songs that were not used in the first movie such as Fernando, When I Kissed the Teacher, Andante Andante, and My Love My Life.
No doubt some of these songs are not as well known as others in Abba's repertoire that were written by Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus, but they suited the scenes they were featured in.
The story begins with Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) about to have a grand re-opening of Bella Donna, the hotel her late mother, Donna (Meryl Streep), ran in the first movie.
With some help from one of her dads, Sam (Pierce Brosnan, who thankfully doesn't do much singing here) and her hotel manager, the charming Fernando Cienfuegos (Andy Garcia), Sophie is expecting it to be a success.
However, her other two dads, Bill (Stellan Skarsgard) and Harry (Colin Firth), as well as boyfriend Sky (Dominic Cooper) will not be able to attend the reopening.
Nonetheless, Donna's best pals Tanya (Christine Baranski) and Rosie (Julie Waters) are there to rev things up.
As we watch Sophie struggling with the ups and downs of preparing for the grand reopening, the story flashes back to the past with a young Donna (Lily James) graduating from college with her buddies Tanya (Jessica Keenan Wynn) and Rosie (Alexa Davis).
The prequel continues with Donna setting off on an adventure that took her to the Greek island she eventually called home, how she met a young Sam, Bill and Harry (played by Jeremy Irvine, Josh Dylan and Hugh Skinner respectively, who all thankfully can sing) and being a single mother to Sophie.
No doubt some parts can be draggy but the best bits take place in the past and it helps that James is a very good singer.
Cher's appearance towards the end is expected and she delivers.
This is one of those movies where you have to suspend belief for a while and just enjoy the ride.
Some movies are just not meant to be taken seriously.