Review of Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (2018) by Kyle M — 14 Aug 2018

Under terms of Broadway musicals, there's an apparent relationship between film and stage with adapting treatment going either way. The most unique spawns are those continuing the story on a different platform rather than the initial starter. We got the eighth chapter of Harry Potter being exclusively written on stage, with denied plans of adapting it on film with the original film actors (yet). Now, marking almost twenty years since the curtains first lifted, the hit musical "Mamma Mia!" continues exclusively on film in "Here We Go Again" - one of those sequels that improved over the first.

The following musical acts as both a sequel and a prequel to the original, providing more contexts behind the characters. Sophie is living in her mother's memory hoping to make her proud from running her villa to expecting her first child, all on her own which worries her if finding herself incapable of doing such. For assurance and supportive pursuit in help and guidance, she looks up to two of her mother's friends, Tanya and Rosie. With the past being reminisced, Sophie learns how much her life parallels to her mother's past, till she faced with an unexpected visit of her estranged grandmother.

The back-and-forth narrative with the present flashbacking to the past has an exquisite balance that actually parallels till both timelines reaches to their climax in one beautiful number before the celebrative finale. Director Ol Parker took a thankful distance from Phyllida Lloyd's chick flick tone into his own sense of united timely sweetness, which is his authorship from his previous known works in both "Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" chapters.

Prior to the reluctant viewing of the film, curiosity was actually piqued on what musical numbers the filmic sequel going to perform, whether they're all new for the film or just replay the songs from the first musical. Regarding the latter, a number of them were performed with a more spirited presentation that improves the initial setting ("Super Trouper" and admittedly "Dancing Queen" to name almost half) - following the old sequel treatment. Then regarding the other numbers to expressively represent the story, this is more of an ABBA film than a "Mamma Mia!" sequel, and the added songs were well picked and gracefully, as well energetically, performed. Although, there were a few being met with lowbrows due to the illogical momentum.

Credit goes to the cast for making the written words, in both story and song lyrics, being fun and lively as ever, especially putting more of a heartening aura along the way. The dynamic of the cast from the first film is like a typical reunion while putting a little more momentum into their performances guising with some sort of excitement from their facial expressions. But the cast that stands out under the main spotlight are those that replicates the older counterparts in the past with fresher charm, particularly Lily James being a younger Meryl Streep.

"Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again" improves the first film by being a more appealing sequel that's more welcoming/inviting with the spirit being more celebrative and heartfelt. It may even be a guilty pleasure for some. (A-).