Film Review
Mama Mia!
Cast: Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgård, Julie Walters, Dominic Cooper, Amanda Seyfried, Christine Baranski
Genre: Musical/Family
Runtime: 108 mins
Release Date:18 July 2008 

Reviewed By: Monika Wierzbicki (Vancouver Correspondent - Canada) 

Even if you are not a big fan of ABBA, even if you don't know all the songs off by heart I am still going to recommend Mamma Mia! to you. And here is why, have you ever heard James Bond sing karaoke? Well I have and it is hysterical! Go see this movie if for no other reason than to see super suave Pierce Brosnan shaking his booty and belting out S.O.S. in a performance that will drive you to tears (of laughter) before it completely charms you.

All of that aside though, the movie is an upbeat, tousled, and thoroughly enjoyable affair. It is much like the ABBA songs featured in the film, colourful, bouncy, and a lot of fun. While it seems occasionally a little cluttered with a bit of a thin plot all can be forgave in this movie as soon as the music starts. The plot which hardly matters amongst the frolicking cast and fabulous ABBA tunes, tells the story of Sophie who days before her wedding discovers the existence of three possible fathers and decides to invite them all, naturally high-jinx ensues. The identity of Sophie's real father much like the specifics of the plot is ultimately unimportant as the main focus of the movie is the music and there is more than enough of it to satisfy die hard fans and newcomers alike. You get to hear everything from "Super Trooper," to "Dancing Queen" all the way through to the title song itself "Mamma Mia!"

While watching Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, and Stellan Skarsgård manfully trying to sing their way through some of these songs (and by the way "SOS" really does take the cake for hysterical campy fun) it is Meryl Streep as Sophie's mom, Donna who really sparkles in this movie. Along with her other super powers the versatile actress can also sing and in this film she is quite simply fabulous. She breezes her way through the songs with an exuberant energy that is just lovely to watch. Show stealing and hysterically funny as well as my personal favorites were The Dynamos, Donna's old girlfriends who come for the wedding. Played by Christine Baranski and Julie Walters, they had me and the other girls I saw the movie with laughing the whole way through. Their giddy uninhibited performances as well as the glimpse they gave me of my best friends in 30 or so years made The Dynamos the movie favorites.  

At turns bawdy, hilarious and a little sweet The Dynamos amp up an already energetic and quick paced movie. So I highly recommend this film for anyone wanting to truly enjoy themselves during a movie this summer, also while I am dispensing advice please do not leave the movie theatre too early if you want to catch one last hurrah from the cast.