If you’re a fan of either The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel or its sequel, and/or the original Mamma Mia, chances are you will be enthralled with Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again, which was written and directed by Ol Parker (writer and director of both Marigold Hotel films).
Missing from this film, up until the last 5 minutes, is Meryl Streep, who was the life and breath of the original, cheesy singing, and all.
Fret not though, everyone else from the original returns, including the three possible dads of Sophie, Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgård and Pierce Brosnan. In flashbacks, which comprise about half the movie, they are played by Hugh Skinner, Jake Dylan and Jeremy Irvine, respectively.
Lily James (Cinderella) plays the young Meryl Streep. Two up-and-coming actresses play the characters that are so brilliantly played by both Christine Baranski (Tanya) and Julie Walters (Rosie).
And, yes, Cher, who is only 3 years older than Streep in real life, plays her mother in this new go-round, and simply steals the movie, the 15 or so minutes she is in it.
Is there a point to this Mamma Mia sequel? No. Is it a masterpiece? Hell no.
Does it do its job of being able to entertain you with gorgeous island set locations, ribald dialogue like “Be still my beating vagina”, uttered by an always welcome Baranski, and a multitude of B-side and a few hit ABBA songs? Yes, yes and yes.
