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Movies / On DVD / Mamma Mia!
Mamma Mia!

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Mamma Mia! (2008)

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Reviews Counted:169

Fresh:90

Rotten:79

Average Rating:5.5/10

Consensus: This jukebox musical is full of fluffy fun but rough singing voices and a campy tone might not make you feel like "You Can Dance" the whole 90 minutes.

Australian Rating: PG [See Full Rating] Mild sexual references and coarse language

Runtime: 1 hr 49 mins

Genre: Comedies

Australian Theatrical Release:
Jul 10, 2008 Wide

US Box Office: $143,704,210

Synopsis: After its run as a West End hit in London, MAMMA MIA became a Broadway smash when it opened in New York back in 2001. With a story framed around the music of the Swedish pop band Abba, crowds loved... After its run as a West End hit in London, MAMMA MIA became a Broadway smash when it opened in New York back in 2001. With a story framed around the music of the Swedish pop band Abba, crowds loved its raucous, dance party vibe. Now it comes to the silver screen, with some truly delightful performances from the likes of Meryl Streep and Pierce Brosnan. It is the story of Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) a young woman living on a picturesque Greek island with her mother, Donna (Streep.) Together, Donna and Sophie run a ramshackle island inn, and they are in the midst of preparing for Sophie's wedding. As the wedding approaches, Sophie becomes troubled by the fact that she has never known her father. She was the result of one of her mother's summer flings, and her mother has never revealed her father's identity. When Sophie stumbles upon her mother's diary, she learns that there are three possible men who could be her dad. Without telling her mother, she invites all three to her wedding. When Harry (Colin Firth), Sam (Brosnan), and Bill (Stellan Skarsgard) all arrive at the same time, Donna is of course shocked and overwhelmed by seeing her old lovers again after such a long time. She turns to her two best friends, Tanya (Christine Baranaki) and Rosie (Julia Walters), for their support, and vows to just get through the wedding and weekend. Meanwhile, Sophie spends time with each man, determined to learn the truth. Major hijinks and confusion ensues, all amidst the utterly romance scenery, and the rather irresistible, swelling love ballads. Streep has a lovely singing voice, and to watch her throw herself into this whimsical role is truly a delight. She looks like she is having a ball, and it is hard not to shimmy along with her. Baranski reliably delivers an over-the-top showstopper, and Brosnan's tender singing voice makes his character all the more touching. The film strives to be a jubilant celebration of mother/daughter relationships and the love between good friends, and no matter how cheesy some may find Abba, it is hard to resist its many charms. [More]

Starring: Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Amanda Seyfried

Starring: Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Amanda Seyfried, Stellan Skarsgard, Julie Walters, Dominic Cooper, Christine Baranski

Director: Phyllida Lloyd

Director: Phyllida Lloyd
Screenwriter: Catherine Johnson
Producer: Judy Craymer, Gary Goetzman
Composer: Benny Andersson, Bjorn Ulvaeus
Studio: Universal Pictures

[See More Credits]

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Reviews for Mamma Mia!

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1 - 20 (sorted by fresh rating; Australian critics are listed first)
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Perhaps your enjoyment will depend on how much you like the songs (I’m not a huge ABBA fan), but the great thing about this film is its joyousness.

Full Review Source: At the Movies (Australia) | comment 3 Comments
07/18/08
David Stratton
David Stratton
At the Movies (Australia)
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

A film that actually earns the exclamation mark that adorns its title, thanks to the exuberance that Streep and her co-stars bring to the job of reviving the rituals of the movie musical.

Full Review Source: Sydney Morning Herald | comment 2 Comments
07/11/08
Sandra Hall
Sandra Hall
Sydney Morning Herald
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

This joyous frolic propelled and inspired by the timeless music of ABBA is a bit like Grease for the older set, with Meryl Streep and Pierce Brosnan playing the leading roles

Full Review Source: Urban Cinefile | comment Comment
07/05/08
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

ABBA's legacy will stand the test of time far longer than this

Full Review Source: Dark Horizons | comment Comment
09/11/08
Garth Franklin
Garth Franklin
Dark Horizons
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch | comment Comment
10/18/08
St. Louis Post-Dispatch

While it'd be embellishment to say you'd have the time of your life, any dancing queen or an admirer of seeing Pierce Brosnan croon a tune instead of trigger James Bond destruction can at least have some of the time of your 108 minutes.

Full Review Source: HollywoodChicago.com | comment Comment
07/18/08
Adam Fendelman
Adam Fendelman
HollywoodChicago.com

Cute, clean, camp fun, full of sunshine and toe tappers.

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
07/11/08
Angie Errigo
Angie Errigo
Empire Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

I love musicals and I love ABBA, so I was really excited for this movie. I pretty much got what I deserved.

Full Review Source: Sin Magazine | comment 4 Comments
07/21/08
Austin Kennedy
Austin Kennedy
Sin Magazine

Mamma Mia! has an exclamation in its title for a reason: it just wants to shout out its sense of fun. The film is buoyantly unpretentious and proclaims at the top of its voice, "Take me as I am."

Full Review Source: KPBS.org | comment 1 Comment
08/13/08
Beth Accomando
Beth Accomando
KPBS.org

Amanda Seyfried wows us with her lovely voice, and Meryl Streep belts out showstoppers as if she were born to be a musical star.

Full Review Source: ReelTalk Movie Reviews | comment Comment
07/19/08
Betty Jo Tucker
Betty Jo Tucker
ReelTalk Movie Reviews

flash-foiled by motion picture incompetence

Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com | comment 1 Comment
07/17/08
Bill Gibron
Bill Gibron
Filmcritic.com

Mamma Mia! is not going to make you think, nor does it want to. But it will make you sing, as long as Brosnan keeps his mouth shut.

Full Review Source: Arizona Republic | comment Comment
07/17/08
Bill Goodykoontz
Bill Goodykoontz
Arizona Republic

Mamma Mia! works spectacularly despite its best efforts at self-sabotage.

Full Review Source: Colorado Springs Gazette | comment Comment
07/18/08
Brandon Fibbs
Brandon Fibbs
Colorado Springs Gazette

Even were it not the title of one of ABBA's most beloved songs, this might just be the most aptly-titled movie of the year.Because my Mom is gonna loooooooove it.

Full Review Source: AfterElton.com | comment Comment
07/15/08
Brian Juergens
Brian Juergens
AfterElton.com

Watching the film rear back and launch constant fireworks of joy is a wonderful thing to behold, positioning itself as an ideal summer diversion to counteract all the cartoons and superheroes...a heavy dose of syrup, but it stomps proudly and effectively.

Full Review Source: BrianOrndorf.com | comment Comment
07/17/08
Brian Orndorf
Brian Orndorf
BrianOrndorf.com

Lacking the punch or creativity of the stage musical, this sunny, but not very funny adaptation is short on vocal prowess and choreography.

Full Review Source: Spectrum (St. George, Utah) | comment 1 Comment
07/24/08
Bruce Bennett
Bruce Bennett
Spectrum (St. George, Utah)

Giddy, brainless fun.

Full Review Source: St. Paul Pioneer Press | comment Comment
07/18/08
Chris Hewitt (St. Paul)
Chris Hewitt (St. Paul)
St. Paul Pioneer Press

You could spend all week eating bacon at a pig farm and still find more ham in "Mamma Mia!," an irrepressible, unstoppable kaleidoscope of karaoke camp gone berserk that features a cast happily mainlining ABBA's songbook.

Full Review Source: Bangor Daily News (Maine) | comment Comment
07/22/08
Christopher Smith
Christopher Smith
Bangor Daily News (Maine)

Logic is unnecessary to savor Mamma Mia! Escapist and fun, it never takes itself too seriously.

Full Review Source: USA Today | comment Comment
07/17/08
Claudia Puig
Claudia Puig
USA Today
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Once it gets past its high-pitched squeals of estrogen-fueled excitement in the opening sequences, director Phyllida Lloyd's screen adaptation of the popular Broadway play based on Abba songs, settles into a harmonically pleasing comedy set amid the extra

Full Review Source: ColeSmithey.com | comment 1 Comment
07/12/08
Cole Smithey
Cole Smithey
ColeSmithey.com
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by fresh rating; Australian critics are listed first)
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Latest News for Mamma Mia!

February 04, 2009: Exclusive: Inside Pinewood/Shepperton - A Photo Tour
Every year, the BAFTA film awards present a trophy for Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema. Introduced in 1978, the award recognises an organisation or a person's career... More...

January 21, 2009: Razzies Name 2008's Worst Movie Nominees
No awards season would be complete without the Golden Raspberry Awards (AKA The Razzies), awarded each year to the very worst movies to hit Hollywood. This year's winners will... More...

January 07, 2009: People's Choice Awards Winners Announced
The 35th annual People's Choice Awards were handed out on January 7, 2009. A complete list of film nominees, with winners in bold, follows below. More...

December 28, 2008: There's a neat free spirit versus family values message here, about a dad being no big deal when you can have three. Not to mention that family is more about who loves you, than whatever does or doesn't dangle between their legs. Opens in new window
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