'Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again' Review

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again fluctuates between the lives of Donna circa 1979 and her daughter Sophie in the present day to intertwine two tales and show how relationships formed in the past resonate in the present. Determined to live out her mother's dream, Sophie prepares for the grand re-opening of her hotel the Bella Donna with the guidance of her mother's friends. As she becomes overwhelmed by the daunting tasks, Sophie learns more about Donna's past as she discovers how she ran the hotel, met each of Sophie's dads, and raised a baby all on her own.

Written and directed by Ol Parker, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again is a prequel/sequel to the decade-old jukebox musical motion-picture, Mamma Mia!. Story writing credits go to Parker, Richard Curtis, and Catherine Johnson (a writer/producer on the first film), but I noticed Here We Go Again's storytelling structure seems to have been inspired by The Godfather Part II. The film cuts between timelines on a dime which occasionally allows for some creative transitions, but there were also several switches that were just jarring, unnecessary, and awkward in execution. This decision to split the screentime between these two storylines is an interesting one, but ultimately the fractured focus holds each narrative from reaching its full potential. The audience is then left with a half-baked musical memoir. 

I'm sure some of you are already upset that I'd dare critique the plot of a musical because "that's not the point," but I can rattle off plenty of marvelous movie musicals with both a quality story and incredible music. La La Land, Sing Street, Into The Woods, Les Misérables, Enchanted, West Side Story, Phantom of the Opera, Oliver!, Singing' in the Rain, The Sound of Music, The Wizard of Oz, and most Disney productions. I could go on, but I won't for the sake of length. I'm actually getting war flashbacks to December when I was unimpressed with The Greatest Showman and am already aware this will likely be a contested review as well, but I don't really care because I feel like I need to share my genuine opinion on things rather than conform to what others deem to be appropriate. There's not really a way around it... Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again is a lackluster sequel and mediocre musical in nearly every way imaginable.

As I've already addressed, the story's stretched thin by the decision to tell a story on two fronts. There's somehow even less of a plot holding this thing together than the first film, no regard for continuity, and some baffling choices were made as to how to best progress the series (I presume there will be an unnecessary third installment as well). While I certainly enjoyed the first two-thirds for the most part due to some energetic, entertaining musical numbers, the third act lost all momentum and dragged so much. It was only an hour and fifty four minutes, but towards the end I kept thinking to myself "when is this going to end?..." It seriously felt like I was watching a three hour film because the energy and sense of pacing completely disappeared. At that point, it was torturous to say the least... but I'll get to that momentarily... Just be patient and remember that this is coming from someone who LIKES musicals... 

One story element that was handled quite distastefully was Donna's trio of romantic entanglements. Here We Go Again was already put in a tough spot when it decided to depict this because the first film dictated that these encounters happened within quick succession of one another. Otherwise, Donna would have immediately known who Sophie's father was. However, Donna basically slept with each guy after a quick musical number and you didn't really buy the chemistry between the actors because everything happened so fast... Next thing you know, she's moved on. There didn't seem to be much effort being made to flesh out the relationships whatsoever. To me, it really painted Donna in a bad light and I wish I could have bought into the bonds being formed between Donna and the three men. 

If Here We Go Again got one thing right though, it was casting Lily James as a young Donna. Between this, Cinderella (2015), and Baby Driver, James has proven herself to be a captivating, charismatic screen presence and I'd love to see her as a female lead in more musicals. She has the looks, an exceptional singing voice, and a genuinely uplifting aura. She wound up being a great stand-in for Meryl Streep in a weird way as well, but more on that in a moment...

Alongside Lily as younger versions of characters from the first film are Jessica Keenan Wynn, Alexa Davies, Jeremy Irvine, Josh Dylan, and Hugh Skinner. They play young Tanya, Rosie, Sam, Bill, and Harry respectively, but each actor did an excellent job channeling the persona and mannerisms of the older actor while making the role their own.

Meanwhile, returning cast members Amanda Seyfried, Christine Baranski, Julie Walters, Pierce Brosnan, Stellan Skarsgård, Colin Firth, and Dominic Cooper do a swell job reprising their respective roles. None of them are really given any substantial material outside of Seyfried, but their presence definitely won't go unnoticed either.

You can't really write a review of a film which stars Meryl Streep without addressing her whatsoever, and I've gotta say she was is in like two scenes at most. There really wasn't much of a legitimate reason for her conspicuous absence either... The actress is still alive, so you think a film banking on her name would want to make the most of her, but they really wasted her to be completely honest. I'm guessing it was to keep the budget down because I presume she commands a big paycheck and they didn't want to pay her an unreasonable amount. 

I try not to be overly negative, but there's no polite way to get around the fact that Cher sounded god-awful in this. Like I'm pretty positive my ears got some form of cancer after listening to her... I was baffled at how such a beloved pop singer could sound so terrible. I guess it makes sense that she's basically a has-been now... To make matters worse, her role had absolutely no bearing on the plot and was clearly written with the intention of shoe-horning a cameo appearance for Cher. My entire family agreed that she sounded terrible, so it wasn't just me either. 

To put it simply, Here We Go Again is a disappointing follow-up to a feel-good musical. There are some bright spots, but not even more ABBA could save this thing from its sealed fate as an inferior sequel. I realize it's called Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, but Mamma Mia! Let's Please Never Do This Again would have been a more fitting title. 

Film Assessment: C+

Throwback Thursday Review: 'Mamma Mia!'

Sorry for the slight delay, but I decided to share two Throwback Thursday Reviews this week since there are two major sequels being released this weekend. I've also decided to go ahead and share the post recapping my best and worst films of the year so far on Sunday regardless of whether I finish watching the films I missed out on or not. Later this weekend, you can expect my Throwback Thursday Review of The Equalizer as well as my reviews of Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, The Equalizer 2, and You Were Never Really Here. Next week, I aim to review Teen Titans Go! To The Movies and complete my Mission: Impossible series of reviews with reviews for Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation, and the upcoming Mission: Impossible - Fallout.

'Mamma Mia!' Review

Mamma Mia! follows an independent, single hotel owner in the Greek islands as she prepares for her daughter's wedding with the help of her two old friends. Meanwhile, the spirited bride-to-be secretly invites three men from her mother's past in hopes of finding her real father and having him escort her down the aisle on her big day.

Based on a 1999 stage musical, Mamma Mia! is a jukebox movie musical directed by Phyllinda Lloyd and written by Catherine Johnson which revolves almost entirely around songs from the renowned pop group ABBA. I'd previously seen bits and pieces of Mamma Mia! in passing (largely because my youngest sister is OBSESSED with it), but this was my first time to watch it from start-to-finish. As a fan of musicals, I went in hoping to at least be charmed by the renditions of ABBA's delightfully catchy show tunes, but that of course proved to be an inevitable outcome.

Given the irresistibly upbeat nature of their music, it's difficult not to be won over by this whimsical musical in a matter of minutes. It's silly for sure, but in an endearing way. There's a peppiness that permeates from the ensemble and their insatiable delight at the opportunity to groove to ABBA. On that note, it's remarkable how coherent the plot turned out when you consider that it essentially just stitched several ABBA songs together to tell a story.

With that being said, it's an interesting premise that runs out of steam from a narrative perspective. The mystery of which man is Sophie's father is quite compelling, but that gets thrown out the window towards the end and my interest began to wane as a result. At that point, the music is no longer driven by the story and all the song-and-dance numbers turn into surface level celebration. It may be pure, harmless fun, but it suddenly becomes devoid of any substance.  

Otherwise, the lighting was wildly inconsistent between shots and it drove me absolutely insane... I wish Lloyd and her cinematographer Haris Zambarloukos had simply settled on a constant aesthetic. I will however concede that the choreography was flashy and well-done, the island made for an effective luscious backdrop, and the ADR and sound mix were fairly decent. The singing from the cast also wasn't half-bad either, ranging from mediocre-to-pretty good. 

The all-star ensemble amassed are really the film's saving grace though. Meryl Streep and Amanda Seyfried sell their mother-daughter dynamic and are able to service the script as best they can. Christine Baranski and Julie Walters are scene stealers as Donna's homegirls while Dominic Cooper is stuck on the sidelines as Sophie's choice fiancé.

Lastly, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, and Stellan Skarsgård lend their respective personalities to Sophie's prospective fathers and are a hoot to watch. Brosnan was panned by critics for his singing abilities, but I actually don't think he was THAT bad... He at least matched pitch, so he was nowhere near being one of the worst singers I've ever heard or anything... His singing voice was just alright. Firth and Skarsgård both sung pretty well though. 

As far as feel-good musicals go, Mamma Mia! hits that sweet spot between being totally ridiculous and obnoxiously overbearing. Certainly not one of my favorite movie musicals, but a worthwhile watch nevertheless!

Film Assessment: B

Throwback Thursday Review: 'Fantastic Mr. Fox'

I haven't published Throwback Thursday Reviews these past two weeks for varying reasons, but I have a few exciting updates to share regarding my blog and I'm now back on track to review Fantastic Mr. Fox ahead of Wes Anderson's new stop motion film coming later this month, Isle of Dogs. In regards to late reviews, I watched Blade the other day so that particular Throwback Thursday Review will be coming as soon as I finish writing it. However, I've decided to remove all other delayed reviews from my schedule to free up space. I promise I'll get them eventually at a more appropriate time when they're more relevant (ie. review It (1990) when the It sequel comes out, etc.). If you want to know what you should expect to see from me this month, I plan on publishing Throwback Thursday Reviews of A Wrinkle in Time (2004), Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, Pacific Rim, and Jurassic Park, new reviews of A Wrinkle in Time (2018), Tomb Raider, Pacific Rim: Uprising, Isle of Dogs, and Ready Player One along with a couple more Star Wars Speculation posts and some Academy Awards coverage this weekend.

Meanwhile, it's also worth mentioning that I'm in the process of updating the format of my "Movie Review" page and I've added an area where you can sign up for email updates. For those confused what that first part means, I have an area that's intended to ease navigation around my blog. On the side, there's a series of tabs that will direct you to pages and I'm currently modifying those pages to be more user-friendly. Now, you'll be directed to the respective review if you click on any of the banner images with my score and watermarked logo on them. Then if you'd like to subscribe to the email list, just go over to the side tabs and you'll find an area entitled "Follow by Email." Just enter in your preferred email address and press "Submit" to be added to the list and I believe you'll be notified via email anytime I publish something.

'Fantastic Mr. Fox' Review

Nominated For: Best Animated Feature and Best Original Score.

Twelve fox-years (two human-years) after settling down to start a family, Mr. Fox grows tired of his idyllic lifestyle and yearns to satisfy his animalistic urge of raiding farms. Unaware of the consequences, he seizes his ideal opportunity upon moving near the triple farms of Boggis, Bunce, and Bean. However, the tenacious farmers unexpectedly retaliate to his schemes so Mr. Fox, his family, and the surrounding animal community are forced deep underground where they must amass their cunning wits and instinctual gifts to emerge victorious against the shrewd farmers.

Fantastic Mr. Fox is a feature length stop-motion animated film based on Roald Dahl's famous children's book, which is directed by Wes Anderson and features a screenplay cowritten by Anderson and Noah Baumbach. If you're familiar with Anderson's work, you know what you're in for whenever you see a Wes Anderson production. Anderson's established himself in the industry as a filmmaker with an especially specific style, and it's almost impossible to deny that his approach to making movies is entirely unique. In this case, Anderson actually adapted Dahl's book in such spectacular fashion that he managed to marry his own unique sensibilities as a filmmaker with the spirit of Dahl's source material to the degree you'll believe the union was always meant to be.

 

As a brief aside, I was initially introduced to Wes Anderson through Fantastic Mr. Fox probably seven or eight years ago and I've been drawn to his work ever since! While I haven't explored his filmography extensively, I absolutely adore Moonrise Kingdom, The Grand Budapest Hotel, and can't wait to see Isle of Dogs in a few weeks! I'm quite captivated by Wes Anderson's flicks because they're characteristically quirky, colorful, and obsessively symmetrical with a good bit of wry, witty humor to spare. Seeing as Fantastic Mr. Fox was accomplished with the approach of stop-motion animation, the project seemed a perfect match for Anderson's eccentric artistry. 

Stop-motion has to be painstakingly precise if the models are to move with an authentic fluidity when it's all said and done, and I can even speak from personal experience as I dabbled with the medium when I was younger. Which is why I believe Anderson's OCD-like tendencies made him an appropriate artist to tackle this story through this technique. Credit should definitely also be bestowed to the animators for meticulously managing to position the puppets so their movements look genuine and lifelike and, of course, the intricate production design from Nelson Lowry is a nice touch!

Fantastic Mr. Fox isn't just a well-crafted work of stop-motion though... Anderson and Baumbach craftily convey Dahl's story as an exciting, outlandish animal adventure that's energized by a happy-go-lucky soundtrack and supplemental set of cheery compositions from Alexandre Desplat. However, one of the film's most attributed traits is its sharp, hysterical delivery of deadpan dialogue and the imaginative use of farcical situations for amusing interplay. 

As for the illustrious ensemble, Fantastic Mr. Fox features the likes of George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Jason Schwartzman, Eric Chase Anderson (Wes' brother), Wallace Wolodarsky, Bill Murray, Michael Gambon, Willem Dafoe, Owen Wilson, and Wes Anderson himself in the varying voice roles of assorted animals and heinous human farmers respectively. Each cast member explores the intricacies of their character in enough of an interesting, unique way that they all stick with you once it's all over. With that being said, Clooney slyly steals the show in a fittingly foxy fashion.

There are many words I could use to describe Fantastic Mr. Fox, but I believe the title hits the nail on the head with the word "fantastic." If you have not experienced this film or any of the entertaining antics of Wes Anderson, I strongly encourage you to dig deep into his filmography where you'll be met by a delightful array of equally excellent films.

Film Assessment: A+

'The Post' Review

While The Post won't expand nationwide till January 12th, I was fortunate enough to see an early screening during my fall internship, so I'm granting readers early insight into the film as a reward for your patience with my delayed reviews.

'The Post' Review

Nominated For: Best Picture and Best Actress; Meryl Streep.

The Post reports the true story of the widespread Pentagon Papers leak by American press. When portions of Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara's commissioned 1967 report on the Vietnam War are leaked and published in an expose by The New York Times, President Nixon and the US Government impose a court injunction to prevent the Times from publishing any further. The first female newspaper publisher, Katharine Graham, is then faced with an impossible alternative; join the fight to protect the first amendment by publishing the report in her own paper, The Washington Post, or stand by and allow the government censorship to continue.

The Post is directed by Steven Spielberg, who I consider to be one of the most talented and influential filmmakers that ever lived, and marks Spielberg's first collaboration with the pair of esteemed actors, Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep. Hanks and Spielberg have frequently collaborated on a number of projects (including Saving Private Ryan, Catch Me If You Can, and Bridge Of Spies to name a few), but this is the first time either have worked with Streep. Due to the pedigree of those involved and the simple fact that Spielberg-directed films don't come around too often, The Post naturally rose towards the top of my most anticipated awards contenders. 

I recall that the project came together quite quickly after President Trump's inauguration as Spielberg, Hanks, and Streep all seemingly signed on immediately afterwards because of the film's remarkable relevance to Trump's distrust of mainstream media. While I won't engage in a discussion over those semantics in this review, I can say the parallels between Nixon and Trump's administrations are abundant and clear so I can't wait to read the tweets it will incur from our nation's leader. Due to the startling similarities and caliber of the project, I'm fairly certain that The Post will emerge a very viable awards frontrunner for Best Picture at the very least. 

Now that the elephant in the room has been addressed, I can confirm this film is as masterfully made as any other movie on Spielberg's résumé. Everything from the editing and cinematography to the production and costume design feel finely tuned by an experienced artist, so you're absolutely certain that you're watching a film from Spielberg. Longtime collaborator and celebrated composer John Williams also scores The Post, and while I wouldn't place it among Williams' more iconic work, the score never slouches to sounding mundane or average. 

The attributed screenwriters behind The Post are Liz Hannah and Josh Singer. Oddly enough, Singer cowrote another newspaper-driven awards contender two years ago, Spotlight. Despite the fact that Spotlight and The Post are both largely set in a newsroom and touch on publishing controversial content, Hannah and Singer approach the vastly different subject matter from a different angle. Where Spotlight largely focused on investigative journalism, The Post has more to do with the intricacies of publication, freedom of the press, and gender bias in the workplace.

The Post tackles this subject matter appropriately and intelligently by offering an objective look into both sides of the controversial choice presented to Katharine Graham. In spite of the film's clear slant against censorship of the press, Spielberg doesn't forget to stress the detriments of publishing classified documents. Those surrounding Graham naturally have differing stances on the issue, and Spielberg ensures everyone's opinion is rightfully presented in a fair, balanced manner, so when all is said-and-done, The Post runs a story that incorporates every outlook on the topic.

One touch that I really appreciated was how The Post constantly deviated from convention. When the paper's inevitably brought to court, Spielberg doesn't mull over every intricate detail of the court proceedings or overdramatize the entire court case. Instead, he focuses on the outcome and reasoning behind it, because that's what really matters. 

As for performances, Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks are without a doubt two of the greatest actors working today, so of course their acting is astounding. However, I'd daresay that Streep offers a genuine, humane performance as Katharine Graham that will remind you why she has 20 Oscar nominations to her name. Streep's work here may just be her best performance given in years and is unlike anything I've seen from her to date. Matching her beat-for-beat, Hanks imbues Ben Bradlee with his trademark charm and an underlying eagerness while exhibiting his own exceptional acting abilities. All the while, the supporting ensemble consisting of Sarah Paulson, Bob Odenkirk, Tracy Letts, Bradley Whitford, Bruce Greenwood, Matthew Rhys provide a rock solid foundation for Spielberg to work with.

All things considered, I wouldn't publicize The Post with the headline of being the best film of the year or even declare it to stand near the peak of Spielberg's remarkable and robust résumé. Nevertheless, The Post is a feature deserving of wide circulation for the mature and measured context it brings to an important, timely subject matter.

Film Assessment: A-

'Florence Foster Jenkins' Review

Nominated For: Best Actress; Meryl Streep and Best Costume Design.

On occasion, there are fascinating stories buried within history about real life individuals and the events depicted in Florence Foster Jenkins certainly qualified as interesting. Florence Foster Jenkins is a bio-pic (biographical picture) depicting the real life Florence Foster Jenkins and the events surrounding her 1944 performance in Carnegie Hall which managed to sell out in only two hours, an astounding feat considering Jenkins couldn't sing worth a lick. 

Director Stephen Frears and screenwriter Nicholas Martin find the tricky balance of ridicule and acceptance in Jenkins' shrill rancid voice by wielding it in moments of levity and commiseration. Martin utilizes it to it's full capacity to impart messages of acceptance, support, and the importance of music. 

Meryl Streep champions these themes through her excellent portrayal of the pompous and inspired Jenkins. Streep can obviously sing, as evidenced in Mamma Mia! and Into The Woods, but manages to throw that all out the window with many shrill ballads. Streep does this well by not forcibly extracting a tone-deaf voice for comedic effect but playing the role as specified, merely a woman lacking musical talents. 

Hugh Grant is granted the more complex character though (Pun intended). Grant's depiction of St. Clair Bayfield is conflicted, as it should be considering he has rivaling affections for his wife Jenkins and mistress Kathleen, and this conflict is the driving force of the narrative allowing for interesting drama behind the scenes. 

The Big Bang Theory's Simon Helberg brings a dorkishly delightful persona to Jenkins' uneasy accompanist Cosme McMoon. Helberg accounts for most of the comedic bits through his unsettling demeanor as he hears Jenkins sing for the first time. Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation's Rebecca Ferguson plays Kathleen in a supporting capacity and her screen time is limited, but vital. 

Florence Foster Jenkins is a sweet feel-good movie that probably won't garner much Oscar buzz but will at least bring a smile to your face as you witness the fierce devotion these characters have for music and in some cases one other.

Film Assessment: C

'Into The Woods' Review

Nominated for: Best Supporting Actress; Meryl Strep, Best Costume Design, and Best Production Design.

I went to go see Into the Woods and rather enjoyed the twisted versions of many popular fairy tales! I really enjoyed the music from the show and the singing was great as well! I was very surprised with Chris Pine because I didn't expect him to be able to sing as well as he did. There were many great performances but the standouts were James Corden, Emily Blunt, Meryl Streep, and Anna Kendrick. I enjoyed each of the scenes between James Corden and Emily Blunt and any scene Meryl Streep was in as well. The film has a good amount of humor in it as well that I was surprised by due to the way the film was advertised. Also if you are going because you are interested in Johnny Depp's performance, be aware that Johnny Depp doesn't have very much screen time. Overall, I really enjoyed the film and the music in the film as well and recommend that you go and see it if you are interested in musical theatre at all or are a fan of the Into the Woods broadway musical.