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Different people may have different reasons and levels of expectations for going to see Mamma Mia . There are those who were ABBA fans or just from that era and want to hear the songs again and see how they will be portrayed in a feature film musical. There are those who have seen the Broadway production and want to see the film adaptation in order to compare the two. There are those who may like the star list actors and are interested to see how they sing and perform in a musical. And there are those who may not know what they are getting themselves into and are just curious about all the hype-I was one of these people and to my surprise and delight I really enjoyed myself.

I’ve seen several Broadway musicals and I grew up watching all the classic musical movies with my mom, therefore I’ve never found them to be cheesy and silly as many people of my generation, but I couldn’t help but think these same thoughts when I began watching Mamma Mia. Now your probably wondering, ‘but wait I thought you said this was an enjoyable film?’ Well as the film progressed it occurred to me as though the film was playing with the conventions of the musical and almost knowingly and respectfully making fun of musicals in order to provide pure entertainment, which is the musical’s primary goal.

Once I began viewing the film with this new frame of mind I thoroughly enjoyed the rest of the film. With such comical moments as when the characters Sophie and Sky sing about their love for one another on the beach and are interrupted by a gang of bachelors rising out of the ocean to steal Sky away for his bachelor party. Also, praise must be given to Christine Baranski as Tanya and Julie Walters as Rosie, Donna’s best friends and two ex-back-up singers of Donna and the Dynamos, for their endless humor they provided throughout the film. Their characters helped bring Donna back to her wild days of the 70s and their crazy one piece sequined jump suits. I especially liked their performance of “Dancing Queen.”

Besides my curiosity caused by the hype of the Broadway production and anticipation for this film, I was also curious about the performances from the well known actors. Meryl Streep gave an impressive performance, as she always does, completely taking over the part and presented a believable character as a caring single mother with a wild past. Her singing performances are also one to take note of; especially her heartfelt duet with Amanda Seyfried (Sophie) “Slipping Through My Fingers” followed by her powerful solo “The Winner Takes It All”, both brought a few tears to my eyes. There was a believable chemistry between the characters of mother and daughter Sophie and Donna as they dealt with their conflicting feelings of cherishing the memories they’ve shared and letting go to live separately, pursuing their own separate dreams.

I was very intrigued to see Pierce Brosnan, who I associate so strongly as James Bond, sing and dance in a musical. After I got over the initial weirdness of seeing James Bond singing, I was pulled more into the story and his character and was able to acknowledge his charming singing voice. It was more than what I would have expected from Brosnan and I was pleased. I didn’t know what to expect of Colin Firth but without knowing the story line of Mamma Mia I was really in for a surprise with the turn that his character takes near the end of the film. I don’t want to include any spoilers so I’ll just say it’s a hilariously entertaining surprise and a surprisingly hilarious performance by Firth.

Mamma Mia is a film that is meant to make you laugh, sing, and just have a grand time. It’s a musical that isn’t meant to be taken too seriously but at the same time can cause some tears with its heartfelt moments too. If you are looking for a film to see as mother and daughter or for a fun night with a group of girlfriends Mamma Mia is your best bet.

-Shavon Keller

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