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It could be worse… I could have started this post with something extremely appropriate such as “Mamma Mia, Here I Go Again” or some shit… But I have spared you the need to chuckle graciously, if even that.

So welcome to the Cheese Factory, commonly referred to in the multiplexes as “Mamma Mia! The Musical” Thank God they made that distinction. Phew!!! This film positively REEKS of it (cheese, that is) BUT I am not going to trash it. I have seen the blockbuster musical, I knew what I was getting myself into and well geez, if you know me, I do love me a musical. There are many reasons to go see this film and enjoy it, I had a smile plastered across my face for the duration, as did the rest of the audience from what I could see.

Reasons to go:

ABBA!!! If you love them, hear their music and proceed to hum it for a month straight, this movie is for you. Though the story continues to be patched together, bare minimum storytelling at its finest, it is 85% all about the music. And one must admit, their songs are fun, catchy, sometimes even moving. Always addictive!

Meryl Streep. Without a doubt she takes this material and elevates it way above its merit. She glows through this film. Her performance is funny, touching, and ultimately moving. She sings very well and proves to be surprisingly agile in movement. “The Winner Takes It All” was apparently shot in ONE TAKE and she is bra-zilliant. Completely involving.

The rest of the cast is great! Amanda Seyfried, Christine Baranski, Julie Walters and Colin Firth all deserve special mention. They ooze fun.

What not to expect: Interesting choreography. We are talking high school musical caliber. And no, not the Disney flick. The actual beast, a school play. Not sure what was going on there but maybe they ran out of money and could not afford someone who actually knew what they were doing.

This is pure pop. If you are a hater, do not go. Unless of course you thrive on that desire to hate, in which case go and hate away. There is plenty of eye-rolling to be had here. But I must admit, one of my personalities is definitely a hater and he/she/whatever remained surprisingly dormant throughout the film. It is definitely one of the most fun experiences I have had at the cinema this summer.

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