Quickly Loses Steam and becomes Exhausting to Watch

Rating: 4/10 (19 July 2018)

I'm not opposed to musicals, as long as they are done well, like 'La La Land.' And though I would not call myself a huge fan of ABBA, I do enjoy a handful of their songs, many of which were used in the movie. Still, this is certainly not a movie made for me.
If you love musicals and ABBA and cheesy romances, you'll probably love this movie too. If your tolerance for an absurd storyline and endless decadent musical numbers is low, you should avoid this one.
At first, I didn't have to try-I just liked it. Meryl Streep and Amanda Seyfried exude such bubbly energy and joy that it's all easy to enjoy. The plot is somewhat believable-a soon-to-be-married girl invites three strangers to her wedding, anyone of whom may be her father. She hopes to meet her father and have him walk her down the aisle. Her mother, who hasn't seen any of the men in 20 years, has no idea what her daughter has planned.
One thing leads to the next, and one song leads to the next, and try as I did, I couldn't manage to keep liking the movie. The whimsy wears thin before long. Eventually, it all builds to a ridiculous bit of inconceivable nonsense. Then more reckless decisions are made and celebrated. The next sound you'll hear isn't music. It's the slap of countless palms hitting foreheads throughout the audience.
Even before the troublesome ending, the movie just runs out of steam. Then it carries on for another hour. Evidently, it's difficult to construct a cohesive and compelling movie plot around a bunch of ABBA songs (no kidding!). And to anyone who isn't an ABBA superfan, the songs become exhausting. Song plugs feel forced, and actual non-song-related conversations disappear, as does any hope that the downhill slide can be stopped.
What else is there to say? The beautiful island and mostly charming characters are not enough to overcome the weak and absurd plot.