And this was a hit Broadway play?

Rating: 2/10 (22 July 2008)

I can't believe I watched the entire movie. If my friend hadn't bought my ticket I think I would have left the theater half way through the movie. The plot line was rather simplistic, character development nearly non-existent, and the emotion was forced.The inner workings of the characters' minds is only scratched at and viewers are left to fill in the blanks. As far as singing is concerned I think I heard better vocals with more emotional depth in Moulin Rouge or Hairspray. Also the integration of the songs was not seamless. It felt like the actors were told at certain points to break from the film reality, do a song number,and then resume. And the fact that the chorus kept popping up out of nowhere to join in the songs was distracting and a little creepy. In a well done musical the songs seem to evolve effortlessly from the moment. Not so in this movie. The film is silly and yet I rarely laughed. If a film is going to be silly I at least expect some gut busting laughs. Didn't happen. There were two tender moments in the film, Donna's song to Sophia as she helps her prepare for the wedding and Donna singing "Winner Takes All". On the bright side the colors were dazzling and the scenery was beautiful. Also the Dynamos were quite humorous especially with their performance of "Dancing Queen". Never having seen the play I assume, because it is a hit, that the stage production is better. But I have no interest in seeing the movie again.