Mamma Mia! Fun Factor Prevails Over Brain Cells

Rating: 8/10 (29 May 2011)

I'm a sucker for movie musicals. "Grease" got me started, and from then forth, I was hooked. There have been some great movie musicals(i.e. "Rent," "Fiddler on the Roof," and "Chicago"), and there have been some bad ones("A Chorus Line," "Mame," and "The Wiz"). "Mamma Mia" is a very popular show on Broadway, thanks to the classic ABBA soundtrack. So, it was inevitable that it would get the big screen treatment. So, how does the movie version work out?
Sophie travels to her mother Donna's beautiful island to get married. The plans are set, and the invitations have been sent out. But Sophie's idea of a complete dream wedding is to have her father give her away, and she has never met her real father. Therefore, she invites three men to the wedding, one of them being her birth father. Donna has no clue that Sophie took such actions, and when she finds out, the plans for the wedding spiral out of control.
Okay. I have no problem saying this. "Mamma Mia" is certainly not the best movie musical. However, compared with the likes of "A Chorus Line"(complete laziness) or "The Wiz"(all style but no substance or acting talent), it's actually quite good.
Growing up, my mom loved ABBA music, and still does. So it's safe to say that the die-hard ABBA fans have met their match with "Mamma Mia" I have been rather neutral about ABBA, not all for them or against them. But in the end, I do enjoy some of their songs, and overall, the "Mamma Mia" soundtrack is irresistible. No matter how they are sung in the film, they are extremely catchy.
A really good movie musical is able to balance a good plot with its songs. Unfortunately, this film's storyline is a little weak. However, the reason "Mamma Mia" works is not because of the story, but because of the nostalgia and shamelessness of the film. Director Phyllida Lloyd(who also directed the stage production) never apologizes for the film's energy, even if she isn't the best film director. "Mamma Mia" is so cheesy, you can't help but smile.
Now, it all comes down to the cast. "Mamma Mia" has an unapologetically odd cast of characters. They don't have the greatest, most Broadway-style voices in the world(don't get me started on Pierce Brosnan), but who cares? It's a musical! The true star of the movie (although everyone gives it their all and does well) is Meryl Streep. Seeing her in "Mamma Mia" surprised me. For all of the amazing performances in her career, she abandons the accent and sings. And man, she has a voice! With such highlights as "Money, Money, Money" and "The Winner Takes It All," Streep is a showstopper. Of course, no one is getting Oscars for this, but their happiness and energy vibrate off of the screen and on to us. Their emotion is infectious, and therefore, the cast of "Mamma Mia" is lovably weird.
No thanks to the critics and the expectations of common movie-going perfectionists, the film has been taken too seriously and has been disliked by many, despite the major B.O. income. But the movie isn't meant to be taken seriously. The point of some movie musicals is to just have fun. What you see is what you get. And this is where I say screw the critics! "Mamma Mia" is like an enjoyable night at a karaoke bar. Leave your brain cells at the door, and enjoy yourself.