Good fun, but definitely more theatrical than cinematic

Rating: 8/10 (13 July 2008)

I was much looking forward to seeing this film. I am a lifelong ABBA fan, but despite being a Londoner now I have avoided seeing the West End musical on which this film is based, because of the extortionate ticket prices. A cinema ticket, I surmised, would be much cheaper, and indeed it was.
It's a simple enough story with Sophie (Amanda Seyfried), a young girl who lives on a Greek Island with her mum Donna (Meryl Streep) who is about to get married. Trouble is she doesn't know who her father is, and a quick rifle through her mum's diary brings in three possible suspects: Sam Carmicheal (Pierce Brosnan), Bill Anderson (Stellan Skarsgard) and Harry Bright (Colin Firth). To her mum's dismay, she invites them all to her wedding to find out which one it is...
Loads of fun on offer here, with the campness of all these name actors belting out ABBA songs, some of them rather badly. Doesn't really matter in the end, though, it's all good fun and the scenic backdrop of the Greek Islands is superb. The only weakness is the whiff of theatricality about it all, despite some fancy camera tricks.
Still, recommended for ABBA fans, cheaper than going to see the show and is decent night out over all. Make sure you see it with a big audience, though, as that's exactly what this kind of film demands.