Mamma Mia 2 was wonderful!

And still on top of this I'm sure it must have rained.. the day before you came..

Really? It looks terrible. The poster is awful, the clips I've seen look like shit, Meryl is still wearing overalls, and the subtitle is Here We Go Again.

All of this adds up to me wanting a tsunami to wipe out all of the people standing on that dock.

I'm glad you liked it. Having fun with this movie is the only thing that's important; not everything needs to be a thought-provoking art piece. Besides, most critics didn't really shit on it, which seems to be the impression people have right now.

The big numbers are supposed to be good.

We only go to thought-provoking art pieces. The peasants in the hinterlands are the only ones to stomach shit. We won't see it........except the gays.

One fun trashy musical every ten years seems perfectly reasonable to me. I'm sure you stuff yourself with pizza more often than that and that shit is way more detrimental to your brain and overall health.

[quote]Really? It looks terrible.

It actually got pretty positive reviews.

[quote]haven't had pizza in over a decade, bitches

Not jealous. Not envious. And you're the bitch.

I know people talk about the existence of paid shills on here, but I never believed it until I read OP's comment. Really, OP?

Is there a more critical and active thread, r9. I'm looking forward to it, and the reviews are generally very good. Vanity Fair gave it a rave the other day, for what it is. I heard a reviewer live on BBC radio radio saying he was prepared to hate it but was moved to tears at times and very impressed by how it all came together.

One sentiment I keep hearing in reviews is that this kind of fun, silly but sentimentimental escape is exactly what the world needs at this particular moment.

I was only hoping it wouldn't be crap.

I love this type of " entertainment."

Money, Money, Money

People who actually pay money to watch movies like these deserve to get gonorrhea and die a slow and painful death. The same goes for lovers of comic book movies.

Loved the first one, can't wait to see this one

1/2 a WW for r13.

Well, Friday r13, why don't we just wait for a consensus.

How you must revel in your patronizing, judgmental and discriminating tastes.

great

R9 I'm not a shill, I'm simply loved the movie.

R10 Thank you

I’m with you R2. How can anyone have fun when Meryl’s around?

Listen, if the idiot critics can give this tripe a 78% Fresh score, then the idiot OP can like it without being a shill.

It has nothing resembling a story but it's mindless fun as the first one was.

R2 = G

Ugh the overalls.

I like them using some of the less well lknown songs, they are still great. And Julie needs to dye her hair

The original was bad enough. I would rather stick needles in my eyes than see the sequel.

I agree! Another Oscar nom for Mrs. Gummer.

Meryl!

JUST because you can, doesn’t mean you should.

It’s a rule that applies to lots of things in life. Like getting an eyebrow ring as an adult man in 2018. Or ramming your car into idiots who hold up parking garage traffic because they don’t know how to use the ticket machine at the boom gate. This rule also applies to the Mamma Mia sequel.

Cher!

It improved on the original in many ways. The “Dancing Queen” and “Fernando” performances were possibly the gayest moments in all of cinema. You have to enjoy it for the camp it is, with some surprisingly emotional moments sprinkled in. A breakout role for Lily James too - she was great.

THat is absolutely the most terrifying thing I've seen this year, R27.

CHRIST! R29 sounds like a demo. Did this cost more than 4o bucks to film?

Fernando!

Cher looks fat and Andy Garcia's beard looks like an animal clinging to his face. What the fuck is the bizarre coloring?

Rex Reed hated it. HATED IT.

Waterloo

It’s lovely that there exists a movie for elderly folks to see (those still partially mobile). In that demographic of course falls a significent percentage of DL. Lets just hope they can fit innthe seats.

Angel Eyes

I hate how obvious it is that the entire Cher scene was filmed inside a studio - that fake set looks like something out of a 1940's Carmen Miranda musical film. She probably didn't want to fly to Croatia just to film that short scene.

OMG, that Cher number was embarrassing. She looks like a walking, human pair of wax lips and sounds terrible. Andy Garcia should be dying in shame. (Cher has no shame, so that'll never happen.) Now I KNOW OP is a shill.

[R2] - not going to discuss the goodness/badness of the films (haven't seen either one) but one point of order: the subtitle "Here We Go Again" is a play on the second line of the song Mama Mia ("here I go again!"). Not being snarky; just thought I'd answer your question.

[quote]I hate how obvious it is that the entire Cher scene was filmed inside a studio - that fake set looks like something out of a 1940's Carmen Miranda musical film. She probably didn't want to fly to Croatia just to film that short scene.

Mamma Mia 2 was filmed on the Croatian island of Vis in the Adriatic Sea. Cher was there.

[quote]Cher looks fat and Andy Garcia's beard looks like an animal clinging to his face.

Don't be ridiculous. Cher does not look fat. Cher never looks fat. As for Any Garcia's beard, well, maybe.

Rex Reed thought he was going to see 'Citizen Kane.' Alas, it turned out to be just a silly, fun, summer movie.

Cher doesn't look fat. She looks swollen.

[quote] Mamma Mia 2 was filmed on the Croatian island of Vis in the Adriatic Sea. Cher was there.

No, she wasn't - Cher and Meryl were the only principal cast members who didn't do any on-location filming. Meryl was actually supposed to arrive to Vis to film her scenes and they spent quite some time looking for appropriate accommodation for her majesty but in the end the production team realized they can easily film all of her scenes inside a studio so she never went to Croatia.

[quote]I hate how obvious it is that the entire Cher scene was filmed inside a studio - that fake set looks like something out of a 1940's Carmen Miranda musical film. She probably didn't want to fly to Croatia just to film that short scene.

Much of the first movie was filmed on a set -- like just about everything that takes place in and around the villa -- I'm sure the same is true here. It's not just about Cher.

Never underestimate the depths to which the bad taste of Datalounge can reach

Who cares what that bitter queen Rex Reed thinks about anything? After appearing in Myra Breckenridge, he should have retired out of embarrassment.

I'm sure it's as deep as a penny, but Rex Reed is a bitter, vile cunt from hell who hasn't had an orgasm since 1979, and should just shut the fuck up.

I saw it this afternoon. Not high art but a whole lot of fun.

This looks so bad that I will watch it to see how cringeworthy it is.

Only when it's available to download on torrents though.

We are the dancing queens .Young and sweet. Only forty-three!

How can it get any worse than the first one ... which was simply unwatchable

Saw it today.

Much better than La La Land!

[quote]Much better than La La Land!

So are insurance commercials.

[quote]they spent quite some time looking for appropriate accommodation for her majesty but in the end the production team realized they can easily film all of her scenes inside a studio so she never went to Croatia.

Did they send the rest of the cast to her then because Dominic Cooper and one of the producers talked about filming with her. Colin Firth and Pierce Brosnan brought their parents to the set to meet Cher.

[quote] The “Dancing Queen” and “Fernando” performances were possibly the gayest moments in all of cinema.

Woah. Even gayer than Liza's performance in the Sex And The City sequel?

Yesssch, even gayer than me in my sheequined mumu.

Loved it. Cried really in some scenes. Don’t be cynical.

Meryl is not in this movie except for the credits? Lol! Every actor should have bailed the moment they heard she was out.

I doubt Rex Reed has ever had much fun in life.

It was a pile of vapid fluff and I loved every second of it. I loved the original in a "so bad it's good" kind of way, but this one was too infectiously fun to resist. Not every film needs to be Citizen Kane to be good.

Wow, it sure underperformed. Predictions were $42-43m. It came in at $34m.

You know Mamma Mia is not a front loaded sort of film. It builds it box office over many, many weeks.

Except its box office this weekend actually *was* front-loaded. It dropped every day from Friday. Saturday is usually a film's biggest day its three day debut.

And we're not talking about its longevity, we're talking about its box office prediction for this weekend based on its tracking info. The film underperformed based on this weekend's B.O. predictions which were based on tracking.

This film was Meryl’s highest box office premiere ever. It did great.

[quote] This film was Meryl’s highest box office premiere ever. It did great.

If you look at adjusted gross, Mamma Mia did better.

Just saw it. The first half is an absolute mess but the other half is great. The casting is all over the place. Jeremy Irvine looks much more like a young Ethan Hawke than a young Pierce Brosnan. The girl playing young Julie Walters is terrific but she has stunning blue eyes and Walters has dark eyes. The girl playing young Christine Baranski is adorable but nowhere near as tall. The old lady in the Greek bar was hilarious. Cher looked ridiculous. Better eye candy in general this time with the hideous Pepper nowhere in sight.

The singing on average is better in the sequel.

Thank God they kept Pierce Brosnan’s singing to a minimum.

Cher always looks ridiculous. That's the point.

Loved it and Cher looked amazing, R68 needs glasses.

My eyesights perfectly swell, R72, but thanks for your concern. Cher looks like she was embalmed in formaldehyde before being escorted to the soundstage to work those shots.

Bullshit

For 72 she looks amazing as did Andy Garcia

[quote]For 72 she [Cher] looks amazing

I was sometimes not thrilled with all her surgery, but she does look good these days and she has been all over the place, moving around quite well, promoting the film. She looked great in those interviews, and good for her.

There are lots of good pics of Cher on vacation now. She really does look good, other than her lips. It's weird, because her friend Loree Rodkin did the same thing.

Except Meryl isn’t in the movie, R66, so it can’t be counted. No, singing for twenty seconds in the credits doesn’t count.

I loved it. It's just a good, campy time. The three young guys are nice to look at. Plus they kept Pierce's singing to a minimum. On the album, he and Amanda sing the next verse of "Knowing Me Knowing You". Thankfully, they cut it from the film.

R78, either you’re being a contrarian or you’re lying. Meryl is in the last ten minutes of the film-a baptism scene (I forget what the song was) and then a megamix with the entire cast during the credits.

Cher getting Kennedy Center honor!!!!!!

Hopefully the asshole in the White House will skip this one as well

I'm sure he will, once he finds out about Cher. Reba said she be happy to meet him- cunt!

Hopefully he'll grab Reba's pussy when he meets her. Serves the bitch right.

Love Reba, why would you say that?

I'd actually love to see Cher seated in the same row as him, r82. Imagine the cross-talk and awkward photos.

The president doesn't convey the Kennedy Center Honors. The Kennedy Center board does. It has always been an event the sitting potus and spouse traditionally attend.

I hope they choose some very cool, like-minded people to introduce her award and perform her music. The honoree doesn't perform, just watches.

Had a smile on my face the whole time. The sequel blows the original away by virtue of Lilly James alone. A lot of the songs were unfamiliar to me this time around, but I came to love them just as much. The eye candy was great and the comedy and choreography was so silly, you couldn't help but laugh at it. Cher was terrific as well. Loved her version of Fernando. One of the most entertaining movies I've seen all year.

The moment when Cher recognises Fernando may be the gayest thing ever committed to film

Since the OP couldn't be bothered to post in the established thread, I guess I'll have to re-post my review here.

Fun fact-the gal playing the Japanese board member is now playing Lady Thiang opposite Ken Watanabe at the London Palladium.

GREAT STELLAN SKARSGARD'S FAT MAKEUP!

THIS MOVIE SUCKED!

I don't understand how the first installment got trashed by the critics, but they love this one.

There are not enough great, ABBA songs left to sustain another movie. Meryl Streep's number was especially underwhelming and boring. They used all the good songs in the first show.

The direction was heavy-handed and cheesey. The broad, obnoxious dance moves of the chorus spoiled many a scene.

And there were a bunch of amateurish directing mistakes that distracted. There were extras looking into the camera and laughing. There were jarring places where the action shifted too fast for the music and the tones didn't match -- especially during the "Knowing Me, Knowing You" number.

During the scene in the barn where Lily James is singing to the horse, she closes the song by POKING THE HORSE IN THE EYE! WTF?

There's no way in hell they should have used that take. You can see the horse is injured. It's uncomfortable and disconcerting.

Were Cher and Christine Baranski wearing rubber masks? NOPE. THEY FUCKED UP THEIR FACES WITH BOTOX! It's too much, it looks fake and it's just sad.

Amanda Seyfried's skin or makeup was often horrible, too. She looked like a leathery, orange raccoon in some close-ups. Too much makeup? Too much sun damage? It was wrong.

The story was even thinner than the first movie, with no substantial drama or mystery. Just middling.

I liked the first one and I love ABBA's music. But this is just karaoke night with the stars and girlgasming.

The movie shortchanged Meryl Streep and us, it's true. She should have been involved more, even if the story involves her death. Make her a ghost or a flashback.

There are just too many characters singing boring songs without substantial drama.

R88 Agree. Loved it!

This movie is pretty much critic proof. I had an awful day and the movie won me over within the first 20 minutes. I'm glad I could still enjoy movies like this that don't take themselves seriously and are just dumb fun.

In the preview, I saw the 3 three Dads in a scene - but it was Colin Firth who delivered the funny line perfectly. I think I kind of love him.

Jesus, r91, why did you even see it?

There were six or seven of my favorite less known Abba tunes from my pencil-dialing, Abba-loving youth that I was hoping would be in this movie. "Angel Eyes" , "When I Kissed the Teacher" , "Why Did it Have to Be Me," and "One of Us" were all in there. I was kind of hoping for "Ring, Ring", "Happy New Year" and "I Am the Tiger", but whatever.

That's not even counting the huge hits "Waterloo" and "Fernando," which didn't fit in the stage show or first movie.

All in all, especially since they reprised a few of the big hits from stage and first film, the music is wonderful.

[quote] There are not enough great, ABBA songs left to sustain another movie.

Isn't Abba recording new material after 30 years? They should definitely make another with the newer songs. Hopefully they're good.

Cher releasing a new album , all Abba songs

R98, I gather it’s just one song and will be released around Christmas.

They did lousy casting with Fernando’s brother, the old guy Christine Baranski’s character ended up with. They could have found someone sexy enough for her to give him THAT look. It just makes her out to be a golddigger.

Christine Baranski has played the same character in almost everything I've ever seen her in, except for Chicago.

I didn't stroll through the thread, but they could have used “The Visitors” in a dance scene and exploited it because its such a great song, sounds contemporary and a new generation of fans would have loved it.

Does Colin have anal sex in this one?

Yes, but not in the movie or with your prolapsed rectum.

My 82 year old father loved the first movie. He's now concerned about seeing this one because my sister told him they already used all of ABBA's music in the first movie, and in the second one, they "kill off Meryl." I haven't seen it yet.

R92 I'm sure if Meryl wanted to be involved more, she would have been.

Wish they had explained how she died, it wasn't from old age

Why is Cher playing Meryls Mother?

R109 Apparently, Meryl is only suppose to be about 46 in the movie.

The same critics who are lapping this up tore shreds of The Greatest Showman (all things being said a much better musical full of original songs)

I enjoyed both films a lot, this is not meant as a dig at Here We Go Again, just noting an interesting double standard.

Thank you R109

R111 I know that people look down on this because it doesn't have original songs but I give it a pass because many of the songs here sound better than the originals. This wasn't so much the case with the original film which contained all their most well known hits, but their less familiar songs really benefited from the modern production standard and the film's stars gave much more energetic performances to songs that sound somewhat dated today.

R113 I wouldn't say that they sounded better than the originals. Abba songs are technically very complex and not easy to sing and Cher aside none of the "singers" in this have the voices to pull them off well enough that I would say they sounded better than the originals. The instrumentation and arrangements were top notch though. There may be a few more obscure songs in HWGA but it also still features some of their most famous. Waterloo (nice set up but sung very poorly, even Lily James who has a lovely voice was off key for most of it) One of Us I liked it but Dominic Cooper struggled to pull it off (I was a bit embarrassed for him tbh) Knowing Me Knowing You (loved what they did with it in the film) Fernando (again loved it, I mean of course Cher delivered) Dancing Queen (I preferred this version to the one in Mama Mia) Super Trooper (a fun finale)

I certainly don't look down on it for not having original songs. These are songs by Abba fgs, what original musical could better what Abba created? Few if any. I only noted that TGS has original songs because imo it is a harder feet to create something from scratch than to take music already created and loved by millions. Yet TGS got no credit from the reviewers who are lauding HWGA for pulling off something that is incredibly hard to do.

** feat

I can't find the link, but one of the ABBA guys said he enjoyed Cher's Fernando better than the original. I think her all ABBA album should be interesting, but in any case I'm sure some good dance mixes will come out of it.

Will wait for the rental on iTunes. Only interested in seeing Jeremy Irving.

The Duet between Meryl and her daughter was beautiful

It’s Irvine, R117, darling.

I learned from IMDB that there was a post-credits scene and wanted to watch it but was the only one left in the theatre so felt too self-conscious and left.

Changing the lyrics, and the gender of the teacher, was a clever way not to have the great song "When I Kissed the Teacher" come off as creepy.

It was always one of my favorites of the second-tier Abba songs. I don't know if they still do it, but the terrific tribute band Bjorn Again played it when I saw them at Shepherds Bush Empire in London, 2002 (believe it or not, one of the most fun and surprisingly great shows I ever attended).

One of the lyrics changed was originally "One of these days, gonna tell him I dream of him every night / One of these days, gonna show him I care, gonna teach him a lesson alright"

R121 Lilly James really killed that song. I heard the Abba version afterwards and then went back to the soundtrack version of it.

R120 it was just a gag reel outtake of Omid Djalilli as the gay Greek immigration guy. He says something like “Take a chance on me” to Young Bill or something like that. It’s cute.

R113. You've got to be joking.

Sounding better than the Abba originals?

Most of them could barely sing a note.

Get your ears checked.

Funny behind the scenes story about that surprise cameo st the end.

[quote] “Cher had some lines to speak in Spanish. She was having a little trouble with them. So she came over to me, thinking I was Latino,” he said.

[quote] “I know you know the language,” he recalled Cher saying to him. “Would you run this by with me?”

[quote] “Sorry, honey. I’m from the Bronx,” he said and walked away from her.

[quote] But there were no hard feelings, he said. Cher jokingly relayed the exchange to other cast and crew on set.

Who was she talking to, R125?

I'm assuming Andy Garcia

The actor playing Andy Garcia’s brother.

Thanks, R128. How the fuck did he get that part. They should have got someone who was actually sexy to justify Tanya (Christine Baranski)’s reaction to him when she first sees him.

Without Meryl, and with Cher in it for eight minutes, why would I watch it? I really don't want to pay $12 to see that girl from Big Love sing.

No-one gives a fuck whether you want to watch it, R130.

So Baranski ends up with the most interesting man, Cher and Andy reunite, Julie Walters and Stellan pair off again, and Pierce will be screwing the local tavern barmaid within 6 months. That leaves poor gay lonely Colin.

It's a Greek island. Don't fret over Colin.

I thought the original shat all over the sequel and don't know why it's getting more love than the 2008 adaption. I was a huge fan of the original and just re-watched it on Netflix last night before watching the sequel in theaters today and was immensely disappointed.

The lead was fine but I did not expect Meryl to only be in the last 10 minutes of the movie. The first two acts dragged and I was frankly bored.

The biggest problem is that the film had no storyline. The biggest obstacle Amanda Seyfried's character faced was whether it was going to rain??

Is Cher really in this for only a few minutes? She's the only reason I'd go see it.

She's in the last 15-20 minutes, R135. She got triple the screen time of M.

R132, you thought Tanya (Baranski) ended up with the “most interesting man”? He was an old short guy who barely got to say a line and wasn’t sexy in the least.

So Meryl is barely in this, too?

[quote]you thought Tanya (Baranski) ended up with the “most interesting man”? He was an old short guy who barely got to say a line and wasn’t sexy in the least.

He's the guy from the Dos Equis commercials, The Most Interesting Man in the World.

Yes, R138, she's only in the last 5-10 minutes at most. I don't know why she was limited to a cameo after she actively campaigned to be the lead of the original.

The scene she was in at the end was a tear jerker but wish she was more prominently featured. The trailer made it seem as if she played a big role in it.

She had literally five or six lines, and one song.

The young guys were adorable… can't blame the young Donna character for being a hussy.

Meryl has never been in a film sequel before. Does MM2 count since she only appeared for a few minutes?

[quote]I don't know why she was limited to a cameo after she actively campaigned to be the lead of the original.

I read conflicting things. Originally it was just that story dictated that Donna not be in it, but other reports is that Meryl doesn't have interests in doing sequels.

Wow, R139, he was actually sort of sexy in that commercial but he ain’t in the film.

Are we supposed to believe that Fernando is actually Donna’s father?

[quote]Are we supposed to believe that Fernando is actually Donna’s father?

Are we supposed to believe that Ruby was Donna's mother.

Cher couldn't do anything in the original because she had her $160 million Ceasar's Palace residency.

R147

Yeah, Cher was originally offered the Baranski role in the first film. She had to turn it down because of her Las Vegas run.

I thought the sequel was better crafted than the first movie, which Meryl kind of sucked the life out of.

What did Donna do for money all those years?

She was a whore, darlin.

The sequel is much MUCH better directed. The director of the first one didn’t even seem to know where to place the fuckking camera. Inept in every way.

I saw it and it was wonderful. Lily James was a revelation. She made you understand why everyone loved Donna.

Of course would have loved more Cher.

I adore the original, flaws and all. Now I want them to remake it with this director to see what it could have been.

It does make you feel sorry for Donna. Here she is this fresh, beautiful girl, traveling the world, bedding hot guys. Then she gets pregnant, stays on the island, turns into haggard Meryl Streep, no man, with a run down hotel. Then when she is reunited with the man she loves, she dies soon after.

Why did Donna die? Why was this not addressed?

Oh, thanks for the spoilers, r153…NOT!

Just buy ABBAs greatest hits I and II in the cut out bin.

The film was meant for Britain. They love crap. The first film was the biggest film in British box office history.

The Force Awakens was the biggest film in British box office history, R157. Just as it was in the US.

Everyone I know who has seen it says they loved it. Admittedly, a sample of gay men and women who went in loving ABBA, Cher, the first movie, the stage show or some combination.

But seriously, everybody says Lily James is outstanding, and the three young dads are hot.

Cher should have been Donna’s stepmother, not her mother.

Which one of the 3 guys were Donna's baby daddy? I can't remember.

That was never disclosed in either film, R161.

It was never revealed, R161.

I don't know why the had to kill Donna. She could have disappeared or something.

Well ABBA did have NINE #1 songs that charted in the UK charts.

And the UK does know a little something about music groups. Starting with The Beatles.

Going to see it again tomorrow!

Lily James was incredibly hammy and annoying.

I enjoyed it. I would have even found a place for the one gay anthem missing from the mix.

I would have incorporated The Visitors in the scene with the scared horse, either by featuring the crescendoing instrumental during the storm while the horse was jumping in fear, or by choreographing a surreal number where the chorus sings the paranoid lyrics while dancing around - with tons of camera tricks - wearing gorgeous horse masks.

But that’s me.

Speaking of paranoid, r168, I would have loved a nod to "On and On and On."

"I was at a party and this fellow said to me /Something bad is happening, I'm sure you will agree/ People care for nothing, no respect for human rights / Evil times are coming, we are in for darker nights"

He got kind of wary as he looked around the room, etc.

I said keep on rocking baby til the night is gone.

[quote] It actually got pretty positive reviews.

I wouldn't exactly call its reviews positive, per se.

They all sort of said: It's silly, as deep as a penny and has no story, but it's mindless fun, and if ABBA, Cher and camp is your thing, have at it.

No one is claiming it was Citizen Kane, but yes it did get positive reviews.

I can’t believe I loved this movie and bought right away. Has this happened before ? The first movie sucked but the sequel is great. Only bad I can say everyone looks great and sounds great (even poor Pierce Brosan ) except dryly sounds great but needs todo something for her wrinkles.

I meant Our Meryl.

Lily James was divine and her three suitors were wonderfully fuckable.

Cher! It was worth it for her 2 songs. Too bad she was unavailable for the first film.

I thought young Harry’s story ended a bit too soon. He didn’t even make it to the island!

I just rewatched it and Bill has a wife? He tries to get back with Rosie