MOVIE REVIEW - Mamma Mia

Are you ready for Mamma Mia? The summers big musical of course based on the music of the 1970'2 Supergroup ABBA. Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, and Colin Firth star in this old school style musical that isn't made much anymore, and has fallen out of favor with the "real theater types."

It's the kind of musical where people just break into song and dance every few minutes like it's the most natural thing on earth. Ala Oklahoma, Music Man, and Fiddler On The Roof. Over the past few decades, those have been replaced by the Phantom, Cats and that bunch. But Mamma Mia is old school, with the music of ABBA. By the way before you poo-poo ABBA tunes, you bought them, and listened to them and they are still among the top selling musical acts of all time worldwide. With their heavily produced, slick studio sound, they were WAYYY ahead of the game in the mid 70's and clearly set the stage for the successful pop acts to follow in the 80's and 90's.

It's the story of a single woman (Streep) and her 20 year old daughter. The daughter is getting married and she has three possible fathers. She invites all three to her wedding, and the fun is on. The story here takes a back seat to the music. I'm not sure how many curious movie-goers are going for the story, you want to see the songs and how they are interpreted. First, all the actors do their own singing. If you are longing to hear ABBA remastered and slickly produced, you're going to the wrong show.

Streep holds her own on many vocals covering many ABBA songs. And by and large most of the actors do. BUT the former James Bond Brosnan, oh boy. Shouting, and caterwauling through a couple of songs, sheesh! I'm actually considering hiring 007 to put him out of his singing misery. Even though he's likable on the screen, his singing is brutal at best. I will warn you up front you will hear him sing S.O.S, and ..well there should be a law! No man on earth should sing that song.

Hollywood actors love making movies like this. They get to use all their craft they have been trained in, and get to show their versatility. I will tell you before you go, this movie is chock full of over-the-top singing and dancing. Complete with a backing chorus, and lots of people doing things that no one ever does in real life. Lots of over acting, heavily staged huge production numbers. If that's NOT your cup of tea, avoid this movie like grim death! That's what it is plain and simple.

Mamma Mia. A real break from the everyday, and an escape from reality. In these stressed filled times it may be just what some need this summer. The company you take with you makes all the difference. This is a girls night out-period. D0n't do this to your guy girls. Meet for a drink afterwards.