Review: MAMMA MIA HERE WE GO AGAIN at Filmstaden Sergel

Mamma Mia - Here we go again is a real feel good movie and if you loved Mamma Mia I'm sure you will love this too. The story in Mamma Mia is not that strong and the story in the sequel is weaker but it doesn't matter as it is build around the music of Abba, songs we all know and love.

Donna (Meryl Streep) has died a year ago and Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) has just rebuild the hotel and are just making the last minutes arrangements for the grand opening. Sky (Dominic Cooper) is in New York to learn the hotel business and has just been offered a permanent position. Sam (Pierce Brosnan) is living with Sophie. Rosie (Julie Walters) and Tanya (Christine Baranski) are on their way to the opening night. But will Harry (Colin Firth) and Bill (Stellan Skarsgård) show up or are they too busy with their work? In parallel the story of the young Donna (Lily James) is cleverly mixed in with the current story. In Mamma Mia we were told the story of how Donna met Sam, Harry and Bill so the story is repeating itself in this sequel. But it is charmingly done. I really enjoyed the way they move the scenes between the past and presents and how they move geographically as well. Lily James is extremely good as the young Donna. She had the right energy, a smile that makes anyone smile with her and she can sing very well as well. The young versions of Sam (Jeremy Irvine), Harry (Hugh Skinner) and Bill (Josh Dylan) are all charming but they are not in the same league as Lily James. But then Mamma Mia is a story about strong independent women and the female cast is really strong and the men are more supporting roles. And for this film they have added a new strong woman as well. In time for the opening night, Cher comes to the hotel as Sophies grandmother. She makes a grand entrance and sings a very good version of Fernando. But the most touching and memorable song is at the christening of Sophies and Skys son Donny, when Meryl Streep sings "My love my life" to Sophie. I think everyone in the audience had at least one tear in their eye after that moment.

However in my taste the best song performance in the film is made by Helen Sjöholm who sings "Hasta Manana". Helen Sjöholm is Swedens best musical actress and was discovered by Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson when she auditioned for Kristina from Duvemåla. She sang Kristina at Carnegie Hall in 2009.

Björn Ulvaeus has a small role as a teacher in "When I kissed the teacher" and Benny Andersson is playing the piano in "Waterloo".

The film is a feelgood movie and I had a smile on my face from the start till the end. Do not leave the theater when the credits start to roll, there is a fun bonus at the very end after all credits.

The official opening night at the cinemas in Sweden is the 18th of July.

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