Review: MAMMA MIA! HERE WE GO AGAIN

You can most certainly dance, jive and have the time of your life at Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again. The sequel to Judy Craymer and Gary Goetzman's 2008 romantic comedy, based on the stage show created by Catherine Johnson, opens in UK cinemas on 20 July.

We return to the Greek island of Kalokairi five years after the events of Mamma Mia!, where Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) is preparing for the grand reopening of the hotel her mother Donna (Meryl Streep) poured her life into renovating. The film flips between Sophie's preparations and Donna's 1979 timeline (Young Donna portrayed by Lily James) during the period when she was wooed by each of Sophie's three potential fathers.

Pierce Brosnan, Stellan Skarsgård and Colin Firth return as Sam, Bill and Harry - their younger selves portrayed by Jeremy Irvine, Josh Dylan and Hugh Skinner respectively. We get to find out exactly what went down when Donna met the three chaps all those years ago and how she ended up on the island.

Donna's besties and bandmates, Tanya (Christine Baranski) and Rosie (Julie Walters), are also back. They deliver stitch-inducingly hilarious performances and their younger counterparts (Jessica Keenan Wynn and Alexa Davies respectively) are just as fun to watch.

Fans of Donna and the Dynamos' performances in the original film and stage show will not be disappointed - there's plenty of lycra, platform shoes and sequins in this film!

Ol Parker, Richard Curtis and Catherine Johnson's story teases the viewer, keeping Meryl Streep and Cher out of sight until quite late on into the narrative, but they are worth the wait - especially when Cher makes her dramatic entrance as Sophie's estranged grandmother, Ruby Sheridan.

While you might think all ABBA's greatest hits were included in the original jukebox musical, there are a number that have been woven into this new chapter of the story. For example, the inclusion of a new character, a hotel manager called Fernando CIenfuegoes (Andy Garcia), needs no further explanation...

It's thrilling to see some of Benny and Bjorn's lesser-known songs performed on a large scale with huge choreographed ensemble sequences, but for less hardcore fans of the Swedish quartet there are also some reprises of their biggest hits that will have your toes tapping.

Sophie comes to realise she and her mother are more and more alike as she follows in her footsteps in both business and personal affairs. Amongst the fun and silliness of the adventure, there are some truly touching mother-daughter moments.

So, if you consider yourself a dancing queen, make a beeline for your nearest cinema - it's money, money, money well spent.

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again released on 20 July

Photo credit: Universal Pictures

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