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MAMMA MIA! We’ve Got Two Test Screening Reviews Of The Movie Every Fanboy Wants To See!
Hey, everyone. ”Moriarty” here. Yes, that’s right. Fanboys love ABBA. Wait... they don’t? But they love Meryl Streep, right? And Colin Firth. I KNOW that fanboys love Colin Firth. They don’t? Well, hell. At the very least, I’m secure in my knowledge that they all adore musicals, and that a talkback for reviews of the Meryl Streep/Colin Firth/ABBA musical, MAMMA MIA, which comes out soon wouldn't be remotely juvenile or homophobic. Because that would be impossible.
Went to a screening tonight of Meryl Streep's new film in SD. Yes, Mamma Mia the musical, it was pretty good. Here is my review: So, tonight I went to a screening of a new film in San Diego. The setup was that I would be attending a screening for an upcoming summer movie. With that in mind, I had no problem leaving work early to go. Of course, when I arrived, I got wind that it was for a musical movie, Mamma Mia. Ok, I wasn't seeing Dark Knight, but it was still exclusive. In case you don't know, the conceit of the film is based around a young girl who grew up on a Greek Island - she is getting married, and her single mother is throwing her wedding. More then anything she wants her dad to attend, but she has no idea who her dad is, since her mom was quite the swinger when young. So, in typical movie fashion, she invites three potential fathers who slept with her mom to the wedding, and comedy ensues as her mom is thrown into a tailspin and everyone learns the truth. All that sounds like a movie in and of itself, but it doesn't end there. The whole movie is baked into the best of ABBA's music. Every great ABBA song comes to life in the movie, from DANCING QUEEN to Super Trouper to Money Money to Voulez Vou and of course Mamma Mia. I am not a huge ABBA fan, but the songs are definitely infectious, and surprisingly I knew everyone of them, so I might have sang a long a few times, "honey honey". The "awe" scene involved the song DANCING QUEEN where a few of the cast start in the hotel with Meryl Streep (she stars in it) singing and ending on the islands dock with the entire population singing, dancing and then jumping into the water. It was a huge scene, it sounds cheese, but it really worked and the entire audience ate it up! To cap off the experience, the movie takes place on this amazing greek island. Every scene takes place in a different location on the island, with Meryl's villa being the center - I swear the movie actually makes you feel like you went on a trip to the Greek Island afterwards. How much are flights there? Infectious music, bright locations, and a fun story helped bring together what could have been a string of ABBA music videos; making it into a totally entertaining and fun film. But before I finish my review, I have to comment on the cast. Meryl leads a pretty eclectic mix of talent, including Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, and Christine Baranski. Although the cast sounds a bit tired, that couldn't be further from the truth. The energy they put into the singing and dancing defied their age. It was pretty amazing to see Meryl sing and dance thru every scene. I didn't even know she could sing. But the person in this movie that blew me away was Meryl's young daughther Sofie, played by Amanda Seyfried. She was awesome! She stole every scene she was in, blew out every song with her amazing voice and she is super hot. Keep your eyes out for her. At the end of the day Mamma Mia wasn't Dark Knight, but it had tons of energy, fun music, great locations and a cast that you can't help but root for, this movie was very very very ENTERTAINING! And I don't need to go to Greece soon, since I just went during this movie :)
And here's review number two.
I saw a preview of the movie version of MAMA MIA! tonight over at Horton Plaza. I’m hoping I’m the first/only person to send in a review because I want to get posted ! Anyway – I ‘d already seen the play so when I was offered tickets I jumped at the chance – I’m not sure I’ve ever even bought an ABBA record but my Dad (to this day) has the Abba GOLD tape in his car (yes, that and Roger Whittaker) so like most I know/love pretty much every major song of theirs and definitely every one in this film. The film is very much the show (except for the addition of one major award winning actress, but I’ll get to that later): a slight but cute story of a girl who’s about to get married and invites all 3 of her possible fathers (whom she never knew) to the wedding at a small isle in Greece where her Mom ( a former disco singer) runs a resort. All this unbeknownst to her Mom of course who freaks when her former paramours all show up on the same boat. Interestingly enough, the question of who is her real Dad is actually never answered – hinted at, yes but never outright answered. Anyway – that’s the whole story in a nutshell. Slim then, slim now. But I guess that’s because the showcase here is primarily the music and secondarily the beauty of a wild wedding in Greece and some really fun dance numbers. After 20 minutes I stopped waiting for any hint of a romantic mystery and just kicked back and enjoyed myself – and this is key – this movie is very, very enjoyable. Which brings me of course to the diamond in the cast crown here: M-E-R-Y-L. Look, one of the things that have made Meryl Streep such an enduring icon in her career is that she went from being an arthouse queen of the accents to being a down home, unpretentious, character actor/ comedienne – and it works for her. Here she is indeed goofy, sweet and terribly terribly beautiful (I think she’s probably playing 10 years her junior and still pulls it off ). The lady has charm – lots and lots. And while I can think of a million other actors who have great chemistry with her, Pierce Brosnan suits her very well – especially in a match up where two former lovers have to fall in love all over again after 20 years apart. Its sweet, its believable – and thank God, its age appropriate. Oh yeah, she can sing too – they said the sound mix was temp but her voice is definitely up to par for these songs. No surprise there, the number she does at the end of POSTCARDS FROM THE EDGE was fantastic. The rest of the cast is fine – not much for them to do (its definitely Meryl’s movie). The standout being AMANDA SEYFRIED who plays her daughter. She’s given some nice emotional moments to play in an otherwise sunny flick – and she adds a nice sense of warmth to the whole thing. And as far as the sunny aspect – I think this might be the very first musical to be shot in the direct sunlight of day. I liked this. Is it Chicago? Moulin Rouge? No. It’s a much simpler entertainment. I’d put it along the lines of HAIRSPRAY: Sunny. Smiley. A pleasant if not the most thought provoking way to spend $10 and 2 hours. Lornolix. Out.
Readers Talkback
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Ok I'll read it.
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is a serious amount of sarcasm in your post, Moriarty.
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They have terrible taste. The end.
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..no shit, it's one of the funniest shows to come along in ages.
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Jesus they aren't even trying anymore. "The energy they put into the singing and dancing defied their age." HAHAHAHA comic gold.
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Some of whom (inexplicably) actually wanted to see this tripe. Their opinion, naturally, has changed after hearing this bullshit.
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i miss wallace
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but I'm assuming InudstryKller!'s friends' reaction was dead-on. How 'bout some cool news for a change?
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What will liberalism bring us next? Goats that wear lipstick while licking the butt holes of three-year-olds?
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hella gay.
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March 27, 2008, 1:31 a.m. CST
if i see the word "gay" used negatively anywhere in this talkbal
by bob oblaw
i will find you.. and and you will pay..
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I'm usually annoyed at best when a talkback consists of nothing but a string of "PLANT!" lines, but my GOD!
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i try to be cool and tolerant, but the shit won't stop..
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this movie looks like it's going to suck.. NOT GAY, but just plain suck. Why can't you homophobic asshole just say "suck"?!!!
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Chill out, Bob Oblaw. Just deal with the fact that this shit is super uber gay. Even my two gay friends think it is overly gay, one of them saying, and I quote, "Goddammit that sounds gay."
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March 27, 2008, 1:56 a.m. CST
The goblins from "Troll 2" can have a feast now thanks to this "
by FilmCritic3000
Was the screening held in Nilbog?
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we could smoke it....
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i AM a geek, too.. i also happen to be a HOMOSEXUAL.. as in "GAY", (*which we didn't take, it was labeled on us, like the word FAGGOT which means 'a bundle of sticks to burn' as in they used to burn homosexuals.. when something sucks and they say it's gay, it makes me feel like shit and like maybe i shouldn't be here, which is soo fuckin discriminating.. i've held my tongue this long, and i am just FUCKIN SICK OF IT..
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I love your Law Blog, Bob.
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i wouldn't get pissed about that
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She's from a Greek isle and "greek" was the old personals ads code word for "anal", so people think that this is about homosexuality. "Dancing Queen" heh. That's pretty funny.<p>I'm not personally familiar with their body of work but I understand that ABBA was a popular vocal group during the '70s and their music sold quite well. Also, the name is an acrony for the names of the members, two male and two female, who were heterosexual married couples, sort of like a Swedish Fleetwood Mac.<p>Seriously, I agree with Robert, using "teh ghey" as a synonym for "lame" is so South Park. Which, in this context, I am using as a synonym for lame and unfunny.
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sorry to take it all so goddamn seriously, but it's still an issue to me when close friends of mine are still getting bashed and shit like that.. i'm gonna go huff some cat urine to forget about my idiotic little rant.. peace out, future gays..
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i HATE abba...
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it's about a heterosexual woman who is getting married and wants her father to attend her wedding to a man but doesn't know who he is because her mother was promisciously heterosexual during the seventies, and the film is a musical featuring muusic from the '70s, the time period during which the mother was heterosexually active. Yes, I can see why persons of diminished mental acuity who aren't clear on what the word heterosexual means might thing that this is a story with some sort of homosexual overtones. After all, what could be gayer than a heterosexual male ejaculating his semen randomly into the vagina of a promiscuous heterosexual woman during recreational indiscriminate sexual activity? How unmanly is that?
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Bob, seriously.... When we say this particular movie is "gay," we don't mean gay as in "it sucks." We mean gay as in "gay." Abba = gay. As in "Jesus, that movie sounds gay."
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evern if you're saying this shit ironically, you sound like a fucking idiot. I'm sorry that you don't like the labels that we tag on the subjugated among us, but it is just that, a label and it isn't their fault. And while Bob might be getting a little overworked about the word "gay" I can understand beause there are, at times, a sickening amount of homophobia on this website. Probably because the subject of film is going to attract the requisite ignorant teenagers, but still....
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No, not every fucking fanboy wants to see Mama Mia. Fuck that movie and fuck you guys for thinking that we give a shit.
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and i hate the word 'fierce'... Wow, anchorite.. if you really wanna get fucked in the ass that badly, just ask and i'll come over and rape you just on OZ.. Which used to refer to the magical world created by L. Frank Baum, not rampaging psychotic inmates in prison. Just thought you'd like to know.
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being a postal worker is a choice... NOT BEING GAY, dipshit..
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say what you want, dipshit anchorite..
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this was your post a few posts back.. "They're FABULOUS. And FIERCE. If I hear one more stringy supermodel or flaming homosexual utter the word "Fierce", I may go POSTAL. Which used to refer to mailing letters, not rampaging through town on a deadly shooting spree. Just thought you'd like to know." And now, i realize now that i have been arguing with a complete idiot who HAS to have the last word in every argument, all the while trying so hard to sound intellectual.. i now feel REALLY sorry for you, man.. and i feel bad for wasting all this bandwidth.. Heh... this has been funny.. so if you'll excuse me, i'm about to go out and get laid, which i have the sneaking suspicion you haven't been in.. well, ever.. Hah!! say what you want from here on out, dude.. wow, you had me going there for a while..
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Damn you Michael Bay
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Name one wall of bigotry that was ever broken down in an Aintitcool TB? Fuck it, you know? Nobody is coming away from this thing any more enlightened.<P>So let's all just agree that being gay is not a choice, just something some people are born with. Like stupidity... or large bottoms. And, just like those 2 biological conditions, gaydom is nothing a little education or surgery can't fix!<P>JUST JOKES!!!!!!!!!
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It's true. I hate the word gay to mean suck too but me hating it used that way isn't going to stop it. So let em have gay. I propose since gay originally meant happy and joyous we start again there with the archaic word fain which meant the same thing:Happy,inclined,pleased, let's turn it into a noun and use it to mean homosexual and presto! The Fains have a word that doesn't mean "lame"! Until eventually our new word Fain evolves and we'll start again. We can burn that bridge when we come to it.
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I didn't want to enlighten, I was just trying to throw in a cheap shot!!
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March 27, 2008, 3:34 a.m. CST
THIS IS WHY A WOMAN WILL NEVER BE PRESIDENT
by greigy just wanted to say
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You can't just dangle this massive dose of reality check in our faces and not spill! If you have information, I know I nice young lady named Hillary who will be very curious to hear it.<P>Is it a plot? A riddle? Is the answer in this here Talk Back.<P>My God. Nobody move a muscle! You may be standing on the very future of a female president!
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Middle-aged women (at least the two times I saw it on stage). Hopefully I won't now get threatened by middle-aged women. Unless they're MILFs or Cougars, then that's okay.
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On one hand, I think "For Christ's sake, could they get a review from someone who's seen the show and/or is a fan of musicals?" Then I think, "Well, an average joe review might be interesting to read." Then I think "Is this a plant like everyone says?" Then I cry myself to sleep.
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March 27, 2008, 4:03 a.m. CST
Oh, the Alien Quadrilogy is on sale at Amazon for $25.99...
by tonagan
A one-day only sale, so get 'em while supplies last. (And no, I don't get any money from them.)
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Gay or straight. Tango or Cash. One thing everybody can agree on - Amazon.com is a geeerrrr8 place for cheap DVDs! And maybe a nice pair of high heels for that significant other, fellas ;D<P> Amazon.com - it's a jungle of bargains!!
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All this nonsense about "Gay used to mean happy or giddy" is fucking silly. If I knew that I could go to a bar or club at any time of the day or night and get my cock sucked without having to make small talk or even buy a drink I'd be feeling pretty giddy too. <p> Ah, those wacky gay folks
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Benny and Bjorn are all man. Look at those beards. They were banging these two hot chicks while everyone else was jerking about them; then when the relationships split they made them sing songs about angry break-ups and whatnot <p> Ah, those wacky bearded Swedes
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ABBA's music was actually pretty fucking cool...and brilliantly crafted..its a cliche for jerkoffs desperate to establish their credentials with either bad hair metal or some 'earthy' blues rock/indie/goth bullshit to slag ABBA off. What is fucking gay is the 'Broadway'-ising of music like this and musicals Hairspray...Its the ultimate dumbing down of what was actually pretty sophisticated pop culture. and yes i know the ABBA guys were involved in the original
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i just don't like musicals that make the songs sound like they're done by those KidzBop! shits.
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It's not my cup of tea but someone'll like it.Tactful enough for ya?
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I have just pissed myself with laughter, who writes this shit?
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I've seen Postcards too. Thin and unremarkable. So why is the film even in the US? The main fan base is European. It is an awful story and the only selling point is the music and Abba were never that big over there.
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Next up for Broadway ... Stayin' Alive, a musical about the Iraq War featuring the songs of the Bee Gees. <p> Broadway is bereft of ideas and needs another Cameron Mackintosh / Andrew Lloyd Webber revolution. Although my favorite remains Les Miserables. Great songs.
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....was working title for "40-Year-Old Virgin". Which is basically the same thing.
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BEING GAY IS A CHOICE
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Not every positive review on this site is a plant. I would go with nearly every single reader review is poorly written, but just because something positive about a movie is written, there's no need to yell "plant!" every fucking time.
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March 27, 2008, 7:33 a.m. CST
"one of the things that have made Meryl Streep such an enduring
by zacdilone
Not a plant. Sure. And by the way, "faggot" did NOT come to mean "homosexual" because they used to burn gay people. That's a myth perpetuated by those who don't feel gay people are persecuted enough. Which they are.
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... is not a strong suit of talkbackers. In any event, being a fan of high camp like ABBA, I don't know that this movie can top the subtle ways in which the Scandinavian supergroup was used in Muriel's Wedding.
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My problem with the derogatory 'gay' that is thrown around is not that it is a term also applied to homosexuals. My problem is that somehow anything cheerful, positive, and not involving explosions, sociopaths, or blood splatters is somehow unmanly. Somehow enjoying broad range of aesthetics is a negative. The derogatory and dismissive term 'gay' is too often used as a synonym for 'not what a 15 year old child would like' and then people celebrate their ignorance.
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And I'm a rock-ribbed heterosexual Reagan conservative. If Abba is gay (it sorta is) or not, it's still fucking awesome, brilliantly made music, almost 30 years later. Abba rules. The broadway show Mama Mia, not so much, but I'll catch the movie-ized version on DVD.
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And directed by Michael Bay. You know it's true.
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And the bridal march version of "Dancing Queen" is pitch-perfect. It is the apex of all things wonderful in music. Love that movie.
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But the annoying Meryl Streep singing Abba songs is not OK. And it is pretty gay.
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the butt holes of three-year-olds is so 2005. We've moved on already. Try to keep up.
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GIANT ROBOTS *AND* CLOVERFIELD MONSTER to wreak havoc.
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i have a very very happy and most un-homosexual memory involving whipped cream, chocolate sauce, an 18 year-old co-ed and "dancing queen". <P><P> Abba ≠ gay <P><P>now i'm gonna be smilin' all day. Yay abba.
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I still think we should be able to call musicals "gay". Does using that term in that way really mean "I hate homosexuals"?<p>This plotline just screams that it's will be most loved by middle-aged women. Which was probably the case of the musical, too. I'm not old! I'm having fun and singing and dancing and all those attractive, yet still older, men want me! And my daughter's getting married! I mean, it's not a bad thing, but I'd have to say the readers of this site are not the target demographic.
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How the holy hell makes a Roger Whittaker reference in a geeky movie review?<p> Biggest Plant since the 3rd day of Creation.
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FIRST ABBA HAS ALWAYS HAD A HUGE GAY FOLLOWING & SECOND ISN"T ALWAYS THE ONES WHO ARE LIKE "THAT"S SO GAY" AND LOOK THEY"RE READING EVERY REVIEW,TAKING THE TIME TO POST A COMMENT, IT'S REALLY FUNNY...MAKES YOU WONDER IF THEY CAN SEE NARNIA BEING THAT FAR IN THE CLOSET. ANYWAY IT SOUNDS FUN it should be what you want in a summer musical similar to Hairspray..fun, funny,and breezy nothing too heavy and not to be taken too seriously.
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Not as gay as Larry Craig though.
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Fuck...
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trying to reduce my testosterone?! I need to watch Rambo 1-4 just to get an erection! I can't get Dancing Queen out of my fucking head... *SOB*
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It's not anti-gay to bitch about the fact that "the gays" have co-opted words & symbols they have no right to. The biggie to me is RAINBOWS!! My god...a universal symbol representing childhood & innocence, and you turn it into an "I'M GAY!!!!" bumper-sticker (no pun intended, but certainly appreciated!). FUCK YOU!! You give that back to us RIGHT NOW, or I'm gonna start telling my 6 y.o. whenever he asks about those stickers that it means the driver is a child-raping homo who should die. I don't belive that, of course...hell, my gay brother died of AIDS. But I'm serious about this; surrender the rainbow, or face a shitstorm of bile & hatred...not to mention, lotsa keyed cars!!
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I love Indiana, I've seen every X file at least twice, and I will be first in line to see Dark Knight. But, as much as I love these, and many other things, I do not love them AS MUCH AS I FUCKING LOVE ABBA. BJORN AND BENNY ARE THE GREATEST COMPOSERS SINCE MOZ
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"surprisingly I knew everyone of them, so I might have sang a long a few times" - argh.
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and so loudly boasted, too.
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Straight guys and fanboy geeks all fawn and squee with delight over Kristen Chenoweth. Check out any AICN review of "Pushing Daisies". Have you seen the rack on that little minx?<p>And by rack I don't a shelf to place objects upon, I mean her bosom. And by minx I don't mean she's a small rodent like animal, just that she engages in vigorous animalistic sexual intercourse. Presumably. She's a fuck monkey. Not literally.
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But I'm not gay.
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But I'm not gay.
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But I'm not stupid. Just too eager with the post button.
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She was a guest on Letterman, wearing a very revealing dress showing off those amazing cans, and when she asked Dave if she could do her famous Dolly Parton impression, Dave said: " I Thought You Were Doing It Already." What an amazing little body she has.
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the original was French I think with Gerard Depardieu in it, then they remade it? Can't remember. Anyway the plot sounds like a few movies wrapped together. I still think it would be more economically sound for me to just stay home and listen to ABBA Gold. I mean I don't think I've heard Meryl Streep or those guys sing but I hardly think it'll improve on ABBA. It's like those people who go see the Jersey Boys thing. I wouldn't because if I was going to spend the money, I'd go see Frankie Valli. So far it looks like a combination of boredom and no other options is the only way I'm going to MAMMA MIA.
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Featuring the music of Celine Dion!! I'd pay a dollar not tp watch that!
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I am not about to join the "gay" discussion, but that line is fucking killer. Thank you, anchorite, for reminding me of it. I love my dead gay son!
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Not so much at the reviewer but at the stupidity that seems to be this movie. "The "awe" scene involved the song DANCING QUEEN where a few of the cast start in the hotel with Meryl Streep (she stars in it) singing and ending on the islands dock with the entire population singing, dancing and then jumping into the water." My my the nonsense, I might actually have to see this now. It'd be a hoot
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It's obvious from space. Dude has ISSUES. Just accept yourself, son. Start living your own gay life without fear. OK?
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Try to grow up to 12 this year - let that be your goal.
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