Mamma Mia!

So my friend Ilyn and I went to watch Mamma Mia! last Sunday, and I have to say.......... It was freakin' AWESOME!!!

Okay, for those who have been living under a rock for the past month, Mamma Mia! is a film version of the hit musical of the same name featuring songs from the famous 70s pop group ABBA. If hearing songs like I Have A Dream or Chiquitita makes your skin crawl, I suggest you steer clear of this movie. However, if you're the type to jump up and dance whenever you hear the opening lyrics "You can dance, you can jive, having the time of your life / See that girl, watch that scene, dig in the dancing queen!!!", then DON'T miss this movie!

And if you couldn't care less about ABBA, then Merryl Streep should be enough to convince you to watch this movie. OMG, Merryl was soooooo fantastic; if I wasn't a fan before, I am now! The reviews were right - she brings a touch of class to this movie and yet she perfectly plays the part of a mom who doesn't take herself too seriously. My favorite scenes? When she sang Mamma Mia (fun) and The Winner Takes It All (drama). Give her an Oscar already.

The other stars in the movie delivered good performances as well. Not all of them have superior singing abilities or techniques, mind you, but at the very least, they were in tune. Plus, their acting more than made up for any lack of an outstanding voice. Take for example: Pierce Brosnan. He had us cringing when he belted out the first stanza of SOS - if only because it felt weird to see James Bond singing "whatever happened to our love, I wish I understood". He can sing, but, he doesn't really have a great voice. But I appreciated his acting abilities.

This movie was so funny and joyous; it really had me laughing out loud almost the whole time. I guess if you're looking for a serious musical, then this isn't what you're looking for (hello, pop music?). But if you're just looking to have a good time or a good laugh, come see this. I guarantee you'll find yourself singing ABBA songs on the way home. Okay, that did not sound right. But it's actually not as bad as it sounds, trust me.

My favorite song out of the whole movie would be Mamma Mia. I just loooooove this song - it never fails to make me want to get up and sing and dance! Especially when I hear the drums beat near the chorus... Just one look and I can hear a bell ring / One more look and I forget everything... oh yeah! And the chorus:

Mamma mia, here I go again
My my, how can I resist ya
Mamma mia, now I really know
My my, just how much I missed ya
Yea, I've been broken-hearted
Blue since the day we parted
Why why, did I ever let you go
Mamma mia, now I really know
My my, I could never let ya go