821 posts
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Post by ensembleswings on Jul 30, 2018 12:08:49 GMT
Going to see this again tonight, well hopefully anyway.
Am I the only one who can honestly say I didn't miss Meryl being in this film? That shocked me as it is was as her performance carried the first film and was my favourite thing about it.
I agree that I took the similarities in the beginning/end of the film to be conscious decision. I actually thought it worked quite well, fitting in with the whole flashback style whilst not being glaringly obvious
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Post by MrsCondomine on Jul 30, 2018 12:28:26 GMT
And seeing as the best thing by FAR about the first one was Meryl Streep's performance, it made zero sense to form a storyline that doesn't involve her. It made complete sense because Meryl didn't want to star in it - she doesn't do sequels and only agreed to a cameo, so they didn't have much choice. And personally I think Lily James and Amanda Seyfried more than made up for the lack of Meryl (though her character was ever-present in both timelines anyway). I took the beginning and ending similarities to be deliberate, same with the reuse of some of the biggest songs (which from watching a few interviews it seemed Abba basically insisted on), nearly all of which were done completely differently second time around, with the one similarity being deliberate to show Sophie's character progression. Everyone on the boards is so combative today  |
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Post by danb on Jul 30, 2018 13:36:14 GMT
Just got in from seeing this. Nice enough, but just felt like a gentle Richard Curtis sitcom episode with songs. 2 of my favourite album track slowies are used to tug at the heartstrings, but it it’s not really until the party at the end that it gets going. Needed to be half an hour shorter with more bangers and less of Seyfrieds tiny vibrato wasting the good songs. It would need a complete re-write to work onstage, but I wouldn’t bet against it.
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7,060 posts
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Post by Jon on Jul 30, 2018 13:40:03 GMT
They mentioned they weren’t happy with a lot of the ideas they came up with before Richard Curtis suggested the Godfather II structure
The only other plot I think could have potentially worked is Donna finding who her real father is
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Post by danb on Jul 30, 2018 13:45:33 GMT
They mentioned they weren’t happy with a lot of the ideas they came up with before Richard Curtis suggested the Godfather II structure The only other plot I think could have potentially worked is Donna finding who her real father is Exactly! They didn’t have an organic lighbulb moment...they clutched at straws until finding the bare bones of a story to hang it on. It has got me thinking that 80’s bonkbuster novel ‘Lace’ might make a good musical though 😂 |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 30, 2018 14:24:37 GMT
I think the main thing I took away from this film was that I found Hugh Skinner strangely attractive.
Just me?
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Post by d'James on Jul 30, 2018 16:13:44 GMT
Going to see this again tonight, well hopefully anyway. Am I the only one who can honestly say I didn't miss Meryl being in this film? That shocked me as it is was as her performance carried the first film and was my favourite thing about it. I agree that I took the similarities in the beginning/end of the film to be conscious decision. I actually thought it worked quite well, fitting in with the whole flashback style whilst not being glaringly obvious I didn’t enjoy her in Mamma Mia One so this one was much better for me. I have to say I loved her singing in this one (well, maybe not in Super Trouper) which I didn’t in the first . I think the main thing I took away from this film was that I found Hugh Skinner strangely attractive. Just me? I have done for a while actually, especially in W1A. All the younger guys were very attractive although two of them didn’t look at all like their older selves. They nailed the acting though. |
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2,041 posts
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Post by 49thand8th on Jul 30, 2018 16:17:06 GMT
I think the main thing I took away from this film was that I found Hugh Skinner strangely attractive. Just me? NO!  |
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4,177 posts
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Post by anthony40 on Jul 30, 2018 16:18:32 GMT
They mentioned they weren’t happy with a lot of the ideas they came up with before Richard Curtis suggested the Godfather II structure The only other plot I think could have potentially worked is Donna finding who her real father is Or how Donna met Rosie and Tanya to form The Dynamoes. We all know they met at school, but what was the moment? How did they discover their sound? Or the confrontation between Donna and Ruby when Donna announced her pregnancy and Ruby told her never to come back! |
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4,985 posts
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Post by Phantom of London on Jul 30, 2018 18:02:17 GMT
If children don't understand the idea of a beating vagina*, it'll wash over them and be gone entirely by the end of the film. If they do, then it's FAR too late to start worrying about their innocence. *I don't think the word needs to be censored, it's the proper name for a body part possessed by a great many people.  If wank can be uncensored then vagina should be! Who’s gives a toss!!! |
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1,970 posts
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Post by sf on Jul 30, 2018 20:25:09 GMT
I finally saw it this afternoon. It is completely, spectacularly cheesy, and I ugly-cried through the last half-hour.
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4,985 posts
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Post by Phantom of London on Jul 30, 2018 21:40:52 GMT
The saying goes ‘you shouldn’t flog a dead horse’ well not if it’s in trg lead on the final bend at Ascot!!
I had no interest in seeing MM2 as I loved the original so much and that is the one on stage, which I must have seen 20 times, the Catherine Johnstone book is so great, how she weaved a great story, with Abba music and set on a feelgood Greek island, which is as pleasant as a Gin and Tonic. Mamma Mia is the greatest jukebox musical of all time, that is why it is a worldwide sensation.
So why would I want to see a sequel in a cinema if you please, a genre I don’t really do? Well The Elaine Paige Show, which played a couple of songs and I am sure they were My Love, My Life and Fernado both which I enjoyed and curious to see how this got slotted into the new film. So nothing on last night, there was me with a cinema ticket and the biggest bag of popcorn ever at the local Cineworld.
Well what a surprise as I thought the new film was done extremely well, my initial fears were unfounded, Loved Cher and Meryl Streep, Julie Walters is always great, I also enjoyed Stellan Skarsgård who I never knew before, Colin Firth is one of our greatest actors and Pierce Brosnan is Pierce Brosnan, that is maybe why he is so good, included with the cheesiness.
My Love, My Life is indeed a tear jerker and surprised how they integrated Abba music again. Not as good as the stage musical, but sill very good.
So a day off today annual leave, so thought I watch the DVD, which I have had for years, but never watched, it still had a Prince of Wales (Mamma Mia) flyer in it, that is how old it is, so first time I have seen the movie, which is enjoyable and enjoyed the cast again. Indeed Pierce Brosnan singing isn’t the best, but wasn’t as horrific as Russell Crowe in Les Miserable.
2 reservation would be, a Girl didn’t go to school in the first one, ends up in Oxford and I didn’t know there were Tavernas in Croatia.
Enjoyed the cameo roll of Omid Djalili, I always found to be fun.
All in all a pleasant surprise and a earnest attempt.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 31, 2018 0:21:27 GMT
Honestly, while I didn't outright hate the first one, I wouldn't say I loved it or even liked it particularly. It has a few scenes I enjoy but I would never come close to wanting to own the blu-ray and I'd only seen it twice over the space of ten years (and rewatched for a third time after seeing the latest film to see if I felt different about it but I didn't).
On the other hand, this sequel(/prequel) took me by complete surprise and I can honestly say I love it and can't wait to own it. I've already been back to see it for a second time (I see a lot of films and this is the first one this year I've felt the need to) and have been actively listening to the soundtrack which is something I never did the first time. On a simple level, the filmmaking is clearly at a higher standard and I think it not being directed by the same person that directed the material for theatre helped in that it comes across as actually cinematic. But I also guess I disagree with Meryl being the MVP of the first one. I love her in general and she had her moments, particularly The Winner Takes It All, but I found the character somewhat annoying and obnoxious in her hands and would give MVP of that movie to Amanda Seyfried who was completely charming, and in this film the same goes for Lily James who makes Donna far more tolerable and interesting to me. I'm very glad that they included the last scene with Meryl and it works perfectly and she does a beautiful job with it, but no not only did I not miss her presence, I actually preferred it without her. Finally, it just feels like this one is taking itself less seriously, other than when it needs to. It knows it's ridiculous and campy as anything and rather than asking you to respect that, it laughs at itself. Makes it much easier to just not care about the nonsensical plot details and timeline and just embrace the bewildering wonder of Cher singing Fernando while doing a ridiculous dance with Andy Garcia and blatantly fake fireworks happening in the background.
So I do think someone could not like the first one and enjoy this one.
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Post by Snciole on Jul 31, 2018 15:04:27 GMT
I am not really Ms Streep's biggest fan (If I am found stoned to death I will know it comes from this board) and Mamma Mia 2 is so much better without her presence. Donna feels like the focused of enforced fun in Mamma Mia but compare the Dancing Queen scene in Mamma Mia to Mamma Mia 2 and it just feels more like a fun film, rather than a stage adaptation that they didn't really understand (the lighting is horrific in Mamma Mia)
Also it knows what characters work and which don't; hardly any Dominic Cooper but it needs more Cher.
Yes the timeline is a mess and how did Cher raise a child that got into a Oxford College that didn't even take women in 1979 but who cares, it is all a lot of fun.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 31, 2018 17:29:28 GMT
how did Cher raise a child that got into a Oxford College that didn't even take women in 1979 but who cares, it is all a lot of fun. To my shame I hadn't even noticed that the timing was wrong for it to be New College, I was just annoyed that they'd Americanised the graduation scene (although a lot of the details such as dress and gowns etc were correct)! But you're right, the first cohort of women to study at New didn't graduate until 1982! Other Oxford colleges did admit women then though, so it's just a lazy college choice... |
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Post by theatreian on Jul 31, 2018 18:23:56 GMT
Saw this at last this afternoon. As a huge Abba fan (no I'm not huge, just my fan-ness!) I liked the use of the lesser known songs and I thought the vocals were better than the first. Good staging and choreography Numbers. It won't compete for any Oscars but as a piece of entertainment it stands well against anything else and at a time when news isn't always that great isn't a feel good film full of great music just what the doctor ordered?
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4,789 posts
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Post by Mark on Jul 31, 2018 22:42:27 GMT
Finally saw it and loved it. I know it changed some of the continuity from the first film/show but it worked really well and just really entertaining.
Oh... and when they all arrive on the boat!! Biggest Grin on my face.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 31, 2018 22:46:16 GMT
I could very possibly be seeing this next week due to Vue cinemas dropping their prices to a £5.99 flat rate for the summer at my cinema. What are people's opinions of the film?
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4,789 posts
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Post by Mark on Jul 31, 2018 23:16:20 GMT
I could very possibly be seeing this next week due to Vue cinemas dropping their prices to a £5.99 flat rate for the summer at my cinema. What are people's opinions of the film? There are pages and pages of opinions here! |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 31, 2018 23:19:02 GMT
I could very possibly be seeing this next week due to Vue cinemas dropping their prices to a £5.99 flat rate for the summer at my cinema. What are people's opinions of the film? There are pages and pages of opinions here! Was worried about reading spoilers. I’m trying to go in as spoiler free as possible. |
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Post by waybeyondblue on Aug 1, 2018 5:26:16 GMT
There are pages and pages of opinions here! Was worried about reading spoilers. I’m trying to go in as spoiler free as possible. Log Off The Interweb (See you sometime next week) |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 1, 2018 7:50:16 GMT
There are pages and pages of opinions here! Was worried about reading spoilers. I’m trying to go in as spoiler free as possible. It's been out for 2 weeks, nowhere will be spoiler free. |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 1, 2018 7:57:24 GMT
Ok
Bye
I’m
Off
To
Hibernate
Until
Next
Wednesday
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Post by Deleted on Aug 1, 2018 8:16:49 GMT
Finally saw it and loved it. I know it changed some of the continuity from the first film/show but it worked really well and just really entertaining. Oh... and when they all arrive on the boat!! Biggest Grin on my face. |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 1, 2018 19:52:59 GMT
I could very possibly be seeing this next week due to Vue cinemas dropping their prices to a £5.99 flat rate for the summer at my cinema. What are people's opinions of the film? Wait until the DVD is reduced to £3. |
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