Look, What Did You Expect From ‘Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again?’

There’s a scene in Friends With Benefits where Justin Timberlake decries the “ambiguously upbeat pop song” they stick at the end of rom-coms to “try to convince you that you had a great time.” That’s exactly how I feel about this second instalment of Mamma Mia! Listen to me, you could throw ABBA’s greatest hits on top of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom’s nonsense plot and The Room’s acting, and it would still be a perfectly adequate film. ABBA is a gift to the world, you can @ me at leisure. Here is my Twitter — go on, then.

For this reason, the plot for this sequel/prequel — 10 years later, protagonist Sophie's hotel opening party, 30 years prior, protagonist Donna’s purpose-searching — is very much an afterthought on the producers’ part. It is weak, but that’s beside the point, which was to whip out a feel-good summer movie that would make a bunch of money and provide a wholesome dose of escapism. And it does just that. You can go to the cinema and feel quite sure you will come out with a smile on your face and a tune stuck in your head. If that’s all you’re going for, knock yourself out, my dude.

At the risk of using my brain too much in this particular instance, I could quote Meg Shields of Film School Rejects and suggest we “take the media we consume seriously” instead. I know from both communications and gender studies courses just how much impact media can have on their audiences, especially wide-release blockbusters like this one. That’s why several things bothered me. Firstly, plots are kind of important, aren’t they? I mean, right? Unless you’re Ingmar blooming Bergman, I’d like to see your story hold together for a quick sec. Secondly, I would very much like to be spared trite observations like “there are two types of men,” blah, blah, blah. Either make a dumb movie or philosophise, but don’t try to do both, please. Lastly, and most gratingly, poor Lily James is cast into the well-worn “I never do this!” chick flick heroine trope, because God forbid women display sexual agency and freedom!!!!!

But if — unlike me, evidently — you are capable of removing the stick from up your backside for 90 minutes, Here We Go Again is a good time. It’s cute, it’s touching, James is lovely as a young Donna, and Cher is in it, which I'm told is a big deal. Yep.

7/10