312. Mamma Mia! - Here We Go Again; movie review

MAMMA MIA! HERE WE GO AGAIN
Cert PG
114 mins
BBFC advice: Contains mild sex references

Deep breath - I am going to incur the wrath among many female friends by reporting that I found Mamma Mia 2 as weak as watered-down ouzo.
I wish I had £20 for every Facebook post on Facebook that has acclaimed Ol Parker's movie but I could not help wonder whether the authors were laughing at or with the cast and whether they were crying with disappointment.
Mrs W agreed with me that there were precious few giggles and that the songs were made up of Abba's b-list (I feared the worst when the first number was When I Kissed The Teacher).
The original movie was centred around the feistiness and fizz of Meryl Streep's Donna but here the audience is forced to wallow in the cast mourning her death.
True, there is the occasional glimpse of Julie Walters' impishness which did prompt a chuckle and hats off to Hugh Skinner who adds a bit a fun as young Harry.
But those rare moments aside, this really is a tepid sequel to an original which we enjoyed so much.
Mamma Mia! 2 is the tale of Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) opening a new hotel on a Greek island in parallel to a look back at how her mum (Lily James) found the paradise in the first place.
It re-introduces the same characters as before but this time Walters, Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgård Pierce Brosnan and Christine Baranski have much less screen time.
Instead, the film is dominated by James and the younger versions of Harry (Skinner), Bill (Josh Dylan) and Sam (Jeremy Irvine).
In other words, the screen is awash with often bare-chested male totty.
The major problem with Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again is given away in the title... we have seen it all before.
From the beauty of the greek island to the quirkiness of Sophie having three fathers to Donna's madcap friends, there is very little new.
Oh.... apart from Cher singing Fernando. The woman has had so much plastic surgery, her face barely moves so it is merciful that her contribution is much shorter than the trailers suggest.
And that's it, the shutters on my home are up as I prepare for a volley of eggs.

Reasons to watch: It's Mamma Mia!, ain't it?
Reasons to avoid: Not nearly as entertaining as its original

Laughs: Three
Jumps: None
Vomit: Yes
Nudity: None
Overall rating: 4.5/10

Director quote - Ol Parker: "I remember reading an interview with Meryl when the first one came out, saying “This is the type of movie the world needs.” God knows things have gotten darker since then, almost desperate times now. So if we can add any joy and lighten someone’s day then I’ll take that."

The big question - What was the point other than money, money, money?

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