Mamma Mia!

FLICK If you can't find the time or money to go to a Greek island, let Mamma Mia! take you to that happy place. That's the setting for the movie musical about a young woman, Sophie (Amanda Seyfried from TV's "Big Love"), about to be married and who has sent wedding invitations to three men who just might be her father. The film adaptation of the hit stage show is really a prop to on which to hang a string of pop songs by the Swedish group ABBA and is the real reason to go.
With the set up so light there should be no expectation for character depth. Meryl Streep acknowledges this with her whimsical portrayal of Donna, Sophie's mother and owner of the hotel were the guests and friends meet and prepare for the happy occasion. As a denim overall-wearing leftover from the free-love era Donna is not interested in knowing which of three men fathered her daughter. She is self-sufficient even though Donna could use the occasional help of a man's hand to help with the beachside hotel repairs. But she's come a long way without one and Streep conveys all of this with her loose and unrestrained performance.
As Donna's best friends showing up for the big day, Julie Walters, with her spiky haircut and thick glasses resembling Velma from Scooby-Doo and Christine Baranski adding a dash of class leaving you wanting more, they show that you can combine work with having lots of fun. Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth and Stellan Skarsgard play the possible dads and, particularly Brosnan, shouldn't expect a singing carreer from this jolly holiday.
The choreography is mostly uninspired but the editing and energy keeps things moving and it's hard not to find your toes tapping. You don't have to be the first in line but if you don't take a ch-chance chance you could be facing your Waterloo, in which case send out an S.O.S. My Score: 7.5 out of 10.