Motherhood Takes Center Stage in Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again

I’m not gonna lie.  When I heard that Mamma Mia was spawning a sequel the first question I asked was – WHY?  When I heard that Meryl Streep’s role would be limited – I though UH-OH because she was the best thing about the first one.

Needless, to say all my skepticism melted away the minute Lily James and Cher hit the screen.

Mamma Mia!  Here We Go Again resumes in Greece with Donna having passed away and in her honor Sophie plans a grand opening of the property her mother adored and gave birth to her  Hotel Bella Donna.  Of course, disaster ensues when a storm hits, two of her Dads are unable to attend and her husband is stuck in New York.

Lily James as the young Donna is thoroughly enchanting and exuberant with enough energy for the whole isle of Greece.  She is truly the perfect embodiment of Donna.  Cher as a Grandma?  She was flawless and her singing ‘Fernando” was a highlight of the film. We need to see more of her on screen, but she needs to leave those dancing shoes at home.

Director and Screenwriter Ol Parker does a wonderful job of moving the plot back between the past and present, filling in the gaps of how Donna meets Bill (Stellan Skarsard), Harry (Colin Firth) and Sam (Pierce Brosnan) and how she left college and her besties Tanya (Christine Baranski) and Rosie (Julie Waters) for Europe to find herself. It really was quite lovely and very “LaLa Land-esque.”

Motherhood and the importance of family take center stage as a third generation  of these powerful, strong women gets ready to enter the world.  Oddly enough, I got a little choked up when thinking of my own Mom and our special bond.  It’s a bond that despite its complexities can never be broken by anyone.

If you are a fan of ABBA and fell in love with Mamma Mia! the first time around, you’ll be tapping your toes and singing along with Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again.

With all the world is going through these days, anything that can put a smile on my face and make me forget for just a little while I worth few hours of my time.

Produced by Universal Pictures and Legendary Entertainment, Mamma Mia!  Here We Go Again dances to a theatre near you TODAY!