Saw Mamma Mia movie tonight

[liotte]

Posted: 6/11/08 at 12:19am

I got to go to a screening of Mamma Mia (movie) in NYC tonight. I am a fan of the broadway show, it's one of my guilty pleasures and I love the silly cheesiness of the whole thing.

I was somewhat disappointed with the movie. At times, it was over the top cheesy, which is hard for me even find complaint about since I usually love it. Most of the songs from the show are there, one new one added at the end. The acting is fine, Meryl Streep was great. Amanda Seyfried (?) was ok, but didn't seem natural when singing. Pearce Brosnan should not be singing in this movie at all, his acting was fine. Didn't care much for Christine Baranski or Dominic Cooper interpretations of the roles of Tanya and Sky. Colin Firth is adorable. The woman playing Rosie I also liked. The acting overall is good, but the singing just didn't seem to mesh well throughout- some songs just didn't fit in at all in the chosen staging, and there were some interesting video angle choices made at times. All the way through, it is basically the same as the bway version- same songs, almost the same order (a few were cut from bway, and Our Last Summer was put towards the beginning), exact same story. I did enjoy the big dance numbers like Dancing Queen, Gimme Gimme Gimme, Voulez Vouz (no idea how to spell it), Take a Chance on Me- noticed some of the choreography from broadway sprinkled throughout.

The scenery was beautiful, loved watching the Greece backgrounds and landscapes!

It was still an enjoyable movie, especially for Mamma Mia/ABBA fans, and I will most likely see it again in July when it comes out. It just wasn't quite as good as I had hoped and built it up to be.


Updated On: 6/11/08 at 12:19 AM

[Mrs Mangel]

Posted: 6/11/08 at 7:15am

Rosie= Julie Walters. She'a fantastic in pretty much everything.

[WickedBoy2]

Posted: 6/11/08 at 7:19am

Harry Potter -the Weasleys mother !!!
Educating Rita
Personal Services
Prick Up Your Ears
Calendar Girls
many many more wonderful parts! One of the UKs finest but also shyest actresses.

I think most people are expecting this movie to be rather stage locked- despite its wonderful sets and local scenery, it cant escape its roots.
Nothing will stop it being huge at the Summer box office I'm sure

Updated On: 6/11/08 at 07:19 AM

[BillyE]

Posted: 6/11/08 at 10:27am

As a die hard "Mamma Mia/Abba fan", I have July 18 circled on my calender, and I just went on the movie web site
http://www.mammamiamovie.com
It looks great! I had some concerns about the casting, but I'm glad to see they're doing it with British accents, which makes so much more sense.

[DrTheatre]

Posted: 6/11/08 at 10:52am

"Didn't care much for Christine Baranski or Dominic Cooper interpretations of the roles of Tanya and Sky."

That is funny because I read an interview somewhere with the book writer of the stage-version, and she said that she based the Christine's character off her character she played in CYBILL and that she was thrilled to have her in the film, since she pretty much owned that role.

As for Dominic, I have no idea, I have not seen the movie yet, but what is funny, is if people complain about the film version, then they are complaining about the over all experience of the stage-version and film of Mamma Mia. The majority of the creative team that did the stage-version is also at helm of the film. Phyllida Lloyd who directed the stage-version also directed the film. She mentioned it was going to be like the stag-version but to film standards (whatever that means).

[WickedBoy2]

Posted: 6/11/08 at 10:58am

It sounds like you were expecting something completely new! Most people who plan to see the movie are going to go expecting the same experience as at the theatre!

Updated On: 6/11/08 at 10:58 AM

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 6/11/08 at 11:12am

I've seen the film and I can NOT stop raving about the gem it is. I've been a huge enormous fan of the musical since 2001 (after seeing it on Broadway a few weeks after it opened) and have seen it countless times since then (on tour, Broadway and London), so I was hoping for the best when I attended a private Universal Pictures 'office' screening several weeks ago. The film was beyond words and surpassed anything and everything I could have expected. It was everything great about the stage-version but triple-folds better.

Sorry to read you didn't experience the film the same way I did.

[liotte]

Posted: 6/11/08 at 11:41am

I still enjoyed the movie, by no means did I totally hate it. There were some choices made in the film that I didn't care for and that didn't seem to work well, and I still prefer the live version (which is true of almost any movie musical that has been made). But it is fun and I hope that it is a big success.

[MrMidwest]

Posted: 6/11/08 at 11:56am

How did it compare to Hairspray for you, liotte?

[Jonwo]

Posted: 6/11/08 at 11:57am

Mamma Mia is a guilty pleasure of mine and I can't wait to see it. The show was essentially a chick flick on stage with ABBA songs and this will translate well on screen. I can see this doing big business internationally as well as in the US.

I wonder if this does well, maybe we'll see We Will Rock You: The Movie!

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 6/11/08 at 1:09pm

We Will Rock You: The Movie!

Not in this lifetime.

MAMMA MIA! has been seen by over 30 million people; is an international success with numerous productions playing worldwide (including a hugely successful International Tour) and has grossed over a billion dollars. Whether the film is a success or a flop doesn't affect the creators of the stage-version. Univeral Pictures and Play-tone are the co-investors hoping for the film's success.

All this is what merited MAMMA MIA!: The Movie being made.

[E.Davis]

Posted: 6/11/08 at 1:15pm

Brody is the movie version of "take a chance on me" diffrent from the soundtrack version. The one on the website. Like a little more julie solo?

[Fosse76]

Posted: 6/11/08 at 1:42pm

Since it's an aweful show on stage, I wouldn't expect the movie to be any different.

[Greekmusicalfan]

Posted: 6/11/08 at 2:47pm

I absolutely LOVE the show and can't wait for the movie ! I also wanna see how my beautiful country transcends on the screen !

[Salene]

Posted: 7/10/08 at 5:26pm

Just got back from the movie and loved it.

[JohnBoy2]

Posted: 7/10/08 at 6:00pm

What's with all the guilt associated with liking Mamma Mia?! I hated it, but if I liked it, I certainly wouldn't qualify it with saying it's a "guilty pleasure". That's a really ludicrous phrase, by the way. I wish people would stop using it. It was coined by the same, seeking acceptance, people who use the word "arguably" to qualify everything they think is good. Both need to go!

[bundy5000]

Posted: 7/10/08 at 8:02pm

The philosophers forum is here

http://forums.philosophyforums.com/


I guess Chocolate can't be a guilty pleasure either.

There goes the neighborhood

[eatlasagna]

Posted: 7/10/08 at 8:17pm

this movie is going up against THE DARK KNIGHT... i doubt the box office will be good... we shall see...

[RetroBoy]

Posted: 7/10/08 at 9:06pm

there's no way this film is opening to any big numbers. dark knight owns the weekend of july 18th. i predict the film will be a moderate success and have a healthy life on DVD but it won't come close to the success hairspray was last summer.

[matty159]

Posted: 7/10/08 at 9:11pm

I am very curious as to why Universal is opening it against TDK. Obviously, TDK is going to kick it into oblivion at the box office. The advance reviews on TDK are phenom. I mean, I plan on a double-header of the two and the audiences for the two are very different, but with the number of screens TDK will be on, Mamma Mia is on the wrong opening weekend to make a grand impression.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 7/10/08 at 10:09pm

Well, I'm sure nobody at the studio expects for MAMMA MIA! to beat THE DARK KNIGHT, but remember the movies appeal to completely different demographics. I'm sure the studio people have thought it through. And correct me if I'm wrong but HAIRSPRAY did not open and never reached number one at the BO anyways.

[RetroBoy]

Posted: 7/10/08 at 10:16pm

hairspray didn't open at #1 or even reach #1 at the box office but it did gross over 100 million and was an unqualified success.

i don't think in the summer of the dark knight that mamma mia will reach those numbers but it will probably do well on dvd.

[MelissaF]

Posted: 7/10/08 at 10:16pm

I Just got home from an advanced screening in Toronto, and apart from Pierce Brosnon, I really enjoyed it! Everyone in the audience was clapping and singing along!

[Amharclann]

Posted: 7/11/08 at 1:34pm

I loved it!!! infact I am going back in two days time with other friends.....at last they are appreciating having a friend who loves musicals as they all want to see this film and are happy to have someone to go with.....Great fun.....although when they went to the trouble to write a whole new song why did they give it to the worst singer of the lot???

Oh and Greece looked amazing.

[ggersten]

Posted: 7/13/08 at 7:50am

We saw it in Amersterdam on Wednesday, July 11. It was the "world premiere" (if you don't count the other premieres, but as a general release, it was). We just saw a flier and couldn't believe it, so my wife and I (and our 7 year old) changed our schedule a bit to go. (Movie tickets were 10Euros for seats and 13.50 Euros for "VIP Balcony" which we got sold)

It was in an old movie theatre and that was part of the attractaction, as the theatre is in the guide books as a place to go to

Also, it was "Ladies Night". They gave out bottles of water, a bag of popcorn, had bad champagne in the lobby, raffled off four large goodie bags (we don't think we won because the announcements were in Dutch, but seemed to be based on seat number and all bags were claimed) and some goodie bags at the end of the show with a fashion magazine, lotion and chocolate. There was a video Karaoke booth in the lobby where people could go inside and sing against a video of the island, and those in the lobby could see the singing (and hear if close enough and the crowd was not too loud).

The movie was a lot of fun. I had a smile the whole time. The audience laughed a couple of times when some songs began.

Meryl Streep was amazing - her version of "Winner Takes It All" was showstopping, not because of the singing, but because of the acting. Brosnan was kind of wasted. They moved "Take A Chance On Me" to after "I Do I Do" at a wedding banguet. It's a great fun number and fits better there. The event that precedes "Does Your Mother Know" is no where to be seen, but that doesn't diminish the absolute joy of Baranski tearing up the screen. "Our Last Summer" has been moved up in the movie and is now the three dads and Sophie on a boat. This is the first time I've enjoyed "Honey Honey". The chorus of workers has a great time in all of their numbers. When the film showed the little chapel on a hill, there were lots of gasps and oohs from the 98% female audience. If I owned that chapel, I'd be promoting the connection to this movie, because it would be booked solid the entire year. Other minor things- Harry "HeadBanger" Bright's story is modified slightly. Bill Austin is a stronger character. The "final" shot of Sophie/Sky going off at moonrise is not as pretty as it could have been.

All in all, I think the movie's script is tighter than the show - it seems to flow in and out of the songs better than the stage show.
Let's see: oh yes, stay through the "encores" in the movie - there are two of them. THe audience was not dancing in the aisles however - but I could hear clapping and feet stomping.

Down the street at another movie theatre, "Mamma Mia" was being shown on "Gay Night". I don't know what was in that goodie bag - but I think it might have been more fun to see the film with that crowd. And when you see the movie, it will not be hard to imagine that audience's reaction to certain scenes.


Updated On: 7/13/08 at 07:50 AM