Mamma Mia! [DVD] [2008] | ![Mamma Mia! [DVD] [2008]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51JKaVKdu7L._SL160_.jpg) | Director: Phyllida Lloyd
Actors: Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Amanda Seyfried, Julie Walters
Studio: Universal Pictures UK
Category: DVD
List Price: £21.99
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Rating:  716 reviews
Sales Rank: 202
Format: PAL
Languages: English (Subtitled), German (Subtitled), Danish (Subtitled), Finnish (Subtitled), Norwegian (Subtitled), Swedish (Subtitled), English (Original Language), German (Original Language)
Rating: Parental Guidance
Region: 2
Number Of Discs: 1
Running Time: 105 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.4 x 5.4 x 0.6
EAN: 5050582556087
ASIN: B001BYMKRO
Theatrical Release Date: 2008
Release Date: November 24, 2008
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
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Amazon.co.uk Review
The delirious sight of Meryl Streep leading a river of multigenerational women singing "Dancing Queen" is one of the high points of Mamma Mia!, the musical built around the songs of the hugely popular pop group ABBA. The plot sets in motion when Sophie (Amanda Seyfried, Mean Girls), daughter of Donna (Streep), sends a letter to three men, inviting them to her wedding--because after reading her mother's diary, she suspects that one of them is her father. When all three arrive at the Greek island where Donna runs a hotel, Donna flips out and finds that passions she thought she'd laid aside are coming back to life. But let's face it, the plot is not the point--it's a ridiculous contrivance that provides an excuse for the characters to sing the massive hits of ABBA. Regrettably, first-time film director Phyllida Lloyd (who directed the original stage production) has drawn over-the-top performances from everyone involved, even Streep; every production number hammers its exuberance into your eyeballs. Which is too bad, because Mamma Mia! is a rarity: A middle-aged love story. The kids start things off, but the story is really about Streep and the three guys (former James Bond Pierce Brosnan, former Mr. Darcy Colin Firth, and Swedish star Stellan Skarsgard), as well as Donna's best friends (Christine Baranski, best known from the TV show Cybill, and Julie Walters, Calendar Girls). It's a romantic comedy aimed at the people who were around when all these songs were new, and that's an age group Hollywood largely ignores. For that alone, Mamma Mia! deserves to find an audience. --Bret Fetzer
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Showing reviews 1-5 of 716
 Full of annoying women February 16, 2010
Terrahurtz (Kidlington, Oxon)
Having admired Abba partly for the girls in the 70s it's a bit odd to find the group the exclusive property of gay men these days. Anyway, not having seen the show live I was interested to see what all the fuss was about and have to say it's OK but not worth the hype. The best thing about it is the songs but, lets face it, these are actors and actresses and vocally - understandably - aren't a patch on Abba. Dramatically the men are better, if given less to do. Brosnan is sympathetic as ever and vocally gets away with it, rather as Richard Gere does in Chicago. Firth is good too, notwithstanding the final scene when he seems to undergo a conversion in his sexual preferences that seems right out of character with everything that has gone before. Some Scandinavian bloke is OK in the underwritten role of the third possible father, oddly (given his accent) called Bill. Streep is good in the central role, being lively without going over the top, acting convincingly and making a reasonable fist of the songs which, as successive generations of Pop Idol and X factor contestants have discovered, are not easy. The Tania character is also quite well done. The rest of the women are, frankly, annoying. Julie Walters is particularly irritating, as she has been in most of her roles from Educating Rita onwards, while the younger generation of women are prone to squealing and overacting at every opportunity. The daughter character (Sophie) can't sing, simpers with her big eyes open a lot and is generally demanding to be slapped throughout. Fortunately we don't see so much of her two friends after the opening `honey honey' scene. Most of the greatest hits are here, plus a couple of less familiar ones - `our last summer', a rather dull down tempo song from Super Trouper and the rather better `slipping through my fingers' from The Visitors, which appears in one of the few generally affecting scenes in the piece. You can always speculate about how they could have shoe-horned in a couple more of your own personal Abba favourites (`the day before you came', `So long', `I'm a marionette', anyone?) - but let's face it the pretext for some of the ones already there, most notably `Chiquitita', is pretty slim as it is - and the piece is probably long enough already.
As for the dialogue, it's enough to hold the show together between the songs but isn't particularly inspired (and provides far too many opportunities for feminine squealing). My 5-year old daughter loves it but, assuming you're an adult, buy a DVD compilation of Abba singles - it'll be better sung, you can look at Agnetha and you won't have to put up with Julie Walters
 Abba are great February 14, 2010
Trevor Rogers (Bexley UK)
Excellent film good quality product. My Missus loves the button on the box that plays a tune
Mamma Mia! Gift Set [DVD] [2008] February 11, 2010
Ms. R. Moloney (London)
Very pleased with this although the button at the front of the box did not work although this was only a minor point.
Mamma Mia February 4, 2010
Wheatenpie
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Absolutely brilliant and have watched it many times. It leaves you with that good feel good factor!
 Altogether now... "Yoooooooo can dance..." January 30, 2010
Phil Hattie (Glasgow, Scotland)
For a 70s pop band who won the ultimate in cheesy competitions, Eurovision, ABBA seem to have developed something of a critical cachet in recent years. Pop music is not my preferred genre but like every kid born in the last 30 years I was exposed to the band and their songs and I will happily admit to anyone that I have ABBA Gold (and a few assorted other songs) on my iPod. Mamma Mia, based on ABBA's songs, generally takes a pounding from a certain kind of person and I have to admit that I could easily fall into the camp that lambast and lampoon it, but I have to say it charmed me.
Basically, bland little Sophie is about to get married and decides she wants the dad she never met there. She nicks her mothers diary and finds out that mom was a bit of a slapper in her youth and dad could be one of three men. She invites all three over to the Greek island she calls home and "hilarity" ensues.
There is much about this film that is simply awful. The director doesn't seem competent to run a bath let alone a film set. When the boys swing in to disturb the hen night they come from the roofs, what exactly are the ropes attached to? The editing is shoddy as hell, and looks like it has been done by a three year old. The plot is risible, and made all the more silly by everyone randomly bursting into song (in fairness that's to be expected in a musical but it jars here in a way it doesn't in say, Hairspray). Some of the singers (I'm looking at you Pierce Brosnan and Colin Firth) are absolutely terrible as well which really doesn't help.
In spite of all that though, something about this movie just makes it fun to watch. Sure you really have to approach it with a mind not to let its flaws overwhelm you, and sure several alcoholic drinks make that more possible but it can be really enjoyable. Even working with the tosh she has to speak here Meryl Streep is excellent, and Julie Walters and Christine Baranski are gifted comic actresses. Brosnan, Firth, and Stellan Skarsgaard as the three potential poppas are a bit outdone by the ladies in the film (but it probably wouldn't be half as fun without Brosnan's bellowing mating calls during SOS). Its basically a chick flick and there's a bit of eye candy in the form of the handsome Dominic Cooper (who I don't seem to recall ever wearing a top in the film) as the fiancé of dull Sophie (Amanda Seyfried).
All in all, its stupid, camp, vacuous, lightweight froth but Mamma Mia doesn't pretend to be art. Its plain that everyone knew what they were making and it wears its more laughable elements on its sleeve. Treat this film seriously and you will despise it, approach it like the big glass of bucks fizz that it is though and you will be rewarded.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 716
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