Mamma Mia!
Universal Pictures | Release Date: July 18, 2008
6.9
USER SCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 395 Ratings
USER RATING DISTRIBUTION
Positive:
255
Mixed:
72
Negative:
68
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User Reviews

User scoreBy dateMost helpful
0
JosephL.Jul 16, 2008
Complete crap! Bubble gum that went stale a long, long time ago.
1 of 1 users found this helpful
1
MarcoP.Jul 17, 2008
All my friends and their girlfriends and wives went and saw Dark Knight. I got dragged into seeing this with my girlfriend a few hours ago as punishment for me taking her to go see Iron Man when it first came out. Suffice to say she didnt All my friends and their girlfriends and wives went and saw Dark Knight. I got dragged into seeing this with my girlfriend a few hours ago as punishment for me taking her to go see Iron Man when it first came out. Suffice to say she didnt want to see Iron Man so guess what I caught a glimpse of what hell and torture is. Basically there were only 20 people in the theater for Mama Mia and out of that 20 I'd say that 99% of them were cat loving frizzy haired old ladies. Oh and seeing Pierce "I used to be James Bond" singing some crappy songs with some old women who are my mom's age was enough to make me cringe. Eh at least one or two of the songs was good so I give it a 1.… Expand
1 of 1 users found this helpful
2
JayneD.Jul 18, 2008
I thought it was awful. Granted I was never an Abba fan and living in NY never saw the show but.... I have heard Meryl Streep sing better and definitely act better. And someone should shoot the casting directors for putting Pierce Brosnan I thought it was awful. Granted I was never an Abba fan and living in NY never saw the show but.... I have heard Meryl Streep sing better and definitely act better. And someone should shoot the casting directors for putting Pierce Brosnan in. The only talent was Sophie. Julie Waters was not used to her best ability. I couldn't figure out what the audience was laughing at. A few amusing moments but basically REFUND!… Expand
1 of 1 users found this helpful
3
JaneAustenJan 25, 2009
I must say I expected more from Meryl Streep. The other actors lived up to no expectations whatsoever. A fun plot, wonderful music, a terrible movie. The live musical was much more amusing, and the singing, dancing, and acting was actually I must say I expected more from Meryl Streep. The other actors lived up to no expectations whatsoever. A fun plot, wonderful music, a terrible movie. The live musical was much more amusing, and the singing, dancing, and acting was actually commendable; I very much encourage anyone who is considering seeing the movie to rethink and save up for tickets to see it performed in the way it was originally intended.… Expand
1 of 2 users found this helpful
2
Trev29Mar 26, 2012
There were some great actors in this movie, but everything else was the mot bizarre piece of film work I had ever seen. It certainly seemed like everybody in the movie was having fun, but I wanted to find the nearest match so I could set theThere were some great actors in this movie, but everything else was the mot bizarre piece of film work I had ever seen. It certainly seemed like everybody in the movie was having fun, but I wanted to find the nearest match so I could set the T.V. on fire. Weird as hell.… Expand
1 of 2 users found this helpful11
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0
GeorgeH.Jul 20, 2008
This is the WORST movie musical I've ever seen ... and I remember "Can't Stop The Music"! The writing is so wretched it sounds like it was written by a 12 year old girl and although I like ABBA's music as pop songs they do not This is the WORST movie musical I've ever seen ... and I remember "Can't Stop The Music"! The writing is so wretched it sounds like it was written by a 12 year old girl and although I like ABBA's music as pop songs they do not work in a book musical. Everything is wrong with this movie but the blame is on Lloyd. Totally misdirected!… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
2
DebbeM.Jul 20, 2008
Boy, I don't understand how this could be considered good in any way. I never liked ABBA, but don't think that's the issue. Other people in the theater loved it, but neither my husband or I came out liking it.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
0
HarryDec 4, 2008
This movie was a serious dissapointment. The 2 old bats next to Meryl Streep were hidiously horrible.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
3
TechaiR.Jan 9, 2009
Turned it off half way. The acting is bad; the singing is horrible (really a slam against ABBA); and the choreography is infantile. The setting in Greece is beautiful. A ridiculous attempt at entertainment.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
2
ColbyJ.Jul 21, 2008
The play was great but I honestly hated the movie. Pierce cannot sing, (in fact i heard many audience members laughing at his singing). The acting was really just okay. The worst movie I have seen in a theater in years. Two enthusiastic thumbs down.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
2
MaryG.Jul 28, 2008
Bad singing, even worse acting. Totally unbelieveable characters. Meryl Streep to old to play an aging hippie with a 20 year old daughter. Only good thing about the movie was the beautiful setting.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
0
KassidyA.Aug 3, 2008
Save yourself 15 bucks. The movie is horribly cheesy, and I wish I would've seen the Dark Knight. Don't make my mistake.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
2
JosephP.Jan 14, 2009
So bad that is leaves painful after-effect. From top to bottom, a very unpleasant experience.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
2
CatherineJul 26, 2008
Oh my God. Who is Ray Bennett, and how did he get a job reviewing movies? I'm so embarrassed for him, almost as embarrassed as I was watching Mamma Mia. I only give this a 2 (rather than a 1) because I was moved by the mother/daughter Oh my God. Who is Ray Bennett, and how did he get a job reviewing movies? I'm so embarrassed for him, almost as embarrassed as I was watching Mamma Mia. I only give this a 2 (rather than a 1) because I was moved by the mother/daughter song. The rest of it was excruciating.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
0
jet.Jul 27, 2008
This is seriously the worst movie I have ever seen in my life by a mile. Where to begin. Why does Meryl Streep think she can sing and why would anybody let her? It is actually an insult to the music of ABBA to hear Meryl sing their songs. This is seriously the worst movie I have ever seen in my life by a mile. Where to begin. Why does Meryl Streep think she can sing and why would anybody let her? It is actually an insult to the music of ABBA to hear Meryl sing their songs. Pierce Brosnan is ten times worse. Christine Baranski, I love her I really do, but how long can she play the same high-society drunk? Oh look, here she's sipping hilariously from an overflowing tropically ornamented drink? Seriously, if you think that's funny, you need to get out more. In fact, shockingly, for such a song-heavy movie, you think they'd have cast, oh I don't know, singers maybe? My biggest pet peeve is the overly literal pantomiming of lyrics when singing or lip synching. For example, the American Idol kids drive me up a wall when they sing a song with the word "around" in it and they make a twirly motion in the air with a hand to suggest...you guessed it..."around". Such theatrics are redundant and insulting to the intelligence of both the lyricist and the audience. A real singer delivers a lyric vocally, not by some hackneyed game of charades. This was Mamma Mia in a nutshell: a series of casual, unpolished performances charitably characterized as karaoke, painfully re-engineered to give the semblance of tunefulness and accompanied by unnecessary hand motions which echoed the lyrics. During Dancing Queen, when they sang the lyric that goes "see that girl, watch that scene", Julie Walters actually made a circular motion with her left hand while holding her right hand in front of her face in imitation of an old-fashioned movie camera like you might do when you're playing charades. She sings "watch that scene" while pretend-cranking a camera with her hands. How juvenile. Maybe if a shred of effort had been put into developing characters beyond a cookie-cutter -- I use this adjective charitably -- plot device the movie may have had a shot at rising above the level of a 5th grade musical twice rehearsed. How long did it take for the director to come up with the idea of pretend-cranking a movie camera while flailing in a jumpsuit? About one second? Is this what ABBA is reduced to, a series of comic gestures in ironic costuming and eyeshadow? You can almost imagine the director working: "OK, here the lyric says 'I hear' so Christine, I want you to cup your hand around your ear and pretend like you're hearing a sound. OK Meryl, I know this song has nothing whatsoever to do with this contrived plot line and, frankly, I'm not even sure what your motivation is because your character is hopelessly flat and unbelievable, so much so in fact that I keep thinking to myself, 'Hey that's Meryl Streep over there', anyhow, Meryl just have your eyes brim over with tears, then midway through the song fight them back defiantly and then end with a sense of triumph over adversity. People will think you're acting and that way, we can shoehorn this song into this cockamamie plot. OK, Julie, your turn. Just cup your breasts raunchily every thirty seconds and floss random pieces of fabric and wayward costuming betwixt your legs...that's always good for a laugh. Oh, and Julie, don't forget to fall all the time. Falls are funny, right? " Everyone is always falling in the movie. During one particularly nauseating scene, Christine Baranski pounces cougar-like onto a beach hottie causing him to fall at least four times in the same musical number. Julie Walters slides down a roof and hangs on comically to a rickety eave. I am not making this up. Meryl falls through a roof, landing unconvincingly and contrivedly with her legs over her head in a yoga position: Who lands like that? You got the sense that the movie began with a limited supply of gimmicky pratfalls, quickly exhausted them and then repeated them mercilessly throughout. Why was this movie made? Certainly not out of reverence for ABBA (except in that backhanded ironic oh-isn't-it-crazy-cool-to-love-ABBA way). ABBA was better than that. Everybody associated with this movie should be banned from film-making forever.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
1
NancyfarmerJul 31, 2008
I like Abba, Meryl Streep, and Pierce Brosnan, but I HATED this movie! Horrible! I have walked out of exactly two movies during my lifetime (and I'm nearly 50 and I go to he movies at least once a week). I left during the Streep/Brosnan I like Abba, Meryl Streep, and Pierce Brosnan, but I HATED this movie! Horrible! I have walked out of exactly two movies during my lifetime (and I'm nearly 50 and I go to he movies at least once a week). I left during the Streep/Brosnan number on the mountain trail before the wedding. Horrible! Why did Brosnan do it? I'm really grieving because the crush I had on him came to a screeching (literally!) halt. Such a waste of time, money and talent.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
0
starpowerAug 13, 2008
This is so bad, i think the plot gave me cancer, and even pubic lice. the acting was terrible, and my date complained about the music, and wanted to buy a abba CD to destroy after watching this S.O.B movie.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
3
NatalieAug 25, 2008
I thought the plot sucked, but the songs were wonderful. And Streep was very committed to the movie, so I gave her some bonus points and the Dancing Queen part was great. The plot just seemed very neglected and the writer should be shook. I thought the plot sucked, but the songs were wonderful. And Streep was very committed to the movie, so I gave her some bonus points and the Dancing Queen part was great. The plot just seemed very neglected and the writer should be shook. And maybe given a back handed slap.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
1
gregoDec 25, 2008
One of the worst films I've seen in 40 yrs.Singing is terrible.I'm tired of Hollywood inserting homosexuality into movies that do not need to have any in it!!
0 of 0 users found this helpful
2
PaxsterOct 6, 2010
I don't like Abba's music and I really don't like this film. How cheesy and boring the musical genre has become. How degrading this must of been for the cool and calm 007 Piers Brosnan, give the man a medal for actually singing. Give me anyI don't like Abba's music and I really don't like this film. How cheesy and boring the musical genre has become. How degrading this must of been for the cool and calm 007 Piers Brosnan, give the man a medal for actually singing. Give me any other film (Seriously,anything?) to watch cause this one is shocking.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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3
moviemongerJul 30, 2011
Mix one part Streep, four parts Abba, and two parts fun. Stir vigorously. Baked for 2 hours. Let cool and serve cold. Very cold. Very very cold. How could so many good ingredients combine to produce what is best described as tofu? ThisMix one part Streep, four parts Abba, and two parts fun. Stir vigorously. Baked for 2 hours. Let cool and serve cold. Very cold. Very very cold. How could so many good ingredients combine to produce what is best described as tofu? This movie was like a juggler taking 5 very shiny and mezmerizing balls and tossing them in the air one at a time - never engaging with each other, trying to convince you that some spectacular feat has just occured. Upbeat? Yes. Disjointed? Yes. The most forgettable Meryl Streep character ever? Possibly.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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3
TheCriticXOJul 29, 2011
In 2008, the famous broadway musical, â
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3
diogomendesFeb 24, 2015
Ugh-- I hate musical films, and despite "not so bad" reviews, I think this is an obnoxiously flaming catastrophe that should be avoided at all cost.

2/10.
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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1
joelgreenbergJan 14, 2022
I saw this film on its first release and tagged my way home - and yesterday I thought it worth showing to my granddaughters, aged 11 and 9. The younger did cry out, "O no, not another song!' at about the 15-20 minute mark and I warned her toI saw this film on its first release and tagged my way home - and yesterday I thought it worth showing to my granddaughters, aged 11 and 9. The younger did cry out, "O no, not another song!' at about the 15-20 minute mark and I warned her to strap herself in for the many, too many, songs that followed. Never has so much laughter and hijinks been manufactured and vomited back by actors paid to have the best time of their f-ing lives. La Streep, coveralls and hair askew, essays the role of a free-spirited mom who, in the final moments of the film, decides that marriage is actually better. Something no doubt that the writer of the film saw fit to shoehorn into the overcrowded and undernourished script. Pierce Brosnan, I have to assume, never has and never will watch himself being exposed with so little to show - the man can't sing, let alone sing twice. And Julie Walters, proving that too much of a good thing is really just too much (and let's agree to remove 'good' from this discussion). Only Christine Baranski comes close to underplaying, although the dialogue is so crappy that the only real to underplay would be to move well out of camera range. Amanda Seyfried plays at the daughter while Dominic Cooper is given less than a handful of breadcrumbs of a role as her boyfriend - and yet, with precious little screen time he succeeds in demonstrating a sleaziness best left elsewhere. My granddaughters did not immediately suggest that we watch the sequel or that we create an ABBA playlist.… Expand
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2
MrMovieBuffFeb 1, 2016
I am impartial to musicals as a genre...this movie looked fun, since that's what the posters and the trailers promised from the summer of 2008.

'Mamma Mia!' is a film adaptation of a famous musical show that was widely acclaimed fromI am impartial to musicals as a genre...this movie looked fun, since that's what the posters and the trailers promised from the summer of 2008.

'Mamma Mia!' is a film adaptation of a famous musical show that was widely acclaimed from audiences around. It is mostly a tribute to the largely successful band, ABBA, in which a lot of their songs are featured in the musical, catchy tunes from "Dancing Queen" to the title "Mamma Mia".

The movie starts where we see Amanda Seyfried's character posting three letters to what could be her three potential fathers; Pierce Brosnan, Stellan Skarsgard and Collin Firth. Her mother is played by the extremely talented and mutli-Oscar winning actress Meryl Streep who cannot seem to tell her daughter who her real father is...this is not explained in the film...problem number one right there.

The three fathers head to the island where Seyfried's character is getting married to Dominic Cooper, but we only see the groom at least three times in this movie...the prince from Disney's "Snow White" (1937) had more character development than he did (okay, that's a little exaggerated).

The main issue with this film is how the songs are forced into their scenes where they're supposed to fit best. One example would be when Streep's character tells both her friends that she saw her three ex's on the island, and her friends, for whatever reason, start singing "Dancing Queen" which has nothing to do with this situation that's been brought up, and they start running and dancing outside and jump into the water.

Another issue is the singing, Streep is, without a doubt, a fantastic actress (look at how many Oscar nominations she's had), but if there is one thing a mega-talented person cannot do, and in Streep's case, it's singing. Her voice sounds oddly pitchy at times and it sounds like she needs a cough sweet from time to time, or even clear her throat mid-way through song. Also, I didn't even mention Pierce Brosnan's singing.............yet.

Amanda Seyfried seems to be the one who is really good at doing this, it's actually surprising that she never got cast in many other musicals after this, or even a Disney film for that matter. But, I guess the mediocrity and under-writing from this film overshadowed her talent.

Another issue is that, while these songs are catchy, they have nothing to do with the film's main plot, it's just an ABBA song inserted into the film to distract the audience and convincing them to have a good time. There is also no break between songs, after one song is sung...less than 5 minutes later, another song is being sung...sometimes it feels like it never ends.

Pierce Brosnan, (I bet you were waiting for me to mention this) is horribly miscast in this movie, his singing voice sounds like a dog whining from a stomach pain, it's cringy, it's awkward, it's uncomfortable...sometimes, I wonder what the director (Phyllia Lloyd) was thinking when he started singing and decided to cast him in this movie. He's nothing more than just a famous face for this movie's box-office advantages.

'Mamma Mia!' is a horribly written, sometimes awkward and uncomfortable, albeit a bit of a guilty pleasure from time-to-time...it's the kind of movie that musical fans will actually realize why some people hate musicals in the first place.

If you hate musicals with a passion...pretend this film never existed...… Expand
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0
BarneyOnMTJan 5, 2016
WHAT I LIKED: If you love Abba, you'll love the music...
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE: ...but you probably wont love the film. 'Mamma Mia!' is as cliched as expected, but that's not the problem here. What is is the sheer lack of anything to enjoy - beWHAT I LIKED: If you love Abba, you'll love the music...
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE: ...but you probably wont love the film. 'Mamma Mia!' is as cliched as expected, but that's not the problem here. What is is the sheer lack of anything to enjoy - be it plot, character, acting, humour, even the 'cringeyness' to make you smile. 'Mamma Mia!' has none of those and is a very poor effort indeed
VERDICT: Just a terrible, terrible film with few redeeming features at all… Expand
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3
nahtan1244Mar 10, 2016
An absoluly awful musical one of the worst. Maybe this type of movie is not my type of musical but there are so many other better movies than this crap fest. The songs are catchy but the acting and story are absolutely horrendous. PierceAn absoluly awful musical one of the worst. Maybe this type of movie is not my type of musical but there are so many other better movies than this crap fest. The songs are catchy but the acting and story are absolutely horrendous. Pierce broson and the rest of his merry men no joke there pretty merry are all very bad and while meryl streep was ok and so was the lead her friends were so cringe worthy to watch. I can name 3 musicals that are more entertaining than this into the woods chicago and les miserable. Les mis is not quite as a miserable movie going experience as this is. If you want to see a good musical go see the ones listed above otherwise stay clear.… Expand
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2
amheretojudgeMay 30, 2018
my sentiments exactly..

Mamma Mia! The songs, choreography and background score; something that musical acts completely rely upon and not affordable to go down south, is surprisingly dull and not at all up beating. The feature is short onmy sentiments exactly..

Mamma Mia!

The songs, choreography and background score; something that musical acts completely rely upon and not affordable to go down south, is surprisingly dull and not at all up beating. The feature is short on such technical aspects and fails to hold it up to the viewer's expectations and undermines the whole energy of the cinema instead of celebrating it. The idea might have been something to explore upon but the writing is so frizzy and lazy that it derails within its first act after which it never even attempts to lift itself up. Phyllida Lloyd lacks execution skills and needs to do some extra work on it but then the adapted screenplay by Catherine Johnson too didn't have enough crisp to make it on the screen in the first place. The performance too isn't up to the mark which comes as a bit of a shock especially from Meryl Streep, Colin Firth and Christine Baranski although it is enlightening to watch Julie Walters every now on then on screen. Mamma Mia! is a lost cause from the first frame where even though it attempts to go art-sy there is genuinely nothing to look up to and the reason being sloppy writing, poor execution and editing and somewhat questionable performances.… Expand
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2
TheHatManFeb 28, 2018
It's a movie that is only enjoyable to you if you personally hate movies that includes character development, plot and any effort to create fitting scenarios to the ABBA songs. The silence that came after the movie ended was the mostIt's a movie that is only enjoyable to you if you personally hate movies that includes character development, plot and any effort to create fitting scenarios to the ABBA songs. The silence that came after the movie ended was the most rewarding sound I've heard in my life. This is one of the most abnoxious, forced pieces of **** I've seen in a long time and it truly gives a horrible reputation to the chick-flick industry. Without the semi-decent acting and cinematography this would surely get a lower rating.… Expand
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1
onlyonceJul 22, 2018
This movie is for a young teen. The entire movie is boring. It would have been better a non musical. Merle Streep's character is like she didnt grow up any. Streeps two sidekicks in the movie are horrible. Just a big disappointment. IThis movie is for a young teen. The entire movie is boring. It would have been better a non musical. Merle Streep's character is like she didnt grow up any. Streeps two sidekicks in the movie are horrible. Just a big disappointment. I think the reason the movie was a hit was because of the music. More like a music video than a movie.… Expand
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0
SoulstoneMar 22, 2020
One of the worst movies I have ever seen in my life. It's boring, uninteresting and grating to watch. If you haven't seen it, you are keeping your IQ safe.
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