Mamma Mia!
Published December 1, 2018
Film info
- Title Mamma Mia!
- Director Phyllida Lloyd
- Year 2008
- Run time 1hr 48m
- Genres Comedy, Romance
- Tagline Take a trip down the aisle you'll never forget
Sophie has just one wish to make her wedding perfect: to have her father walk her down the aisle. Now she just has to find out who he is... Join the music, laughter and fun of the irresistibly charming Mamma Mia! The Movie. A musical celebration of mothers, daughters and fathers, and true loves lost and new ones found. Based on the Broadway smash-hit and filled with the ABBA songs you know and love, it's the feel-good experience that will have you singing and dancing over and over again.
Live blog
| Time | Comment |
|---|---|
| 0:57 | Doesn’t bode well when you start with Mr C saying: “Is this an ident or the start of the film?” |
| 4:04 | “Ransacking some old trunks.” That has to be a euphemism for something. |
| 6:57 | Is that woman Scottish? It’s the worst accent I’ve heard in a while. |
| 9:11 | So many awesome people in this film, how is that possible? |
| 10:44 | I don’t buy them as a couple at all. |
| 14:15 | So many thoughts about this film but the first is, I can’t begin to imagine how much ADR they had to do. |
[…]
Thoughts
Just awful. Was I watching the right thing? I don’t get why people love this so much?
The audio was terrible, the ADR incredibly distracting. There was a hint of a story there but the songs didn’t make much sense in situ.
How could a cast this brilliant create such a terrible movie?
Rating: 0/5
Revisited - May 2026
I was never comfortable in having not enjoyed this movie. It’s such a cultural touchstone, and so many people love it. When I’ve seen the stars and fans talking about it more recently, I realised where I went wrong. Everyone is aware that this is not a good movie, but they all love it and enjoyed it so much, that’s all that matters. Go into this with an entirely different attitude, and maybe it could work?
For the first time ever, I wanted to rewatch a movie that I hadn’t finished previously, and that means a second attempt at a live blog and everything.
Live blog - May 2026
| Time | Comment |
|---|---|
| 4:38 | “Dot, dot dot… that’s what they did in the olden days.” |
| 10:08 | You can’t know he’s your father just by looking at him. |
| 12:21 | There must be something in the Greek water, they have so much energy. |
| 20:17 | Literal earthquake and she’s like ‘just don’t think about it.’ |
| 26:24 | Definitely prefer Pierce now than with the moustache and hair! |
| 30:11 | “I’m spontaneous.” Love Harry. |
| 38:52 | For a hotel with no guests, she seems to have a lot of staff. |
| 47:56 | That’s a lot of people going to his stag do. |
| 55:57 | She’s asking him but how would he actually know for sure? |
| 1:03:51 | Bagpipes and a hangover are a bad combination. |
| 1:08:21 | “What would the father of the bride normally do?” “Pay.” |
| 1:19:06 | Just what she needs, another person hoping to give her away. |
| 1:27:49 | Sky is the most patient guy in the world. |
| 1:30:33 | “Why waste a good wedding?” I don’t think that’s how weddings work. |
Thoughts - May 2026
Yea, this was a completely different viewing. I have to say, the most important thing was that all the audio issues I’d noticed first time round were gone, so I don’t know if they’ve been fixed in the meantime or what, but it got things off to a much better start. It’s still terrible, the relationships are weird, the girl makes every wrong decision it’s possible to make, and there are plot holes galore. But hey, everyone is having a blast, running around in the Greek sunshine and revelling in some fantastic music.
(Seriously, why so much running? They’d be mid-conversation and then just run off to the other side of the island so the other people have to follow! Everyone spent most of the film out of breath!)
Pierce Brosnan is adorable, and Amanda Seyfried showed up everyone with her singing, but this time round, I loved it! Now to watch the sequel!
Rating: 3 / 5
