MAMMA MIA! HERE WE GO AGAIN (2018) – My rating: 8.3/10

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again is a musical romantic comedy written and directed by Ol Parker, from a story by Parker, Catherine Johnson, and Richard Curtis. It is a follow-up to the 2008 film Mamma Mia!, which in turn is based on the musical of the same name using the music of ABBA. Both a prequel and a sequel, the plot is set after the events of the first film, and also features flashbacks to 1979, telling the story of Donna Sheridan’s arrival on the island of Kalokairi and her first meetings with her daughter Sophie’s three possible fathers. I really wasn’t interested in seeing this movie, however I’m glad I did. Mamma Mia! Here we go again was a pretty descent sequel with loads of good music.  This is a feel good movie.

Sophie Sheridan (Amanda Seyfried) is preparing for the grand reopening of her mother’s Donna (Meryl Streep) hotel, following her death a year earlier. She is upset because two of her fathers, Harry Bright (Colin Firth) and Bill Anderson (Stellan Skarsgård), are unable to make it to the reopening. Additionally, she is fighting with Sky (Dominic Cooper), her husband, who is in New York.  He thinks Sophie should forget about memorializing her mother’s life and come back to New York to be with him.

In 1979, a young Donna (Lily James) has just graduated from university with young Rosie (Alexa Davies) and young Tanya (Jessica Keenan Wynn), and is getting ready to travel the world. While in Paris, she meets and parties with young Harry (Hugh Skinner). They spend the night together, but Donna leaves soon after. She later misses her boat to Kalokairi but is offered a ride by young Bill (Josh Dylan), and along the way, they are able to help a stranded fisherman, Alexio (Gerard Monaco).  Eventually, Donna arrives on an island and discovers a farmhouse. A sudden storm causes her to encounter a spooked horse in the basement. She goes in search of help only to find a young Sam (Jeremy Irvine) riding his motorcycle who helps her to save the horse.  She and Sam enjoy a whirlwind romance.

In the present, Tanya Chesham-Leigh (Christine Baranski) and Rosie Mulligan (Julie Walters) of Donna and the Dynamos, arrive to support Sophie with the reopening and to cheer up Sam Carmichael (Pierce Brosnan), who is still grieving over the death of Donna and the only one of the three fathers who is able to attend the reopening.  Also helping with the reopening is Fernando Cienfuegos (Andy Garcia), the manager of the Hotel Bella.

Mamma Mia! Here we go again turned out to be a good film full of song and dance, plus romance and happy times of an adventurous young lady who has sex with three guys around the same time and becomes pregnant.  While the story is believable, it’s also sad because these three gentlemen were all willing to spend their lives with Donna.  I liked the way the director combined the past and present, thereby allowing this sequel to be understood, even if you didn’t see the original.  I thoroughly enjoyed Mamma Mia! Here we go again, which has so many fabulous songs, sung by Amanda Seyfried, Christine Baranski and Jessica Keenan Wynn, as well as Meryl Streep, who I didn’t realize could sing so well, to name a few.  There is a surprise visit from Sophie’s grandmother who steals the show.  Mamma Mia! Here we go again was well received by critics and enjoyed better than average reviews.  I recommend this musical to everyone.  Check it out!

 

TROLLS (2016) – My rating: 8.5/10

Trolls is a fantastic story told with beautiful vivid dazzling colors and out of this world graphics. The music was especially good because it took me back to the days when I grew up listening to the kind of music I loved but don’t get to hear much any more. It was great hearing those old songs mixed with some great new ones.

Trolls are small doll like creatures (also popular in my youth) who live in an almost perpetual state of happiness, singing, dancing, and hugging all day long. That’s all they do. Life was good until they were discovered by the Bergens, who are the opposite of the Trolls. They are not very attractive, large creatures who never feel happy, but discover they can feel momentary happiness if they devour a Troll. The Bergen’s capture the Trolls and place them in a cage, then hold an annual festival in which, each Bergen gets their feeling of happiness, by eating a Troll. On the day that Prince Gristle Jr. (Christopher Mintz-Plasse)  was supposed to eat his first Troll, they had all escaped through underground tunnels, led by the troll King Peppy (Jeffrey Tambor). Furious Bergen King Gristle Sr. (John Cleese) banishes his Chef (Christine Baranski) who was in charge of the Troll preparation. After 20 years, the Trolls were never seen or heard from again by the Bergens.

King Peppy’s daughter, an extremely happy and optimistic troll Princess Poppy (Anna Kendrick), decides to throw a huge party to celebrate the Trolls’ 20th year anniversary of freedom and the escape from the Bergens. Poppy ignored the fears and warnings of the grey, grumpy, glum troll who wouldn’t sing, called Branch (Justin Timberlake), that loud parties could attract the Bergens. Branch’s fears become true when the banished Bergen Chef,  sees the fireworks and captures a number of Trolls. Poppy is among the Trolls who manage to hide, but discovers that none of the other Trolls dare to venture to Bergen Town to rescue their friends. She goes by herself, but gets trapped by several spider-like creatures. She is saved by the reluctant Branch, and together they go to Bergen Town.

Poppy and Branch discover that their friends are being guarded by the Scullery Maid Bridget (Zooey Deschanel), and strike a deal with her: If she frees their friends, they will help her get a date with the now King Gristle Jr. Poppy and Branch learn that Creek (Russell Brand), a Zen-like Troll  is being held apart from the rest in a jewel that decorates the king’s mantle.

Of course, I won’t tell any more of the story, as not to spoil it for you–so check it out to see what happens.  Trolls is a happy film that will make you feel good.  I recommend it to all.

[TROLLS is nominated for Original Song]