Spanning time and now generations, the songs of ABBA continue to find new followers. This point is strongly illustrated by the sequel to Mama Mia! Part two arrives ten years after the release of original film and it throws everything but the kitchen sink at the new audience.
It tries its best to deliver something new with what is in essence the same set of songs as the first film (and musical on which the movie is based). It dips into flash backs, origin stories and flushes out the characters with extended back stories. They even add Cher to the mix and bring Meryl Streep back from the grave.
It’s unfair to be too critical of all this effort as the end product is rather infectious and more than a little bit charming. The challenge is not to your intellect but to keep from tapping your toes and singing along to the little bits of ear candy.
Even if you’re not a fan of those Swedish superstars, you will know most of the lyrics through osmosis. Their songs have been used is almost every context. See Mama Mia: Here We Go Again with someone you love, especially if they love ABBA.
Rob Hudson
www.mammamiaherewegoagain.com.au
