The Reel Rejects - MAMMA MIA! (2008) MOVIE REVIEW!! FIRST TIME WATCHING!!

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Starting point is 00:00:57 Visit your local Sierra store today. Thank you to Liquid IV for sponsoring this video. Aaron, you got anything else to say before we hop into this? Here we go again. Ooh! Roll the thing! So we're going to start talking about this. But before we do, if you guys are listening to this on the Apple or the Spotify,

Starting point is 00:01:22 go ahead, leave us a little bit of a rating, you know? I can't tell you what to do, but, you know, five stars sounds like a great place. Give him five stars. It's five stars. Also, big thanks to the folks who made this possible for us today. Shout out to the people that listened on Pandora. Aaron! What did you think, my friend?

Starting point is 00:01:40 What a fun festival movie this was. This was pure joy. It was pure drama. Everybody killed it. Everyone did. Moy Excellente on this movie here. Manessai Freed, Merrill Street, Pierce, Bros. all the people's they all did

Starting point is 00:02:00 good uh the story was fun it was it was whimsical it was something you can tell that they were having a great old time on and I I appreciated that I had fun watching their fun and the had a lot of great music

Starting point is 00:02:17 in it and I think that you know you guys saw us you guys saw us dancing and singing along you know I mean Swedish songwriters boy I didn't even Swedish songwriters that's Abba said that right Abba or Abba? I typically hear it as Ava, but the comments can correct us.

Starting point is 00:02:34 Abba, Abba? Anyway, I thought it was enjoyable. Was it my favorite music of all time? I won't say no. I mean, you know, that's you're right. I've seen better musicals, but I enjoy this music for what a, musical for what it was. I think that the fans of this musical will definitely really. appreciate it or obviously probably already have if you're watching us react to it uh i think that it does a good job of being a play that you can tell was written for the stage but adapting it in a way

Starting point is 00:03:10 where it makes it fun to watch on screen without feeling like damn i'm feeling i'm just watching like shot for shot this is what it would be if it was a play because it's definitely musical films that have been like that so for them to be able to set it in these locations and have it feel lived in and like see be so bright and vibrant with all its different colors and with its set design and with its costuming I thought it was it was just a good old joy it was a good old joy john they hired super local to or at least for some of these positions because there's a whole bunch of Greek names in the credits oh wow um sorry I was gonna say what did you think of the movie I enjoy I mean I enjoyed it quite a bit it's it was very fun watch and the energy

Starting point is 00:03:51 you know emanating from it is is hard to deny and I'm infectious You've got the ABBA music. You've got the beautiful, you know, picturesque locale. You've got a star-studded and quite appealing cast. So, like, yeah, it's imminently watchable for sure. And as I often kind of, a caveat I'll throw out there for any musical reaction is just that, like, I love a good musical. I love the tradition of musicals. But I don't regard myself as someone who has, like, the most refined palette in terms of, like, really being able to definitively tell you what's good or quality.

Starting point is 00:04:24 and I know people have a lot of different expectations, especially when it comes to the voices on display. And so, yeah, like, again, my recollection of the stage show that I would have seen is pretty slight. Like, I didn't remember half of the actual, like, where things go past the setup. But, yeah, it's like, I thought as a movie, you know, this was really fun.

Starting point is 00:04:47 And, yeah, like, the cast, I thought, had nice chemistry together and was very, again, appealing, very fun to watch. watch these guys play, I mean, like, you have like a fun symmetry because you have Amanda Seifred who is kind of the, you know, pinnacle of the little triangle of her little friends there, the triangle of them, which makes sense because like obviously we want to focus on her the most directly. Then you have her mom and, you know, these two veterans, you know, by her side. So you've got this interesting little dynamic there. And then you've got the three

Starting point is 00:05:20 potential fathers who are each, you know, their own individual presence, but also as a trio, they make for like a, a quirky, fun blend. And there are ways in which, you know, like sitting here and trying to do the movie math in my head, you know, I was, and not, again, remembering exactly where things panned out to. Like, it was fun to kind of sit and wonder, like, oh, man, you know, this comedy of errors and this comedy of, you know, telephone or, you know, little lies and little secrets and things like that. And, like, I thought all that stuff was uh was quite enjoyable and it didn't devolve into like we were sitting there going like oh man you know these guys could beat each other's throats right now and yet they're not you know

Starting point is 00:06:02 and uh and so like the slice of lifeness that exists within it because it's it's weird it almost feels to me like two things happening simultaneously because there is this slice of life quality of just like hey you know i don't know who my fathers are i'm on the eve of my marriage and you know this piece of my life feels like it's missing or it's, you know, incomplete somehow. So I'm just going to spend time, you know, with these guys to figure it out. And then we're going to spend a little time with mom and just see what her life is like, see what maybe, you know, past experiences or people she might be yearning for. Like a lot of those things lend themselves to the format of this.

Starting point is 00:06:42 Because, yeah, it's like in some ways it feels very classical. I don't know if this is ported over from some kind of. Greek play of some kind, like some kind of older Greek comedy or a Shakespeare. There are elements of it that feel like that where it's like, oh, we have these different couples or these, you know, different, you know, the symmetry of like different groups of people who could clearly end up together in some way, shape, or form. Or like, everyone could get married by the end of this in fine love. And so, like, all those things mashing together, I think, is fun.

Starting point is 00:07:14 And then you have the music, it's like you have the juxtaposition of the slice of lifeness of how the story is moving because the basics are pretty simple and then yeah you're just kind of spending time and luxurating in the chemistry of the actors and then you've got all this music that's like really propelling things and keeping the movie super rhythmic

Starting point is 00:07:32 so it's like I could understand how you might look at this and think like okay like it is sort of it's it's straightforward but you know like there's a lightness to it and certainly you know there's a lot happening in the music I could see how you would feel

Starting point is 00:07:49 like maybe less is happening in the plot. But, yeah, like, I thought everything was really enjoyable. And my only kind of, like, I thought the voices... ADR was a lot, which is fine. I mean, you know, it didn't wreck the movie for me, which, you know, is certainly testament to everything else working. And I get that, you know, for a lot of these things, you can't not... It seems like few movie musicals do the whole...

Starting point is 00:08:16 We're recording the songs sung live on set. But, you know, I get that you have to can that stuff. There is a lot of just dialogue that feels like it was captured in a booth. Or there are times where you could tell, wow, we're really out here on location. And then other times you're like, we're against green screen. But those elements, you know, to me are quite forgivable in a movie like this because it's not really the point. And as long as the music sounds good, as long as you can bop to the abba of it all because, you know, those songs are beloved and they have a different, you know, it's like a music. musical, there is like a crossroads you come to because, you know, it's like a new music musical.

Starting point is 00:08:54 Then you have to think, how is this going to serve the immediate moment of the experience? But also, are these songs going to stick with me? Are they going to be timeless? Are they going to be memorable? And something like this, Jukebox musical, we all know the songs already. So it's mostly about delivering good renditions. And I feel like that could be an area where people have mixed opinions because from what I know talking to Broadway heads in my life. and from the way that that has trained aspects of my ear,

Starting point is 00:09:22 the voices in the singing are all over the place in this movie. Here's Brosnan. He was trying, man, it's weird. He was doing something. He's, you know, he's on pitch, I suppose, and he's digging deep for that grit. But, but, yeah, it's like, Meryl Streep surprised me quite nicely over time, because as she started out, I was like, yeah, you know, she sounds appropriate for the ABBA music. You know, she can hold the tune in the vibrational.

Starting point is 00:09:47 vibrato and put some emotion into it. And the further it went, I was increasingly just appreciating her emotional tonality combined with the, like, people laud Merrill Streep, you know, perhaps more than any other prolific Hollywood actress. And you see why watching something like this, because she is just so vibrant and bright. And I think she's a great, she and Amanda Seifred are really nice compliments to each other because, again, I really believe them as mother-daughter, both in. terms that they look, you know, especially in the outfits and stuff, quite similar, but also their just vibes, you know, their energy together. I bought the story, the setup, their relationship, all that stuff. And yeah, like the further the movie went, her singing performances, you know, kept pulling me further and further in. And she did manage, especially by that last song she has

Starting point is 00:10:37 with Pierce Brosnan to really, like, get the grit and the belt. And, you know, when you hear it, it's satisfying. And I'm sure that there are more powerful voices to carry that role. But, you You know, that's a role where it has to work, I feel like. And Amanda Sefer, too, like, you know, again, not maybe the most powerful belter, but I liked the intimate sides of her voice and the more lively sides of her voice as well, at least enough to, again, you know, keep the songs fun and alive. The three potential dads, maybe Colin Furtt might be the best singer of all of them. They gave the most to Pierce Brosnan, which is fine from the story.

Starting point is 00:11:14 And again, as long as some of the other boxes. are checked, we can deal with that. But yeah, Pierce Brosnan, I don't imagine people. And in fact, in this moment, I kind of feel like that's probably a meme about this movie is his vocals in particular. But I liked her friends, too, Christine Beranski and the other actress whose name I am now, is now escaping me. I thought their chemistry is a trio, as a little power pop trio was great. That's fun. Yeah. Yeah. Like, and it's one of those movies that you could tell, like, this is a movie that feels like a vacation and movies like that can easily reek of like you guys had a much better time than any of us will um and i didn't get that from this like you know i felt

Starting point is 00:11:59 like the the lightness of it the cheese of it all that stuff to me is appropriate and you know the music speaks for itself largely depending on whose mouth it's in um so yeah all at all I had a good time. You know, like, yeah, I feel like a movie like this is supposed to be, again, a little bit light and a little bit campy. And that's part of the joy of it, you know. And then, you know, the parts that are sentimental can hit still, you know, because of that. And not to say it's devoid of drama, because I bought some of those moments too, certainly. But yeah, like the overall impact is, you know, a light, fun and breezy.

Starting point is 00:12:37 It feels to me like some kind of Shakespeare comedy where I was like, man, there was some convoluted circumstances. that we traversed to get here, but it all worked out in the end. It all worked out. And the resolve with her and Sky. Poor Sky. He just, he wanted a simple wedding, get all the way there, wedding's interrupted just for her to say she doesn't want the wedding. And then they get to travel the world.

Starting point is 00:12:58 I guess in the end he gets to do what he wanted them to do in the first place. But yeah, just a lot of trials and tribulations to get to that point. Pre-reject Nation, I am here to talk to you today about something that I value very. very much. And I hope you will learn to value it too. And if you already do, then I got an amazing recommendation for all of you. Now, many of you guys have been so kind to notice that Sir Gregory over here has been getting a little bit of a better shape as a late in the past year or so. I mean, I'm just looking. Everybody loves the guy who flexes on camera. No one finds that annoying or like they're trying to get attention. I'm only doing it to make a point

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Starting point is 00:17:06 when should you live your life, you know, what is too soon for a certain decision or whatnot? Like, I appreciated that those things pepper what's going on, even though you always have a sense that things will work out ultimately in a neat and, you know, endearing kind of way. Yeah, I agree. I thought, yeah, it was, it was light. Some of the stuff was a little unbelievable, but hey, that's just the nature of musicals. What do you mean, Aaron? What are you talking about three guys fly all the way to the air?

Starting point is 00:17:34 just to just to find out that they're all slept with the same girl 20 years ago I mean and they could be a dad that's just a lot going in knowing very little and just coming they're finding out that

Starting point is 00:17:47 that's just a lot to happen such a short amount of time but hey I'm glad that they're all cool I'm glad that you know a couple of them found love or rediscovered love and that's one of those things where I could absolutely see this being

Starting point is 00:18:00 two cheese to camp for somebody and a bit too like these three guys they show up and the mom can't decide and the daughter and none of these people are behaving like real humans and also like what is the reality with the music like all that stuff is I think for this to work is stuff that yeah kind of has to you know forget a little float away from your yeah you kind of got to set those things aside and not to say that you have to or that not being able to do so as a viewer is bad or anything like that you know it's just it's yeah I think for this to work you do kind of have to embrace the ham

Starting point is 00:18:35 and I think what really ultimately it does come down to beyond all that stuff and again just as as a semi-roob who's only seen this in community theater one time like 15 years ago take my opinion with a grain of salt because I don't know what the perfect Mamma Mia is but you know for what this was

Starting point is 00:18:56 it certainly could have gone way worse you know and I don't know I had a good time I'm curious to know who the director was, though, because, yeah, Felita Lloyd. I've never heard her name before, but... Okay. The Iron Lady director, eh?

Starting point is 00:19:14 She likes working with Merrill and... Okay, she produced the sequel. Okay, okay. Not bad, not bad. That was cool, though. And, I mean, you know, in a world where... Who is it, like, Rob Marshall and that one other guy direct, like, half the musicals.

Starting point is 00:19:28 You know, it was nice to get at least a different voice behind the camera. I like some I like the ensemble work I like the dancing I like because this is also one of those shows where yeah so much of the the choreography of the music is up front and the story elements are there but yeah there are the fluffier they are the more malleable elements to really support the structure of just keeping all this playlist going and yeah I think in that sense I lost my train of thought a little bit but it's okay I noticed that the second one came out 10 years after the first one. That's what I'm talking about, man. That's how you know it's going to be interesting for the passage of time. Exactly, for like a little relation there. Mamma Mia 1 came with the same year as Iron Man 1,

Starting point is 00:20:15 and Mamma Mia 2 came with the same year as Infinity War. Damn, so 2008, we were like, what's this internet thing? That whole little, little thread they had going here. Let's read a couple, unless you got any more criticisms or, Alice sees. We can read a couple of facts before we hit the boogie. No, I'm down for the facts. Down for the boogie. Let's do it. Well, hey, guess what? Pierce Brosnan had no idea what project he was about, what the project was about when he signed on.

Starting point is 00:20:46 The producers told him it was being filmed in Greece and Meryl Streep was starring. So Brosnan said he signed on for anything. He would sign on for anything involving Streep describing her as that gorgeous blonde I fancy terribly a drama school. That's awesome. he put that into the character I am sure Merrill Streep first saw the musical in October of 2001 with her daughter Louisa and her daughter's friends in

Starting point is 00:21:10 Manhattan and then she wrote to the producers to praise them for bringing a little happiness and fun to the lives of New York City's people following the 9-11 attacks whoa because that would be right then yeah the month after it wow damn yeah this is probably something a little bit special to her

Starting point is 00:21:25 definitely Merrill Streep went to Stockholm Sweden to record her vocal for the song the winner takes it all finished it in one take. Benny Anderson former Abba member and co-composer of the songs called Streep A Miracle. That was crazy.

Starting point is 00:21:41 She did fantastic. Yeah, I thought she did really nicely and it was like an understated buildup, you know, because yeah, at first I was starting out like, okay, you know, handling it, serviceable, doing a good job, and by the end I was like, well done. You were the right choice to lead this. And if you, I think if she wasn't there,

Starting point is 00:21:56 this movie would fall apart way harder. The cast member perform their own singing, that is clear. I like that last fight. And Colin, you want to read it? Sure. Colin Firth once stated that if heaven existed, he... Nope.

Starting point is 00:22:12 If heaven existed, when he arrives, he wants to hear God say, I personally thought you were very good at Mamma Mia. Excellent. You know, I hope God does say that because I liked Colin Furr. I like the three of them, but I feel like in ways I thought Colin Firth had the best balance of the faculties necessary. It's like Pierce Bras and I feel like I mostly appreciated him as an actor here. Stella Skarskars chilling being bohemian.

Starting point is 00:22:42 He's fine, but not as punctuated. And then, yeah, I thought in ways. And I liked that it was less than obvious, at least to me by the end that like, oh, he's gay. Like, that's right. No, it was very subtle. And yeah, like, I don't know, something like that. I like the way he played it.

Starting point is 00:22:57 And I like the way that he, you know, each of them, handled the characters. What's, before we get out of here, what is her name? What's the mom's? Julie Walters, there you go, is Rosie. I really like the ensemble three of them. But yeah, what did you guys think?

Starting point is 00:23:13 Mama Mia, here we go again. Should we check out the sequel? Let us know your thoughts. I really hope this does well because I really want to see the sequel because I know nothing about it, but I remember when it came out and people were like going nuts

Starting point is 00:23:26 in a, what seemed like, a very fun FOMO kind of way. Now, is the sequel also a play, or is this a sequel just a film for the, is it just a film sequel? I have no idea. My guess is film sequel. However, I could easily see it being, you know, we live in a different age of theater or two where now lots of stuff gets remade and sequelized the way, maybe not sequelized quite to the degree they do in movies, but these things happen more now than they used to.

Starting point is 00:23:57 So it could be. uh leave us your thoughts down below again like i we you know love the tradition of musicals and especially the way and especially seeing a few musical movies lately just how people go about you know orchestrating that for the big screen um so yeah you know leave us your thoughts and enlighten us what do you look for in a musical movie both in terms of how it is staged and shot but also how it is performed and sung especially um and i do and i guess i'll i'll close off saying that. It's like, yeah, while this certainly was a movie

Starting point is 00:24:31 and while, you know, certain aspects of the theatrical experience could be better displayed here, this did feel like the same energy as watching an ensemble of actors on stage. Like, not that movies, but there's just something kind of, there's a slightly

Starting point is 00:24:48 different timbre, and I could still feel, despite some of the, you know, movie elements and the ADR, things like that, like you could still feel the chemistry happening. and the back and forth and the timing of everything. I just want to say one last thing before we end. Let's do it.

Starting point is 00:25:03 Chair on top. The young black man that she was fancing after says it in the credit tier. His name was Pepper. His name was Pepper. Hey, you need a little pepper on everything. Springle, sprinkle, baby. Spreacle,

Starting point is 00:25:19 does Pepper appear in the sequel? Do not comment below. Leave us your favorite Abbasong and we'll catch you next time. Much love. nation. Really. Much love.

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The Reel Rejects - MAMMA MIA! (2008) MOVIE REVIEW!! FIRST TIME WATCHING!!

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