Blu-ray Review HTF BLU-RAY REVIEW: MAMMA MIA! (RECOMMENDED) (1 Viewer)

[FranklinC]

Uh, no I didn't. I think I've made myself clear on that. You misunderstood. No big deal.

My understanding is Catherine Johnson wrote the "story" if you want to call it that, Phyllida Lloyd also directed the stage production. This was her first time directing a motion picture, and it shows. They are not getting misplaced credit, as you keep insisting I am saying. They are riding coat tails. Do you get it?

Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus better have gotten music and lyrics credit because they did write the songs thirty years ago. Why does that mean they contributed anything more to the production?

 

[Wayne_j]

In the case of Benny at least, he is shown extensively in the special features recording the music for the film and is shown working with the actors. The production even filmed a scene on his boat. Both Benny and Bjorn have cameos in the film.

 

[Timothy E]

The special features on the Blu Ray show that Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus worked with the actors in the recording studio to help them harmonize with the "Wall of Sound" in the music.
Benny and Bjorn were also executive producers of the film, along with Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson.
Benny and Bjorn both made cameo appearances in the film, and they both worked with the filmmakers and studio musicians in creating the musical arrangements for the film. They did such a fine job recreating the original sound that you can be forgiven for believing that the actors simply sang karaoke style over the original recordings instead of the fact that new instrumentals and sound arrangements were apparently created specifically for this film.
Love it or hate it, the original composers of the ABBA catalog were involved with the film far beyond merely cashing their royalty checks.

 

[Ron-P]

The fuss being made about the story for this film is comical. It's no better or worse then 90% of the movies coming out of Hollywood.

I thought this was a far better film then Dark Knight, that one had one great aspect to it, Ledger, everything else was ho-hum. This had so much more going for then just one aspect like Dark Knight did.

 

[Michael Reuben]

I'm afraid the misunderstanding is on your end. You're fully entitled to your opinion or Mamma Mia! I'm no great fan of it myself (though I enjoyed the movie). But regardless of what any of us may think of it, it's been a bona fide worldwide smash success for 10 years now, on both stage and screen, and Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus have been closely involved in the process.

None of this is news to anyone who follows musical theater. If it's coming as a shock to some of you who only know ABBA songs from other contexts, well, you'll just have to catch up with the rest of us.

 

[Dustin James]

This thread has been wildly entertaining (although a bit exhausting at times).

I have one co-worker that if we disagree on a movie it drives her absolutely nuts when she cannot change my mind. Whether I share it or not, I can usually see her point of view; she can rarely see mine.

Having seen both the stage and screen versions of Mamma Mia, the biggest negatives of the movie for me were the sloppily edited musical numbers and Pierce Brosnan's singing voice (he really should have tried the Rex Harrison 'talk/sing' style used in My Fair Lady although that style may not be suited for ABBA songs); thank God, Amanda Seyfried (Shophie) has a beautiful voice.

For the people who enjoyed the movie, it is just silly fun (and I was in the mood for stupid, silly fun when I saw it).

My stupid, silly fun may not be your stupid silly fun.

For those that did not enjoy it, it is a steaming pile of poo (and I totally understand why).

I was not surprised that it did well at the box office; I was surprised at how well (as I thought nothing, in the same genre, could do as well as Hairspray which I consider a much superior recent stage-to-movie musical... or should that be movie-stage-movie musical...).

An interesting mix of musical 'mash-up' properties have been mentioned in this thread, many of which seem (as well as I remember) to be just as divisive as Mamma Mia:

Moulin Rouge (I don't even refer to it as a musical, I call it a parody of a musical; I began actively disliking it less than 5 minutes in; and, again, I especially did not care for the epileptic editing style of the numbers).

Across the Universe (I enjoyed it; others did not).

Beatles/Cirque's Love at the Mirage in Las Vegas (not a movie, but another property that also repurposes/reinterprets one group's catalog; don't judge it if you haven't seen it; Beatles purists seem to cringe at what George and Giles Martin did with the music, but I liked it and the show is my favorite Cirque production).

The level of my enjoyment of a movie is pretty much dependent on my ability to surrender to the alternate reality established within the movie.

I found Mamma Mia, despite being sloppily put together, mostly fun; but don't expect me to be moving to a Greek island to build a bed'n'breakfast and start singing "I Have a Dream."



p.s. This movie is a perfect example of: 'Didn't see it in the theater? RENT! Blind buys are like playing roulette.'

 

[Brian Sharp]

Mama Mia dvd was the number 1 selling item for Amazon UK in 2008. Obviously appeals to someone!

 

[Paul D G]

My wife and I went to see this in the theater and we were both looking forward to it. We've been discussing seeing the musical for some years but small children has been preventing us.

We were both very disappointed. Frankin summed it up best. I'll just add that the entire thing seemed like a B movie - campy acting, bad editing, bad cinematography, bad performance numbers... Like they pumped it out to make a buck. And the film just looked bad as well. I recall the image wasn't sharp and crisp as it should have been and instead looked like a copy of a copy of a print. And we saw it within a week or two of release.

 

[FranklinC]

Wait. Jason's misinterpretation of something I said is my misunderstanding? Interesting.

The only thing that shocked me was the quality of this film. I have not seen the stage production so I can not comment on it. Possibly the overacting and melt-your-face giddiness might work from 50 yards away. On a 67" 1080p HDTV, it has all the appeal of napalm.

 

[Jason_V]

FranklinC, from your own post....


I've given you reasons why I enjoy the film, yet you ignore them.

To be completely honest with you, I don't care one lick if someone likes the movie or not. We're all entitled to our own opinions, just like Ron-P was not a fan of The Dark Knight. What gets me is the need to go all hyperbolic (worst movie ever? really?) on it and presenting incorrect information as facts to back up your case.

 

[FranklinC]

Jason, let me clarify:

The "people" I'm talking about are Lloyd and Johnson. I think there is such a large chasm between the quality of what Benny and Bjorn contributed creatively to the production (the songs) and what the Lloyd and Johnson contributed that it is ridiculous for them to be credited with creating anything mildly entertaining. Like I said, I don't know how much else ABBA members did creatively, they might have come up with the whole thing for all I know. In which case Lloyd and Johnson REALLY didn't do anything worthwhile.

To me if I had said, "Lloyd and Johnson took credit for writing the songs when they didn't", THAT would be saying they took credit for someone else's work. I am saying they used someone else's work (with permission) to make something people seem to love, and didn't add anthing else worthwhile. Just an opinion. But I never indicated they took credit for writing the songs. That would be factually incorrect, as you say.

Did not mean to ignore your reasons for liking the movie. I understand you had fun watching it. Just understand that to me that sounds like someone saying they had fun getting their thumbs screwed. My opinion is no more valid then yours. Cheers.

 

[Michael Reuben]

You're stuck with the fact that millions of people worldwide have been entertained, even if you haven't.

Believe me, I sympathize: I could give you a list of popular films about which I feel the same way. But facts are facts.

 

[Jason_V]

I appreciate that clarification, Franklin. And as we've both agreed before, the quality (or lack thereof) of the storyline is subjective. Lloyd, Johnson and ABBA created a story around songs which were never ever meant to be connected in any way.

So, wanna go see something else together?

 

[FranklinC]

Never said anyone took credit for someone else's work. Jason misread my meaning, maybe because I wasn't clear enough. We worked it out.

You seem to be willfully misrepresenting what I said, though. Look, this is getting tiresome. I stand by everything I have said. The problem with explaining yourself or clarifying is you open yourself up to charges of back-peddling. You are entitled to your opinion, just as I am. Good luck to you.

 

[MattFini]

I bought this BD for my girlfriend for Xmas and we got around to watching it last weekend.

On one hand I felt as though the film was one great big mess. It felt unfocussed from a narrative standpoint, some of the characters were annoying and the direction was very obviously the work of a first time film director.

And yet, I really liked it. It's definitely not a good film in my eyes, but it kept me smiling for its entire run time. Hell, even Brosnan's questionable singing talents were endearing to me (but I'm a big Pierce fan, so ...). Meryl Streep brought a lot of the film and I honestly don't know if the film would've been as enjoyable without her. Then, of course, there's the music ... I loved it.

Technically, I thought the BD was incredible and I'm already planning another viewing this weekend. Silly, stupid stuff ... but there's an energy and a likeability here that I found very easy to love.

 

[Michael Reuben]

Agreed.

 

[FranklinC]

This thread has been the MOST FUN EVER! It really is fascinating how strongly people's different opinions are on this film (not excluding myself). I can't wait for others to join in after seeing it...

 

[Mike Frezon]

Do THEY look like they're having fun?!?

 

[Richard Travale]

Is anybody else having trouble finding copies of this? I have looked everywhere here in Nanaimo and there are none to be had on Blu-Ray.

 

[Timothy E]

All of the people who hate this movie are buying up all of the DVDs to spite the people who love this movie.