Release Date: July 20, 2018

Director: Ol Parker

Starring: Lily James (Young Donna), Meryl Streep (Older Donna), Amanda Seyfried (Sophie)

MPAA Rating: PG-13

Our Rating: A

Ten years after the release of “Mamma Mia!” the sequel, “Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again!” was released. Taking place on the same Greek island, the new movie introduces new characters, like the famous singer Cher as Ruby, new romances, more music and a unique time frame.

Featuring scenes from both the present and the past, the sequel exceeded the expectations that were set due to the unfortunate ratings of the first movie. Musically, it introduced new ABBA songs that leave you humming the melody to yourself long after the movie ends. The actors sang on-point and conveyed powerful emotions into their singing. The music’s integration into the narrative did not interrupt the plot, creating enjoyable musical acts. If you loved the musical aspect of the first movie, you will certainly be singing along to the sequel.

The main feature that the audience loved was the switch between the time frames in the movie. The audience discovers the life of young Donna, but also follows the life of older Sophie who is mourning the loss of her mother. The life of young Donna allows viewers to experience the story from a different perspective; the first movie merely tells Donna’s story from Sophie’s perspective with little detail, while the sequel actually follows Donna throughout her romantic journey. The life of older Sophie mirrors some aspects of Donna’s life including the management of the hotel. This portrays their mother-daughter relationship which gives a positive message to the movie.

Some viewers critiqued the movie for its lack of a relevant plot. However, the plot was enjoyable to others as it was rich in plot twists and emotional scenes. The unexpected death of Donna left viewers shocked and emotional since they had developed a connection to her throughout the first movie. The plot has the perfect balance of both comedy and emotion with scenes that leave the audience laughing out loud and scenes that leave them tearing up. The end of the movie merges past and present characters to the ABBA hit “Super Trouper.” The actors dance away to the catchy song giving the ending a comical and unique element.

“It didn’t add anything relevant to the plot. The plot went nowhere, literally nowhere,” junior Melanie Artiles said.

Adding more to the plot did not seem to be the intentions of the second movie. Instead, adding closure to the story as a whole seemed to be its purpose, which was done successfully. Serving as both a prequel and a sequel, this movie allows viewers to go on an emotional rollercoaster. It is an improvement from the first movie and is definitely worth a watch… or many.