Almost all of the original cast returns for the sequel, but the movie is also a prequel of sorts, following a young Donna as she ends up onKalokairi and meets all three of Sophie's potential dads. In the present day, Sophie is working to reopen her mother's hotel, finds out she's pregnant, and meets her estranged grandmother, played by none other than Cher.
It's a heartwarming and worthy follow-up to the original movie.
Why you should care:It's a sequel that's better than the first movie.
As many fans guessed with the first trailer, Donna (Meryl Streep) is dead. But even though her absence is felt, it doesn't make the movie any less fun.
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The flashbacks to young Donna, played by Lilly James, are interwoven throughout the movie at the right moments to add more color and context. The parallels to the first movie are fun to spot, but the new story is more fun and silly.
There are also incredibly quotable lines coming from Tanya (Christine Baranski) and Rosie (Julie Walters), who show up to support Sophie in the reopening of her mother's hotel.
And if fans were worried, Streep is still in the movie in a small capacity.
What's hot: The new and returning cast are full of wonder.
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Almost all of the cast returns in the sequel and their characters are just as silly and fun. Amanda Seyfried and Dominic Cooper are lovely as Sophie and Sky, Streep's small turn as Donna is emotional, and Baranski and Walters are perfect as Tanya and Rosie. Then the dads — Sam (Pierce Brosnan), Bill (Stellan Skarsgard), and Harry (Colin Firth) — are just as endearing.
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But with the flashbacks, new actors are introduced to play young versions of our favorite characters. Jeremy Irvine is a young Sam, Hugh Skinner is a young Harry, and Josh Dylan is a young Bill, who all woo the heart of a young Donna. Her two friends are played by Alexa Davies as young Rosie and Jessica Kennan Wynn as young Tanya. Wynn's impersonation of Baranski is spot-on and her exact mannerisms are impressive.
Then of course there's Andy Garcia as new characterFernando Cienfuegos and Cher, who is wonderful as Sophie's estranged grandmother.
But the standout is James. Her enthusiasm and joy for life as young Donna is projected beautifully in all of her scenes. It's easy to see how her carefree life led her to Greece and the events that would change her life.
What's not: The timeline is a little off.
The best thing about the movie is that it leans into the wild and corny moments, so my only critique, as someone who isn't taking this movie too seriously, is that the timeline doesn't exactly make sense.
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The events in Donna's diary from the first movie don't line up with the flashbacks. In the sequel, she meets Harry in Paris and the two hook up there before she heads to Greece where she later meets Bill and Sam. It's unclear how many weeks or days pass, and it's a little out of wack.
But really, none of that matters.
The bottom line: It's the perfect movie to escape to.
The "Mamma Mia" movies are not Oscar-worthy films that are going to transform your life. But that's not why you watch them.
"Mamma Mia!: Here We Go Again" is an utter delight. Between the glorious soundtrack that made me dance in my seat to the corny moments that made me laugh, I couldn't stop smiling the whole time.It's fairly predictable but a pure joy to sit through. And the end may even make you tear up — it sure made me sniffle.
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Grade: A-
"Mamma Mia!: Here We Go Again" arrives in theaters on Friday, July 20. Watch the full trailer below:
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