It’s been awhile (try 8 years) since I’ve written any movie reviews.  Back in the day when I was writing them regularly for @NZone Magazine, I was putting out about one per month.  These days, well, I hardly ever go to the movies anymore.  This is partly due to being hyper budget-conscious (movies are just crazy expensive anymore), but I’m also finding it more rare that something is out which I feel I absolutely HAVE to see. I’ve found myself wondering if this isn’t somewhat because of Tivo…  Since I hardly ever watch live TV anymore, I don’t really see commercials which would include movie reviews.  Generally speaking, I don’t even know what’s IN the theater any given weekend.

But somehow Mamma Mia caught my attention, and so when my friend Shanna invited me out to see it, I jumped at the chance (of course, I may have just been jumping at the chance to go out and spend some time with friends and likely couldn’t have cared less what we were going to see exactly, but whatever).  We actually saw it a couple of weeks ago, but something made me think of it today so I thought I’d set just a few comments down in case anyone was interested or considering seeing it themselves.

First, I’ll say I really liked the movie…it made me long for Greece…but having seen the Broadway production, I have to say that the Broadway version was way way way better.

Some might say that this is always true - that, like a movie made from a book, the original is always better, but not so…  Chicago springs to mind - saw the movie, saw the Broadway show.  Movie wins.  Footloose would be another where I think I would choose movie over Broadway.

Sadly I did not feel the same way about Mamma Mia.  I love Meryl Streep (and honestly was shocked at how limber she apparently is!) but I’m sure it didn’t help that, as much as I enjoy looking at Pierce Brosnan, I discovered that I do not like hearing him sing.  Additionally, I could have done without seeing the fabulously sexy Colin Firth kissing a boy. Sigh.  Also, can’t say I recall that being part of the original storyline, but maybe it was and I just blocked it out.

Of course the music is fabulous.  Everybody loves ABBA…well, except for maybe my parents who, when I was talking to them about Mamma Mia, my dad said, “Yeah, so what’s that movie all about anyway?  Just looks like a bunch of people jumping around and singing in the previews.”  (He doesn’t get out to many musicals these days).

“It’s a movie they made from the Broadway play,” I told him, “based on ABBA’s music.”

“Who’s ABBA?” they both said almost simultaneously.

I stared.  “You’re kidding, right?” I said.  “ABBA - you know - super popular band from the 70’s…won tons of awards…”  They both shook their heads.  “Really?”  I opened up iTunes and played a few of ABBA’s hits for them thinking that perhaps they’d know the tunes even if they didn’t know the name of the band.  No luck.  It was then I remembered that my parents were never terribly into music while I was growing up, and apparently not before either.  As a kid, I had always thought that when one became an adult, one stopped listening to rock music altogether because I knew my parents never did.  I was happy to have that myth debunked, but it’s funny what kids think.

Anyway, with movie prices at $10+ (around here at least, although this one was free for me - I had one last pass in my “Entertainment” envelope), I’m not sure I’d say to spend the money to see it in the theater, but it will certainly make a good rental.  Especially for those who have never been to Greece - I felt it did a great job of providing a taste of what the Dodeconese Islands are all about…not to mention how stunningly beautiful they are.  Man, I need to get back there.