엄마 미아!

I took my mom to see Mama Mia before her flight last night. BT-dub, the movie theaters are packed on Chuseok. I thought it was only my family who went to the movies on a major holiday, but apparently it's a general Korean thing. So I guess watching Saw II on the birthday of Jesus is an inherent part of being Korean.

I saw the Mama Mia stage production a couple of years ago back in SF, and I remember it being campy, but enjoyable, so I was looking forward to Mama Mia the movie.

For those of you unfamiliar with the musical (Where have you been, people?), Mama Mia is the tale of a young woman, Sophie (Amanda Seyfried), who, unbeknownst to her mother (Meryl Streep), invites three of her mother's former lovers to her wedding. One of these three men is her father (I know. The mother was such a tart!). Through a series of song and dance numbers originally performed by Abba, Sophie is determined to figure out the identity of her unwitting father just in time for him to walk her down the aisle. I know. I know. If you'll just accept the kooky premise, you're more likely to enjoy the show. Just go with it.

If the premise doesn't catch your interest, maybe these musical clips will...





No? Still not interested?
I don't blame you. You're not missing out on anything.

My sister, after watching the film online, had recommended the movie to me. I'm sad to say that it was a major disappointment, despite the presence of Meryl Street. The Broadway musical just does not translate well to the big screen. The camp and spandex are simply enlarged in film -- in a bad way. It sort of felt like an extended karaoke music video, especially during the bits when the actor pranced around the island in slow-mo. It also seemed like all of the characters were performing under the influence. There were even a few times that I thought Amanda Seyfried's eyes were going to pop out of her head. I love Meryl Streep, but her character came off as cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs, if you know what I mean.

With Meryl Streep & Colin Firth, Abba songs, and raunchy old people jokes, Mama Mia is strategically designed for ajummas, and yet, even my mom fell asleep.

Today, my sister tells me that she fast forwarded through all the bits with dialogue. Thanks a lot, Doogal. Wish you had told me that earlier.

The movie has a few fun moments, but I would by no means recommend the film. If you don't like Abba, then you're definitely not going to like Mama Mia the movie. If you love Abba, then you may want to look out for the sing-along edition now playing in select theaters. Check the movie website for theater listings.