Mamma Mia!

A sprightly adaptation of the popular stage musical constructed around old ABBA songs, director Phyllida Lloyd's Mamma Mia! not only makes it clear that beautiful young Amanda Seyfried (a supporting player in Mean Girls, Alpha Dog, and the TV series Veronica Mars) is a star in the making, but also reveals that accomplished dramatic actress Meryl Streep is one helluva song-and-dance gal. Streep plays independent single mother Donna, owner of a small, ramshackle hotel on an idyllic Greek island. With her spirited daughter Sophie (Seyfried) about to be married, Donna has invited her lifelong best girlfriends—practical, no-nonsense Rosie (Julie Walters) and flirtatious, wealthy divorcee Tonya (Christine Baranski)—to the wedding. Meanwhile, Sophie has secretly invited some guests of her own: Sam (Pierce Brosnan), Harry (Colin Firth), and Bill (Stellan Skarsgard), all three of whom are mentioned in her mother's diary as lovers during the summer Sophie was conceived. Not surprisingly, the men throw Donna for a loop, leading to 24 chaotic, magical hours during which new love blooms and old romances are rekindled. A boisterous musical romp (the cast members perform their own musical numbers) with plenty of high-spirited, infectious fun, this is recommended. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include audio commentary by director Phyllida Lloyd, a 24-minute 'making-of' featurette, a featurette on 'Becoming a Singer' (11 min.), eight minutes of deleted scenes, an 'Anatomy of a Musical Number: Lay All Your Love On Me' featurette (6 min.), a behind-the-scenes segment featuring star Amanda Seyfried (4 min.), an 'On Location in Greece' featurette (4 min.), 'A Look Inside Mamma Mia!' featurette on the hit stage musical (3 min.), the deleted musical number 'The Name of the Game' (3 min.), 'Bjorn Ulvaeus Cameo' on the ABBA singer's appearance (2 min.), outtakes (2 min.), the 'Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!' music video, and—oh yeah!— 'Sing-Along' viewing option with onscreen lyrics for 22 musical numbers. Blu-ray exclusive features include a 'Behind the Hits' viewing option which includes trivia about the hit ABBA tunes and albums, and a picture-in-picture feature that includes interactive cast and crew interviews and behind-the-scenes footage. Also included is a bonus digital copy of the film. Bottom line: an excellent extras package for a decent musical.] (E. Hulse) [Blu-ray Review—Nov. 24, 2009—Universal, 109 min., PG-13, $49.98—Making its second appearance on Blu-ray, 2008's Mamma Mia! (The Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! More Gift Set) sports a decent transfer with DTS-HD 5.1 sound. Blu-ray extras are identical to those on the previous release, but exclusive to this version is an 18-song CD soundtrack and a 32-page collectible booklet. Bottom line: since both the Blu-ray and CD are available separately, the only new item here is the booklet—and that's not enough to justify purchasing again.] [Blu-ray/DVD Review—June 12, 2018—Universal, 109 min., PG-13, DVD: $12.99, Blu-ray: $14.99—Making its latest appearance on DVD and Blu-ray, 2008’s Mamma Mia! features a decent transfer with DTS-HD 5.1 audio. Extras new to this release include the behind-the-scenes segments 'VH1 10 Most Excellent Things' (21 min.), 'Gimme Gimme Gimme Even More' (19 min.), 'A Talented Trio: The Creators' (10 min.), 'Christine Baranski and the Boys' (6 min.), ‘Breaking Down ‘Voulez-Vous’'(5 min.), 'More of ‘Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!’' (5 min.), 'Meryl’s Big Number' (4 min.), 'Behind the Scenes with Amanda' (4 min.), and 'On Location in Greece' (4 min.). Extras carried over from the previous release include audio commentary by director Phyllida Lloyd, a 'making-of' featurette (24 min.), a 'Becoming a Singer' segment (11 min.), an 'Anatomy of a Musical Number: Lay All Your Love On Me' featurette (6 min.), a behind-the-scenes segment with star Amanda Seyfried (4 min.), 'Bjorn Ulvaeus Cameo' on the ABBA singer’s appearance (2 min.), 'A Look Inside Mamma Mia!' segment on the stage musical (3 min.), deleted scenes (8 min.), the deleted musical number 'The Name of the Game' (3 min.), outtakes (2 min.), the 'Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!' music video, and a 'Sing-Along' viewing option with onscreen lyrics for 22 musical numbers. Bottom line: while the additional extras will appeal to fans, most will not need to add this if they already own the 2008 Blu-ray release.]