Mamma Mia! (2008)

A small portion of this movie got it right. ABBA's songs are certainly meant to be sung by joyous characters on the beach. I'm pretty sure they weren't supposed to be sung by flailing actresses, though. Or thrown into a script that seems to assume no one in the world has aged past the age of 16 emotionally. By the end of the movie, I was so amused by how immature all the characters were that I had resorted to making snarky comments at the screen. Songs that begin promisingly ("Lay Your Love On Me") suddenly trip over horrible choreography and directing and fall flat. Meryl Streep gesticulates so wildly during her solos - I'm not sure whether she was directed stupidly, or doesn't know what to do with her hands when she sings. Also, Pierce Brosnan is far, far, far from a singer. The soundtrack might be worth getting... the frenetic, hyperactive movie is not. 2.5 stars.