R2OK!

RockitRon · Joined: 07 Dec 2006 Posts: 7646

There has been some discussion, in the papers and elsewhere in this forum, of the merits or otherwise of Abba's songs, in particular the absurdity of most of the lyrics.

I've always loved the music, as pure pop, and enjoyed the experience of the West End musical Mamma Mia, which uses their songs. The story/plot is corny, the solo singing was feeble but the chorus usually joins in after a line or two to rescue things, and the whole audience is usually on its feet soon after.

I finally got round to see the film of the musical last night - we'd tried to get in last week but the local screens were still fully booked. So, there were six of us (my wife and myself, mother-in-law, sister-in-law and her mother and sister - I felt like a rose between the thorns and was prepared for a very girly experience).

We outnumbered the rest of the audience. Shocked

The movie keeps faithfully to the stage version, except that Colin Firth scores with a fella at the end. The lyrics, which you can hear much more clearly, sound even more absurd, and although their voices are stronger, aided by the studio soundtrack recording, the star names (Brosnan, Streep, Firth, Walters) are awful singers; indeed, some of the acting, especially that of our latter day James Bond, left something to be desired as well. Amamnda Seyfried as Sophie sounds (and looks) nice though. As before the chorus rescues the songs, but as there was no audience there was no atmosphere ripe for a singalong.

Despite the PG rating there was one "f---ing", which I don't remember at the Prince of Wales Theatre, uttered by Rachel McDowell's character, Lisa, as she was taking her boots off at the end of the hen party. Naughty.

We all enjoyed the film, but I can't say it will go down as one of the greatest movie musicals.
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Ron