Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again serves as both a prequel and a sequel to the original 2008 smash musical hit, Mamma Mia!. The sequel opens in a very similar way to the first film, with Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) writing invitations to her potential fathers, but this time it’s to the grand opening of the Hotel Bella Donna, the completely refurbished Greek island hotel named in honor of her mother Donna (Meryl Streep), who had passed away a year earlier. A storm is a approaching and it threatens to ruin Sophie’s grand opening gala, tearing down decorations and preventing guests from arriving. Not only that, but many of the people she loves won’t be there for the grand opening. Two of her fathers have prior engagements, and Sophie’s partner Sky (Dominic Cooper) is away in New York City for 6 weeks taking a hotel management training course. He has been offered a full time job there, and so their future is also up in the air, especially since Sophie feels emotionally drawn to stay in Greece to run her mother’s namesake.

Meanwhile, in the prequel, we flash back to 1979 where the young Dynamos—Donna (Lily James), Rosie (Alexa Davies) and Tanya (Jessica Keenan Wynn)—are graduating from New College in Oxford, and of course they turn the ceremony into a wild sing-along. Donna isn’t surprised when her mother doesn’t show up for her graduation, after all, her mother has been disappointing and unreliable all of her life. So Sophie decides to head off on her own European tour to see the world. In her adventures, she crosses paths and has whirlwind romances with Sophie’s three potential fathers—awkward banker Harry (Hugh Skinner), rugged sailor Bill (Josh Dylan), and charming architect Sam (Jeremy Irvine). This is the story of how Donna ultimately came to find herself on a beautiful island in Greece, raising a daughter alone.

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again constantly shifts back and forth between the present situation with Sophie and the grand opening, and Donna’s romantic adventures through Europe. There is this really nice parallel that starts to form between Donna’s story and Sophie’s story, and some musical duets between mother and daughter that cross the boundaries of time. The casting of the younger versions of the legacy characters is phenomenal. All of these actors really capture the accents and mannerisms of their present day counterparts—as soon as each of them appears on screen, there is no introduction needed as it it is obvious who each of them are.

Like the first film, the characters are constantly breaking into song and dance, utilizing the lyrics of ABBA songs to help tell the story, represent the characters’ feelings, and just have fun. The first film used up a lot of the more recognizable ABBA tunes, but many of the big hits find their way into this film as well—”Waterloo”, “Mamma Mia”, “Dancing Queen”, and again the final credits showstopper “Super Trouper”. There are also some others that serve as a reprise, calling back to the themes of the first film. Even though I didn’t recognize many of the songs in this film initially, I still find them constantly popping back into my head days after watching the movie.

Upon my first viewing, my initial reaction was that this wasn’t as fun as the original movie. Maybe it was the less recognizable music, or the constant switching back and forth between the past and the present, or maybe it was that you ultimately know how things are going to end up for Donna in the past. However, as I re-watched it while viewing the bonus features, I realized just how much I really did enjoy this sequel/prequel. It’s a little less campy than the first one, and more of a romantic comedy/drama. Sophie is dealing with the loss of her mother, while young Donna is having the time of her life, falling in love with three young men. It is a fun look back to fill in the gap of the stories that were alluded to in the original film, and the writers have done a great job of finding ABBA lyrics that work well in telling that story.

Lily James is really the lead of this film as Young Donna, and she sounds amazing as she belts away the ABBA tunes. Cher also has a cameo in the film. Not only is she hilarious, but when she starts singing, it quickly becomes clear why this woman is as successful as she is—her rendition of “Fernando” is amazing! Cher also owns the stage when she opens the film’s “Super Troupers” final credits number.

Universal’s 4K Ultra HD release looks and sounds spectacular. The 4K video is excellent, providing an incredibly clear, crisp picture that captures all of the beauty of the Greek island. The Dolby Vision presentation enhances the color palette, whether it be the bright colors of the beach, or the grayer skyline of New York City. The Dolby Atmos soundtrack doesn’t really feature any bold use of the height channel, but does provide a nice overall ambiance throughout the film. Dialogue remains clear, and the musical performances sound fantastic.

The 4K UHD release comes packed in standard HD keepcase with a slipcover, and contains an insert with a code to redeem for a UHD Movies Anywhere-compatible copy of the film as well as a code for a bonus digital movie. The discs contain a stellar selection of bonus material, including hours of sing-alongs, deleted scenes, audio commentaries, and behind-the-scenes featurettes with the cast and filmmakers.

What’s Included:

Film: (1:53:39)

4K Ultra HD:
• 2160p / Widescreen 2.40:1
• Dolby Vision & HDR 10
• Audio: English Dolby Atmos, Spanish 7.1 Dolby Digital, French 7.1 Dolby Digital
• Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French

Blu-ray:

• 1080p / Widescreen 2.40:1
• Audio: English Dolby Atmos, English Descriptive Video Service, Spanish 7.1 Dolby Digital, French 7.1 Dolby Digital
• Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French

Digital (for redemption deadline, see NBCUcodes.com):

• Movies Anywhere compatible UHD Digital Copy of the theatrical version of the film
• Bonus Digital Movie (Redemption Deadline 3/22/2019)
  Additional bonus digital movie redeemable at www.upherewards.com. The list of available titles currently includes Frank & Lola, About Time, Dead in Tombstone, Cry Baby, The Adjustment Bureau and The Bourne Supremacy, but these change every 4 months or so.

Extras:
All of the bonus material can be found on both the 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray discs.

• Play With Sing-Along (TIME)
  When activated, during the film playback the lyrics of the musical numbers will appear at the bottom of the screen in large baby blue lettering that turns pink as the lyrics progress.
• Deleted/Extended Songs and Scenes
  Deleted/extended scenes can be viewed with optional commentary by director/screenplay writer Ol Parker. Select from:
  • Deleted Song Performance – “I Wonder” (3:04)
    Young Donna sings this ballad with her friends as she heads off on her travels.
  • Extended Song Performance – “The Name Of The Game” (3:13)
    Young Donna joyously dances around the bedroom after spending the night with Sam, before discovering the photo of his fiancee.
  • Extended Song Performance – “Knowing Me, Knowing You” (2:41)
    The present day Sam and Sophie join Young Donna and Young Sam in this extended cut of the song.
  • Deleted Scene – Tahini (1:38)
    Another scene of Young Donna and Young Sam falling in love while eating tahini.
• High Jinks (1:09)
  Montage of the cast having fun on set, set to an instrumental version of “Waterloo”.
• Enhanced Sing-Alongs (46:37)
  Sing along with the film’s musical numbers. Stylized lyrics appear on screen, and are highlighted in sync with the songs. Play All, or select from:
  • Thank You For The Music (:51)
  • When I Kissed The Teacher (3:09)
  • One of Us (2:56)
  • Waterloo (2:58)
  • S.O.S. (1:03)
  • Why Did It Have To Be Me? (2:42)
  • I Have a Dream (1:55)
  • Kisses of Fire (:41)
  • Andante, Andante (2:55)
  • The Name Of The Game (2:08)
  • Knowing Me, Knowing You (1:40)
  • Mamma Mia (2:37)
  • Angel Eyes (2:49)
  • Dancing Queen (3:53)
  • I’ve Been Waiting For You (3:06)
  • Fernando (3:29)
  • My Love, My Life (3:41)
  • Super Trouper (4:08)
• The Story (5:33)
  The cast and filmmakers sing their praises for producer Judy Craymer. Craymer talks about how the idea for the original musical came about, the reaction to the production, adapting it for film, and coming up with the story for the sequel. Includes interviews with producers Judy Craymer & Gary Goetzman, executive producers Björn Ulvaeus & Benny Andersson, storywriter/executive producer Richard Curtis, director/screenplay writer Ol Parker, choreographer Anthony Van Laast, and stars Julie Waters (“Rosie”), Pierce Brosnan (“Sam”), Andy Garcia (“Fernando Cienfuegos”), Christine Baranksi (“Tanya”), and Meryl Streep (“Donna”).
• MAMMA MIA! Reunited (3:33)
  The cast and filmmakers talk about reuniting a decade later to make the sequel. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with producers Judy Craymer & Gary Goetzman, writer/director Ol Parker, and stars Christine Baranksi, Colin Firth (“Harry”), Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, Julie Waters, Stellan Skarsgård (“Bill”), Amanda Seyfried (“Sophie”) and Dominic Cooper (“Sky”).
• Playing Donna (2:28)
  The cast and filmmakers talk about Lily James stepping into the iconic role of Young Donna. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with producer Judy Craymer, writer/director Ol Parker, and stars Lily James (“Young Donna”), Meryl Streep, Jeremy Irvine (“Young Sam”) and Hugh Skinner (“Young Harry”).
• Sophie’s Story (3:30)
  The cast and filmmakers talk about Amanda Seyfried’s return as Sophie and how the character is in a different phase of life in the second film. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with writer/director Ol Parker, and stars Pierce Brosnan, Meryl Streep, Amanda Seyfried, Dominic Cooper, Julie Waters, and Christine Baranksi.
• Meeting Cher (3:43)
  The filmmakers and cast talk about casting Cher in the film, and what it was like working with this legend on set. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with writer/director Ol Parker, producers Judy Craymer & Gary Goetzman, executive producer Björn Ulvaeus, and stars Cher (“Ruby”), Meryl Streep, Colin Firth, Dominic Cooper, Jeremy Irvine, Andy Garcia, Lily James, and Julie Waters.
• Costumes and The Dynamos (4:59)
  Costume designer Michelle Clapton and the cast talk about the film’s ’70s-inspired costumes. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with producer Judy Craymer, costume designer Michelle Clapton, writer/director Ol Parker, and stars Lily James, Meryl Streep, Alexa Davies (“Young Rosie”), Stellan Skarsgård, Colin Firth, and Jessica Keenan Wynn (“Young Tanya”).
• Choreographing Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (7:25)
  Choreographer Anthony Van Laast talks about several of the film’s dance sequence, and discusses how creating the sequel was different due to the fact that there wasn’t an existing stage show to use as reference. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with producer Judy Craymer, choreographer Anthony Van Laast, associate choreographer Nichola Treherne, assistant choreographer Lucy Bardrick, writer/director Ol Parker, and stars Lily James, Josh Dylan (“Young Bill”), Jessica Keenan Wynn, Hugh Skinner, Stellan Skarsgård, Colin Firth, and Cher.
• Cast Meets Cast
  The young cast members talk with their original film counterparts. Select from:
  • Tanya Meets Tanya (3:10)
    Jessica Keenan Wynn interviews Christine Baranski about playing the sassiest Dynamo, Tanya.
  • Rosie Meets Rosie (3:15)
    Alexa Davies interviews Julie Walters about her experience playing Rosie.
• Curtain Call (3:59)
  The cast and filmmakers talk about filming the film’s big closing performance of “Super Trouper”. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with producers Gary Goetzman & Judy Craymer, choreographer Anthony Van Laast, writer/director Ol Parker, executive producer Björn Ulvaeus, director of photography Robert Yeoman, and stars Pierce Brosnan, Meryl Streep, Lily James, Cher, Amanda Seyfried, Dominic Cooper, Christine Baranski, Stellan Skarsgård, Colin Firth, Josh Dylan, Jeremy Irvine, Hugh Skinner, and Julie Waters.
• Dancing Queen: Anatomy of a Scene (3:26)
  The cast and filmmakers talk about making the film’s most complex musical sequence. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with writer/director Ol Parker, producer Judy Craymer & Gary Goetzman, choreographer Anthony Van Laast, director of photography Robert Yeoman, associate choreographer Nichola Treherne, assistant choreographer Lucy Bardrick, storywriter/executive producer Richard Curtis, and stars Julie Waters, Pierce Brosnan, Amanda Seyfried, Christine Baranski, Stellan Skarsgård, and Colin Firth.
• Cast Chats
  The young cast members reflect on their time working on the film. Also includes behind-the-scenes-footage.
  • Dynamo Chit-Chat (2:42)
    The three Young Dynamos—Lily James, Alexa Davies & Jessica Keenan Wynn—discuss their favorite songs & scenes to shoot, meeting Meryl, their final scenes, and more.
  • Dad Chat (2:19)
    The young dads—Jeremy Irvine, Hugh Skinner & Josh Dylan—share their favorite memories from their time on and off set.
• Performing for Legends (2:46)
  The cast talk about the intimidating process of recording ABBA songs in front of ABBA. Includes behind-the-scenes footage from the recording booth at Air Studios in Stockholm, and interviews with executive producers Björn Ulvaeus & Benny Andersson, and actresses Lily James, Meryl Streep, Amanda Seyfried, Alexa Davies, and Jessica Keenan Wynn.
• Class of ’79 (3:48)
  The cast and filmmakers talk about casting the young cast, and capturing the spirit of the legacy performers. Includes interviews with writer/director Ol Parker, producers Gary Goetzman & Judy Craymer, and stars Jeremy Irvine, Pierce Brosnan, Alexa Davies, Lily James, Meryl Streep, Jessica Keenan Wynn, Hugh Skinner, Christine Baranski, Colin Firth, Josh Dylan, and Stellan Skarsgård.
• NBC’s TODAY Show Interview with Cher & Judy Craymer (4:35)
  Kathie Lee interviews Cher & Judy Craymer about the film for the Today Show.
• Feature Commentary with Director/Screenplay Writer Ol Parker (1:53:39)
  The writer/director provides an interesting and informative commentary throughout the film, offering a scene-by-scene analysis. He often explains how/where the scenes were shot, and how the effects were done. He also discusses how the story came about, the progression of the character arcs, and the cutting back and forth between the past and the present. He’s a fast talker, and packs a lot of information and behind-the-scenes stories into this commentary.
• Feature Commentary with Producer Judy Craymer (1:53:39)
  The creator and producer of the original stage play and film adaptation provides a second commentary that is also quite interesting and informative. She speaks in a slower, more narrative tone, and gives listeners additional behind-the-scenes stories about the cast, story and filming locations. I really enjoyed both of the commentaries, and since each provides different information and stories, they complement one another quite well.

Final Thoughts:

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again provides an entertaining, toe-tapping prequel/sequel to the original film. While the original will still be my favorite, this film was still a lot of fun, with some amazing musical performances. Universal’s 4K release provides excellent picture and sound, and is jam-packed with bonus material that fans of the franchise will be sure to love. This release comes highly recommended and a must own for fans of the franchise.