MAMMA MIA AGAIN – OH NO!

It’s summertime and the movies are cheesy. At least some of them. For example, there’s “Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again.”
And unfortunately, here we go again indeed. If you were unlucky enough to see the original “Mamma Mia“ film, you may agree with me that this was not something that required a sequel.
Actually, I felt that “Mamma Mia” was one of the worst movies I had ever seen. It’s on my personal list of worst ever movies, along with “The Music Man” and “The Longest Day.”
Not being a film critic, I’m not sure exactly how to explain my dislike for the 2008 version of “Mamma Mia.” But it was intense. I still remember my reaction months later while staying at a Las Vegas hotel that was presenting a stage version of it. Every time you got into the elevator, the theme song promptly began playing. It set my teeth on edge every single time. Once I recall rolling my eyes in exasperation, and the man standing next to me in the elevator said, “You too, lady?” (That was a somewhat embarrassing moment.)
I haven’t seen the recently released sequel and have no plans to do so. Apparently Rotten Tomatoes really loved Mamma Mia Part Two because they gave it an 84% approval rating. Whatever. That’s their opinion.
And while we’re on the subject of movies, the only thing I think are worse than sequels are remakes. If the original film was really good, the idea of remaking it is probably not a good choice. Audiences who loved the original will not be likely to accept different actors in the next one. Can you imagine anyone else playing the role of Rhett Butler other than Clark Gable? Or someone else attempting to play Humphrey Bogart’s part in “The Maltese Falcon?” Or anyone other than Patrick Swayze in the role of Johnny in “Dirty Dancing?”
“King Kong“ has now been remade three or four times. The versions I have seen don’t come even close to the original film. All the new advancements in special-effects can’t begin to match the brooding horror of the 1930s movie.
“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” – that’s my philosophy when it comes to entertainment. Hear that, Hollywood?