‘Mamma Mia!’ glitters in Blu-ray gift set
December 8, 2009 by admin
Filed under Box sets & collector's editions, Music
Benny, Björn and Meryl are back for an encore this holiday season with the exclamation-worthy “Mamma Mia! The Movie: The Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! More Gift Set.”
The “Mamma Mia! packages reprise last December’s release of the hit movie musical on Blu-ray and DVD. This time, the movie comes accompanied by the soundtrack CD and a fan-pleasing 34-page booklette. Given the high quality of audio and video, go with the Blu-ray of “Mamma Mia! The Movie”
Meryl Streep, Christine Baranski and Julie Waters put on the super-trouper costumes and channel ABBA, that great hitmaking machine.
The movie version of the queen of jukebox musicals seemed a love-it-or-hate-it affair, but don’t let the critics put you off. This is a terrific entertainment packed with heart and wit.
Nay-sayers pointed to the goofy, high-energy performance of Streep as the ex-hippie mom with three dads on her hands. Yes, she’s over the top but that playful zany spirit is what made “Mamma Mia!” a worldwide hit to begin with. That and those amazingly resilient pop songs.
A treat for ABBA fans is the reworking of the hits by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus with their original backup band. As the songwriters point out in the Blu-ray extras, this is as good as those songs ever sounded musically. (Too bad Universal didn’t go a dance step further and include one of their ABBA greatest hits collections in Blu-ray audio.)
The “Mamma Mia!” singing ranges from gorgeous (starlette Amanda Seyfried) to bloody awful (Waters), making the movie feel at times like a karaoke party for aging stars. Have the Blu-ray pop up the lyrics and see if you can do better than Pierce Brosnan.
The soundtrack that comes with the “Mama Mia!” Blu-ray package hit No. 1 on the album charts last summer. Ironically, ABBA the group never topped No. 14 on the Billboard charts during its existence.
Extras on the double-disc set include a smart commentary by first-time film director Phyllida Lloyd; a featurette on the actors training to sing the Swedes’ deceptively difficult songs; and a bonus deleted scene with Seyfried doing “The Name of the Game.” There’s also a “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme” music video and outtakes. Some are in HD; others in standard definition.
The package comes with some U-Control features, such as “Behind the Hits” and the “My Movie Commentary” track.