 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Mamma Mia!
- Review Date: July 15, 2008
- PG-13
- Genre: Musical
- 2008
Common Sense Media says
Upbeat, silly ABBA musical is flimsy but fun.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this lightweight, sun-kissed musical will likely appeal to the teen girls (and their moms) who make up much of the fan base of the Broadway musical it's based on. Language is quite tame overall ("ass" is about as strong as it gets), but sexual innuendoes do fly -- there are plenty in the ABBA song lyrics alone -- and one of the main characters is a woman who gets pregnant but doesn't know who her baby's father is. There's also a brief, non-sexual glimpse of a man's bare butt and a fair amount of drinking, but it's mostly in the context of everyone having fun on a Greek island, and it's all pretty social in nature.
What's the story?
With her wedding fast approaching, 20-year-old Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) does the unthinkable: She invites three men -- Sam (Pierce Brosnan), Bill (Stellan Skarsgard), and Harry (Colin Firth) -- from her mother Donna's (Meryl Streep) past to the Greek isle-set festivities without telling her. Donna dated all three one long-ago summer, and one of them is Sophie's father, though she's not sure which one. But Sophie's convinced that one of them should walk her down the aisle, even if it means wreaking havoc just before the big day.
Is it any good?
Based on the hit Broadway musical of the same name, MAMMA MIA! is a frothy concoction that manages to entertain despite that fact that it's disjointed, nonsensical, and fairly cheesy. Onstage, you can forgive all these shortcomings -- the music, the dancing, and the theatricality of it all sweep you away. But onscreen it's a more hazardous bet. Though some of the musical numbers soar -- "Dancing Queen," of course, and the infectious "Mamma Mia!" -- many more hit the wrong note. Although Streep is formidable (who else can meld camp with believable emotion?) and actually sings quite prettily, the dance numbers might make you laugh in all the wrong places. Seeing Streep in Spandex, her straggly mane tossing about, is a little like witnessing your mom let loose at a party after one too many drinks: Your heart soars at her joie de vivre, but you also kind of want her to stop. Still, Streep's acting chops serve her well; Christine Baranski, who plays Donna's cougar-y sidekick, also fares well, and Julie Walters is just plain fun. Brosnan is dashing as always, though singing isn't his strong suit. And Firth and Skarsgaard seem like afterthoughts.
In the end, it's Seyfried who frankly saves the whole enterprise. Her Sophie beseeches you to check your judgments at the door. Her voice is outstanding, managing to ground the silliness of ABBA's greatest hits. And the island? It's so heavenly that it mitigates the film's flaws. So what if it's all a little off? In the end, Mamma Mia! manages to move you with its unabashed exuberance. The eponymous tune does, after all, go: "Mamma Mia, how can I resist you?" For a few moments, anyway, it's the 1970s all over again. Bring on the disco ball.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about who this movie is meant to appeal to -- older fans who've been listening to ABBA since they first hit it big, or younger folks who might be familiar with the Broadway show. Do musicals translate well to the big screen? What makes them successful (or not)? What messages does the movie send about relationships and marriage?
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AGE
a fun movie to watch with your kids
This is fine for most kids. Yes, they do swear and it has sexual behavior, but most kids won't even realize it. It is a fun movie.
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AGE
Mamma Mia!!
This is a nice movie but however, there is some iffy stuff I had to watch out for. I watched this with my 12 year old and I looked up a few times. 12 is a bit iffy to watch at. 13 should be good. If you are 14+ it is fine. There is some sexy stuff in this movie. The whole point of the movie is "Sophie" doesn't know who her father is because her mom slept with 3 different men. There are several uses of "knocked up" and "You got any?".. In one scene a man's butt is showing in front of a lady (FULLY). In a nother scene a woman slides down a mans waist and ties a towel around his 'area'--You can see he 'felt' it--this scene is naughty and it carries on for a few seconds, also in this scene you see a bag full of "toys" (breif). There are several suggestive dance moves. Some lyrics in the songs are mild, but there are refrances such as- "Do your thing", "not to old for sex", "I had a few little love affairs" "Your a teaser you turn them on", "We can go walking" "It was the time of our flower power"---Any way there are some kissed to. One on a beach that last for a VERY short time. 2 passionate kisses between Donna and Sam (one while being only half dressed. And there are 2 meadium kisses between Sophie and Ski. There is a short romantic kiss between Rosie and Bill. Some flirting is on a beach, a few love songs, hand holding, carrying, hugging, sex talk, and some bare chests and such. This movie has little violence, a woman falls from a balcony into a man's arms, a fish with teeth is shown and there is a minor earthquake with LITTLE distruction. As for swears, sl*t, crap and ass- is as bad as it gets. There are some drinks, and a man smoking is shown once. Some people have a party at the bar and are tierd the next morning.
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AGE
Not a great message for kids of any age
I know it's increasingly becoming reality, but the movie portrays a highly dysfunctional family as light and largely problem free. It's as if the daughter could follow in her mother's sexual footsteps and expect a carefree life...
That said, ABBA's tunes are as catchy as ever.
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AGE
A fun movie, but be ready to distract your tween
Most of the sexual references are subtle and go right over my daughter's head, although I do distract her if I know something questionable is coming up. The fun music is what my daughter really enjoyed. I don't think for one moment that she's going to emulate what she sees on the screen. I've raised her better than that.
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AGE
Not approriate for any age
Some friends said that this movie would be a great family movie. NO NO No... I can't believe the vulgarity of this movie. I love Abba but I mean common, making most of their songs Sexy and vulgar dance to them. When the song Gimme gimme gimme came on the brides friends started taking her so called fathers' and poll dancing with them and it was just inappripriate. DON'T WATCH this movie if you want to ruin Abba's songs!!!
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Kid, 11 years old
August 5, 2011
AGE
great for teens
It was ok. Not a great movie. Well thats what I think it might good for mature chick flick fans.
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Kid, 11 years old
July 4, 2011
AGE
really really good!
my best friend and I love mamma mia, I think it's well made and abba is one of my favorite music artists!
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AGE
Good for young teens
My MPAA Rating, PG-13; rear male nudity, brief homosexuality, strong sex-related talks/acts, sexual innuendo
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Kid, 11 years old
August 27, 2011
AGE
Information. :)
For the information, this is REALLY a PG not a PG-13. The DVD Cover has PG on it.
Language (10+) - Ass, crap and the like.
Sexual content (12+) - A little more sexual content than PGs are normally meant to be.
Drugs, smoking, drinking (10+) - Man smoking, girls get drunk. (Really, who cares about the drinking and the smoking?!)
THANKS FOR READING PARENTS,
OVERALL AGE FOR THIS MOVIE WOULD BE 10+.
5 STARS, THIS IS A MUST SEE!
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AGE
Fun, energetic and colourful- fantastic movie for the whole family!!
This movie had me dancing in my seat- a pleasure to watch. It provides laughs, great music and leaves you feeling rejuvinated and lively! Fabulous!
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| Studio: | Universal Pictures |
| Director: | Phyllida Lloyd |
| Cast: | Amanda Seyfried, Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan |
| Genre: | Musical |
| Run time: | 108 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | July 16, 2008 |
| DVD release date: | December 15, 2008 |
| MPAA rating: | PG-13 |
| MPAA explanation: | some sex-related comments |
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