Mamma Mia! is offered as an (extreme) alternative to the Batman film at the theaters this weekend. The basic gist of the musical is: girl is getting married, girl has no clue who her father is, girl invites three men she read about in her mother's diary to her wedding, men come to Greek island where she lives with her mom, and hilarity (and much singing) ensues. Playing the ingenue, Sophie, is Amanda Seyfried (Mean Girls). Meryl Streep pretty much owns the film as Donna, her mother. Rounding out the cast are Julie Walters and Christine Baranski as Donna's former backup singers, and Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgård, and Pierce Brosnan as the men from Donna's past.

There are spare solemn-ish moments in the film, but Mamma Mia! is mostly a lark. While the musical offers a vocal showcase for Seyfried, Streep and Baranski, it also gives moviegoers the chance to hear the mediocre singing talent of certain other actors (Colin Firth, we're looking at you). The shocker of the film isn't in the plot; it's the strange sound that comes from Pierce Brosnan's mouth when he sings. The Kenny Rogers-like quality of his singing is bizarre enough to make one laugh during his performance with Streep of "S.O.S." In contrast, Sophie's flirty duet with her fiance of "Lay All Your Love On Me" (before the cheesy choreography kicks in) and Donna's misty "Slipping Through My Fingers" are almost worth the price of admission themselves.

This movie--with ABBA songs laced throughout--is a fluffy bright cloud in the summer slate of movies; you may have as much fun watching it as they did making it. We would be surprised if it doesn't become a cult classic--see the movie's campy take on "Does Your Mother Know" and tell us we're wrong. Note: stay through the first part of the credits for additional songs.

[Trailer] [Showtimes]