I went to the ABBA-inspired stage musical when it came to Singapore in 2004. The musical was a huge success since its opening in 1999 and when they came up with the stage-to-film adaptation, I knew I had to watch it.
The movie was as stupendous as the stage musical.
I was set in a state of petrification most of the time, totally immersed in those familiar tunes. Understandably, the feeling of 'nostalgia' also set in intermittently. Somehow, this ABBA thingy has an unexplainable power to connect with the audiences.
I went to the movie expecting many people of 'certain age group' to show up. Interestingly, that was not the case and it seems that ABBA still has a mass appeal after more than three decades. Their songs never fade.
In case you are not aware, ABBA is an acronym from the first letter of each of the group member's given name (Agnetha, Björn, Benny, Anni-Frid). The Swedish pop group was a global sensation in the 70s before they finally broke up in 1982. Their popularity never stop and they still sell two to three million records a year.
The movie mirrors the stage musical closely and I am familiar with the storyline. Still, I watched the 108-minute movie as if I did not know what to expect next. The story was simple but the tunes were weaved in cleverly. Every bit was just so enjoyable!
Man! You just gotta see Meryl Streep in spandex with super-high platforms (people actually wore those things! Gosh!). If that is not enough, wait till you hear Pierce Brosnan trying to sound and sing convincingly. Hysterical! I have to give it to them doing all that and not worrying about ending their acting career after this movie. Phew!
I wonder why they did not consider John Travolta and Patrick Swayze! Perhaps, they never meant to showcase any dirty dancing and they knew that Brosnan's croaky voice will thrill the audience just the same. They were right.
Verdict: Go watch it!
See Other Movies:
Kung Fu Panda
Wall-E
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