MovieChat Forums > Mamma Mia! (2008) Discussion > Not a real musical

Not a real musical

posted 12 years ago by alg11297
4 replies | jump to latest

As of the 1940s musicals usually had a story that was punctuated by songs that moved the story along. The big breakthrough was supposedly Oklahama. This film does't qualify at all. It's as if they had to put The Greatest Hits of Abba on stage or film and come up with something to surround each song. Dancing Queen comes out of nowhere and then becomes an extravagant production number.

Do you think anyone in this movie was really singing or why they just going through the motions while a trained singer knocked it out. Actually watching James Bond pretend to sing was movie magic.

It's been so many years since I heard these ABBA songs...but after awhile not only do they all sound the same, they were arranged the same way too. After 4 lines of spoken words the music begins and repeats and repeats and repeats.

Had they just done a play called ABBA, and had actors dress up like the members of the band, go through some motions it might have been the same thing.

Ya got me.

[–] TxMike 11 years ago

You seem to think the actors did NOT do their own singing. Fact is, they ALL did their own singing.

I don't know why you made this post, the movie definitely is a musical, there are just several different "flavors" of movie musicals. This is just one of them.

I like it a lot, it is a fun movie. But I can also understand that some might not. Like my wife, for example.

TxMike
Make a choice, to take a chance, to make a difference.

[–] lilybeagle 11 years ago

I love this musical it is one of my favorites, along with rent. True dancing queen does nothing to physically move the plot along but it is just them trying to have fun. And they all do their own singing, it's pretty obvious pierce is doing his own singing

[–] PsychiatricPezDispenser 11 years ago

By your standards. Cats is one of the most successful musicals and it's really about nothing at all. Mamma Mia is one of the longest shows on Broadway. Fosse did well too and there was no story at all. The new movie Frozen- basically NONE of the songs were 100% necessary to the story but it's a HUGELY successful film.

If you don't think it's a real musical, sorry. I found it enjoyable, many other people do as well (or it wouldn't be a top B'way show) so I think that validates it.

[–] krispykremekiller 8 years ago

It's known as a jukebox musical. It's a style where there are existing songs. Another example of this style is Rock of Ages.

The cast did sing and if they had help, we'll never know. Autotune helps now where in the past it was impossible to get a non-signing castmember to actually sing in a production.