--- title: "Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/mamma-mia-here-we-go-again/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/mamma-mia-here-we-go-again" critics_score: 70 critics_reviews: 23 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (2018): what the critics said Critics' score 70 from 23 reviews: 15 positive, 6 mixed, 2 negative. Most critics welcome the sequel as a warmer, funnier and more affecting return, with several finding it an improvement on the original. Praise centres on Lily James, whose spirited performance gives young Donna’s romantic adventures conviction and helps sell the musical numbers. The ensemble’s comic energy also wins approval. For many reviewers, the ABBA songs carry surprising emotional weight, even when the story connecting them is slight. The spread runs from wholehearted enthusiasm to disappointment, with thin plotting, uneven pacing and weaker song choices accounting for most reservations. Critics also disagree over how successfully the musical numbers are staged and whether Cher is well used. Time Out finds the sequel cheesier and less magical than its predecessor, particularly without Meryl Streep’s earlier contribution. The Hollywood Reporter praises the sharper script but finds the reliance on recycled hits and weaker ABBA material disappointing. ## The Guardian — Mark Kermode Rating 5/5. 22 July 2018. Kermode loves the sequel and says he cannot imagine it being better. He praises its knowing, ingenious use of ABBA songs and singles out the emotional impact of “My Love, My Life.” [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2018/jul/22/mamma-mia-here-we-go-again-review) ## Los Angeles Times — Justin Chang Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 18 July 2018. Chang finds the sequel unexpectedly enchanting and a marked improvement on the original. He especially praises Lily James’s spirited performance and the cross-cutting that deepens the bond between Donna and Sophie. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-mamma-mia-2-review-20180718-story.html) ## Little White Lies — Manuela Lazic Rating 3/4/4. 20 July 2018. Lazic finds the sequel brighter, funnier and more touching than expected. She praises Lily James’s fresh take on young Donna and the way familiar songs gain emotional weight. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/mamma-mia-here-we-go-again) ## The i Paper — Stuart Heritage Rating ★★★★. 18 July 2018. Heritage finds the sequel much funnier and better than its predecessor, despite its depleted selection of ABBA hits. He praises Lily James’s vivacious performance and Cher’s exuberant moment, while lamenting that Pierce Brosnan gets no solo. [Read the review](https://inews.co.uk/culture/mamma-mia-here-we-go-again-review-pierce-brosnan-cher-177953) ## Variety — Owen Gleiberman Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 17 July 2018. Gleiberman finds the sequel a swooning, kitschy musical whose ABBA songs overcome its soap-opera convolutions. He especially praises Lily James’s energetic performance of “When I Kissed the Teacher.” [Read the review](https://variety.com/2018/film/reviews/mamma-mia-here-we-go-again-review-1202874501/) ## Vulture — Emily Yoshida Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 17 July 2018. Yoshida finds the film a breezy, sincere extension of the original, even if its plot is slight. She especially praises Lily James for selling the musical numbers with heart, and singles out the final sequence for its emotional payoff. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/2018/07/mamma-mia-here-we-go-again-review.html) ## Radio Times — Alan Jones Rating ***. 17 July 2018. The review describes the sequel as only sporadically lively, though it may appeal to fans of ABBA and its holiday-romance setting. It singles out the familiar fairy-tale formula as a limitation, while the music, glitter and 70s kitsch offer reasons to take a chance on it. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movies/mamma-mia-here-we-go-again-review-a-sequel-that-only-sporadically-springs-into-vividly-irresistible-life/) ## Empire — Ben Travis Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 17 July 2018. Travis finds the sequel an uneven but ultimately infectious return to the series’ campy musical joy. He praises the energetic performances and ABBA numbers, while faulting the overlong prequel plot and slow pacing. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/mamma-mia-go-review/) ## Sight and Sound — Pamela Hutchinson Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 22 July 2018. Hutchinson finds the sequel a diverting, sweetly entertaining improvement on the original, despite its thin plot and cheap jokes. She especially praises the wildly whimsical “Waterloo” routine and Hugh Skinner’s comic performance. [Read the review](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/mamma-mia-here-we-go-again-review-second-bite-sweeter) ## Screen Daily — Demetrios Matheou Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 17 July 2018. The accessible page identifies this as a review, but its verdict is unavailable. The paywall also hides what the critic praises or criticizes. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/mamma-mia-here-we-go-again-review/5130954.article) ## The New York Times Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 18 July 2018. The review’s verdict and specific praise or criticism cannot be verified from the blocked page. The available text contains only a request to enable JavaScript and disable an ad blocker. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/18/movies/mamma-mia-here-we-go-again-review.html) ## RogerEbert.com Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). The page could not be accessed, so the critic’s verdict cannot be determined. No praise or complaint is visible in the provided text. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/mamma-mia-here-we-go-again-2018) ## Slant Magazine — Jake Cole Rating 2.5/4. 18 July 2018. Cole finds the sequel charming and more assured than its predecessor, though its flaws remain. He praises the musical numbers’ choreography and especially Christine Baranski’s comic performance. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/mamma-mia-here-we-go-again/) ## Evening Standard — Charlotte O'Sullivan Rating 3/5. 20 July 2018. O'Sullivan finds much of the sequel hateful and lazy, but says Cher’s arrival makes it cohere. She especially praises Cher’s commanding performance and voice, while noting Meryl Streep’s brief appearance brings emotional depth. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/mamma-mia-2-review-here-we-go-again-needs-more-meryl-streep-but-thank-goodness-for-the-cher-joy-a3892096.html) ## The New Yorker — Richard Brody Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 26 July 2018. Brody finds the film uneven but irrepressibly charming, with its best moments arriving in a celebratory final sequence. He praises Lily James’s performance and the closing reunion, while criticizing the staging of many musical numbers and the handling of Cher. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-front-row/review-mamma-mia-here-we-go-again-saves-the-best-for-last) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Leslie Felperin Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 17 July 2018. Felperin finds the sequel entertaining but ultimately disappointing, calling it an adequate follow-up that leans too heavily on recycled hits and weaker ABBA songs. She praises the sharper, more emotionally complex script and singles out Cher’s entrance as a highlight. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/mamma-mia-sequel-here-we-go-again-review-1127318/) ## Time Out — Abbey Bender Rating 2/5. 17 July 2018. Bender finds the sequel cheesier and less magical than the original. She singles out the absence of Meryl’s magic as its key disappointment. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/mamma-mia-here-we-go-again) ## Den of Geek — Delia Harrington Rating 4/5. 18 July 2018. Harrington finds the sequel exuberant, funny, and more joyful than the first film. She singles out the infectious ensemble energy and exuberant musical set-pieces for praise. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/mamma-mia-here-we-go-again-review-more-joyful-fun-than-the-first/) ## Consequence — Allison Shoemaker Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 19 July 2018. The critic finds the film a chaotic, illogical mess but enjoys it throughout. She especially praises the cast’s spirited performances and the joyful energy they bring to the ABBA songs. [Read the review](https://consequence.net/2018/07/film-review-mamma-mia-here-we-go-again/) ## Digital Spy — Christian Guiltenane Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 19 July 2018. The critic says the sequel will please fans but is unlikely to win over doubters. They praise Lily James’s performance and the late arrival of Cher, while criticizing the weaker song choices and uneven pacing. [Read the review](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a861913/mamma-mia-2-here-we-go-again-review/) ## /Film — Karen Han Rating 7/10. 19 July 2018. Karen Han finds the sequel an improbable but thoroughly delightful film, despite occasional lulls and thin plotting. She especially praises Lily James’s radiant performance and the film’s infectious musical fun, with Cher nearly stealing the show. [Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/559663/mamma-mia-here-we-go-again-review/) ## The Ringer — Rob Harvilla Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 21 July 2018. Harvilla finds the sequel an uneven, initially somber experience that eventually delivers exuberant musical joy. He especially praises the ABBA songs, which rescue the film and make its quibbles feel irrelevant. [Read the review](https://www.theringer.com/2018/07/21/movies/mamma-mia-here-we-go-again-is-a-cinematic-joybomb-sustained-by-the-songs) ## The Wrap Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 17 July 2018. The critic finds the sequel surprisingly watchable and superior to its predecessor in several respects, though it lacks the original’s party energy. Lily James is singled out as a terrific singer whose vivacious performance makes Donna’s romantic story convincing. [Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/mamma-mia-here-we-go-again-film-review-lily-james-makes-up-for-near-absence-of-meryl-streep/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/mamma-mia-here-we-go-again.md