The film started with so much potential—a great cast and a really appealing soundtrack—leading me to believe it would be exceptional… but ultimately, it fell far short of my expectations. I feel I should mention something upfront: while I wouldn't describe myself as an ABBA fan, I do have a fondness for their music because those songs evoke childhood memories of watching TV. Those recollections carry a certain sentimental weight and make objective assessment difficult; childhood experiences rarely allow for neutrality. I went into this movie with high hopes. It wasn’t just about the familiar music but also about the quality of the cast assembled and the involvement of former band members in the production—things that suggested it would be quite good. The film certainly has some positive aspects, that's undeniable, but I noticed carelessness and a lack of effort in several areas of its creation. The biggest issue was a script that wasn’t strong enough to support the story and the songs. Beyond typical summer movie tropes, the screenplay borrowed heavily from an older Italian film called _Buona Sera Mrs. Campbell_, which centers on questionable parenting decisions involving a daughter played by Gina Lollobrigida. I wouldn't go so far as to call it plagiarism—there are many films about children who don’t know their parents—but the lack of originality is striking. It even seemed, at times, to condone casual relationships! Within a seemingly carefree and “hippie” setting, the film puts the main character’s mother in an awkward position: she's a single mom whose daughter grew up without knowing her father because she was involved with three potential candidates almost simultaneously. And I really don’t want to discuss that scene involving a mature woman flirting with someone much younger! Phyllida Lloyd brought a sincere, though not outstanding, directorial touch as the production moved from Broadway to Hollywood. She didn't seem able to push her team further and allowed for some weak character development; the casting choices also proved problematic when it came to singing. Amanda Seyfried and Meryl Streep were the best picks—two talented, charismatic actresses with strong voices. The scenes featuring both of them, whether they’re speaking or singing, are among the film's strongest moments, which seems like a smart career move for Seyfried. Stellan Skarsgard did an adequate job, but I felt he had little to do, and neither did Colin Firth... In fact, this English actor, whose voice isn’t particularly pleasing, seemed like a questionable choice from the start. However, he fared better than Pierce Brosnan or Julie Walters; at least he resembled an opera singer compared to them. The former Bond struggled with higher notes and sang mostly in falsetto, while Walters' singing tended toward shouting. Technically, the film isn’t impressive either. On the plus side, there's lovely cinematography that takes advantage of the sun, sea, and scenic beauty of the Greek islands—the filming locations were certainly used well—as well as thoughtfully designed sets and costumes. But the real strength is the soundtrack, packed with familiar ABBA songs that most people can sing along to. However, how each song is incorporated into the film leaves much to be desired; combined with somewhat artificial choreography, it gives the impression of a very long music video where the script merely exists as an excuse to play the songs one after another.

Source on TMDB