Mamma Mia! Blu-ray
By Samantha Clark -- Video Business, 12/10/2008
Street: Dec. 16
Prebook: now
> Extras are just as much fun as the movie on Blu-ray.
Universal has created a fun package for the Blu-ray version of Mamma Mia!. The movie itself looks as magical as the story, with every sparkle showing in the glistening water around the Greek island setting. And pop group ABBA’s songs are sure to get viewers singing. The uninitiated can get help via the karaoke-style sing-along feature, available with the full movie or in the individual musical scenes. A number of featurettes go behind the scenes of the film’s production, as well as that of the original Broadway musical. ABBA fans (and they are legion!) will be thrilled to find interviews with original band members Bjorn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson. Outtakes, deleted scenes, a deleted musical number for “The Name of the Game” and a music video round out the supplements.
Shelf Talk: The target audience for this movie is not within the early adopter demographic. But fans will want as much as they can get and will definitely go for the two-DVD version over the single disc. With Universal pricing the Blu-ray only $5 more and the chance to hear ABBA’s songs in crystal clear sound, the movie might pull in some new high-def consumers.
Musical, color, PG-13 (sex-related comments), 108 min., BD $39.98, reviewed on a PlayStation 3 with 46-inch Sony Bravia and HDMI connection
Extras: commentary, outtakes, sing-along, deleted scenes, featurettes, U-Control picture-in-picture
Director: Phyllida Lloyd
First Run: W, Aug. 2008, $143.7 mil.