The theater begins to hush as the intro scene begins.

“Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again” opens with Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) preparing the hotel her now deceased mother, Donna Sheridan (Meryl Streep), built for a grand re-opening.

The dialogue continues from there with worries and hopes about the improved hotel and what Donna would think. The movie then switches to 1979 when Donna, played by actress Lily James, graduates from Oxford. This effortlessly rolls into an iconic song, “When I Kissed The Teacher.” Since I first heard that song, it has been stuck in my head. The beautiful Lily James just so happens to also have a beautiful voice, and plays the carefree sing-songy Donna as if she was born for that role.

The acting over-all was well done, though the characters aren’t developed any further from the original movie. However, the plot was deeper, or at least, more dramatic than the first movie, starting with the fact that Donna is now dead and seeing how everyone around is affected by the loss.

This gives way for an emotional rendition of “My Love, My Life” that Sophie sings about her newborn baby that she also directs at her mother, whose presence she feels all around her.

I was surprised to find that it actually struck a nerve with me, forcing me to feel everything she was feeling. It was a great song to show the impact and importance of the bond between a mother and her child, and emphasized the tragedy in loss.

For me, the flashbacks to Donna in 1979 and 1980 were the most interesting, fun and captivating part of the movie. The easy-going, young Donna radiated with light, youth and happiness. Her character was magnetic and she made the hopeful adventurer trope truly enjoyable to watch.

She also had some great musical moments and unforgettable songs, like “Waterloo” and “Andante, Andante,” which I’ve been singing non-stop since I left the theater. My favorite song was not sung by James, however. Instead, it was a duet between Julie Walters and Christine Baranski of Abba’s “Angel Eyes.” Not only was it my favorite song of the movie, it is probably my favorite song ever as of right now.

Though it has some predictable, undeveloped characters, it is a captivating, rich movie where the plot stays consistently interesting and fun. I left the theater smiling, and I thoroughly enjoyed the time I spent watching it.