Ensofter Overrated and overhyped

SoTrumpBelieve Must See Movie...

Rijndri Load of rubbish!!

Rosie Searle It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

videorama-759-859391 Looking back on this movie, for me it is a nostalgia piece. With the exception of Abba of course playing themselves (hey, you wouldn't want them any other way) it's male lead, a failed actor, who's not very favorable at the moment of course, plays a haggard and inept reporter traveling across cities, trying to score an interview with Abba to little avail. Being an Adelaideian, you see little of our small city in the film (be thankful for what you do see) but it brings back memories. I was six when Abba was the thing. They were so big, only one can imagine, how big they would be today. There's hardly a song of theirs I hated, and they wrote a hell of a lot of songs, more than the number of Elvis movies. Hughes galavanting around, always coming up against Abba's bodyguard (Tom Oliver, our shining star in this) is fun to watch, and we share many interviews with Abba fans, we realize this is more than a movie. People were so different then to now. Hey, it might not of been the best movie ever made, but it's the history that makes it as is our famous foursome who are genuine. They don't act. What I liked too, was Hughes fantasizing over our famous female duo, where may'be he has finally scored that interview. That's the burning question, "Will Hughesee ever get that big interview?". It what makes the finale quite gripping if you can believe that. For Abba fans, definitely, or others who like to to stroll down that nostalgic lane.

Neil Welch First, let me say that there's Abba-solutely nothing wrong with an Abba concert performance movie - I am all in favour of same. Unfortunately, Abba - The Movie ain't it.I saw this movie years ago on a grainy VHS tape in 4:3 format. The current cinema presentation, in widescreen opening out to Panavision, in a crisp remastered digital print, is beautiful to look at. The music is as great as it has always been, and Abba work hard to deliver a good, if slightly cheesy, live show, which they clearly all enjoy. And, on that basis, what a wonderful movie this is.But I had completely forgotten the linking "plot" involving the reporter trying to get an interview. Not only is this misconceived, woefully unfunny, profoundly irritating and just plain awful in every conceivable way (and a good number which aren't conceivable), it's like one of those dogs which lies in doorways and halls - every time you turn round, there the damn thing is, getting in the way, and probably breaking wind at the same time. And it wouldn't be so bad if they'd come up with a linking "plot" which actually involved Abba, but no - all you have this this vastly unsympathetic bloke wandering about with a tape recorder, being hassled by his boss and being thrown out by Lou from Neighbours as a comedy relief medallion man minder.This movie is like the most beautiful woman in the world having a humongous wart for a nose.At least I could fast forward the reporter bits on the VHS tape.

jubilee77 While there may have been the 1977 issue of Abba The Album, one would speculate on what's Abba The Movie all about? The fabulous Swedish four may have had acclaimed success with a cluster of hits to their names but at what cost did it have on their personal lives? The Movie is actually based on the accounts of Abba's Australian tour and even so the concert scenes are excellent for its quite rare to see them performing live and it should be noted that they barely travelled well. The rest of the movie film contains the actual movie footages and interestingly enough, features a then unknown Tom Oliver of Neighbours fame. In the whole, the film is quite good and acceptable for its time and I like the typical seventies scenes of Australia but as times change, what impact does it have more than thirty years later is that it has become terribly dated and sometimes made me cringe a bit and as the saying goes could have been a current affairs programme. 9/10 for the concerts - 6/10 for the movie.

hokeybutt ABBA: THE MOVIE (2 outta 5 stars) If you like Abba at all (and who can't like Abba... come onnnnnnn) you might find this "documentary" of minor interest... but your viewing pleasure will undoubtedly increase with your level of devoted fanaticism. Not really a documentary, not quite a concert film and not really a fictionalized story... this takes place from the point of view of a naive country music DJ whose station decides to branch out into "pop". His first mission: to get an audio interview with the biggest and most famous band in the world. So, armed with only a tape recorder, he follows the band as they go on tour through Australia trying unsuccessfully to arrange a meeting. He does wind up interviewing a lot of "fans"... which he asks the same lame-o questions over and over... and gets some of the lamest, most bland responses ever. You see, these aren't "real" interview subjects... they are bad Australian non-professional actors who speak their answers like they are reciting an assignment in school that they didn't study for. It doesn't help that the actor playing the DJ isn't very convincing either (can a professional radio personality really be that clueless, even if he is from a country station?) Well, there are some Abba songs every now and then to boost your interest... some concert footage and video clips (one amusing clip has the DJ fantasizing about Agnetha and Anni-Frid "serenading" him). Scenes of the band responding to other interviewers' questions are no better than the other staged responses... but at least they have the excuse that English is not their native language. The movie serves as kind of an interesting "time capsule" of the time... but I think it would have been a lot better as a real documentary... with real questions and responses. As it stands, this movie (directed by Lasse Hallestrom of all people) is nothing but a 2 hour Abba commercial.