‘Mamma Mia!’: Here we go with the sequel

If you’re a fan of the movie version of “Mamma Mia!,” you have to wonder why a sequel would be attempted without Meryl Streep, for the most part.

Apparently, having every other key cast member return – plus utilizing a previously untapped part of the ABBA song catalog – was enough to greenlight “Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again,” which utterly and totally feels like a sequel. A good follow-up stands on its own, but this movie leans so heavily on the original, it just about knocks it over.

There is a hint of Streep’s Donna, plus flashbacks to the character’s earlier years, when she’s portrayed by Lily James. The premise here is that her daughter – again played by Amanda Seyfried – is planning to launch a Greek resort in Mom’s memory.

Once again, the big mystery is whether the most important people will show up ... but since Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth and Stellan Skarsgard are all in the cast list again, it’s not that much of a mystery. Christine Baranski and Julie Walters generate some fun again as Donna’s pals, but the really big arrival comes well into the picture: Cher as Donna’s mother. Let’s mention that again: Cher as Meryl Streep’s mother.

Maybe that’s supposed to be kitsch, but it’s just kind of weird. However, there is a certain pleasure to hearing Cher belt out ABBA tunes. She expectedly blows everyone else out of the water musically – which turns out to be a problem. At least in the first movie, everyone was pretty much on the same playing field. They weren’t singers (and still aren’t), and it was easier to accept that fact, since they were all in the same boat. Add a Cher to the recipe, though, and that conceit no longer applies.

Credit does go to Lily James for attempting to be a younger Streep, at least in the context of the role here. That’s not as easy as it looks, and it actually might not look all that easy. No matter what part she plays, Meryl Streep is a singular talent, and she brings that to each of her jobs. James’ job here is to match her as well as possible, and she clearly did her homework.

Ultimately, the general absence of Streep is a major hurdle that the “Mamma Mia” sequel never really overcomes. “Here We Go Again”? OK. But without her, why bother?