MAMA MIA! Here We Go Again Sings & Dances onto Bluray

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to 4K Ultra HD, Bluray/DVD this Tuesday from writer/director Ol Parker and Universal Home Entertainment is the return of MAMA MIA! Here We Go Again.

Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) is working hard to reopen the Bella Donna Hotel with the help of Fernando Cienfuegos (Andy Garcia). Husband Sky (Dominic Cooper) is away working and making her feel a bit lonely. While putting her mother Donna's (Meryl Streep) belongings away, she begins to explore Donna's life that initially brought her to the island.

Donna (Lily James), in 1979, graduates college with friends Rosie (Alexis Davies) Tanya (Jessica Wynn). Deciding what to do with her life, Sophie begins her travels and meets a young Harry (Hugh Skinner) who becomes instantly infatuated with her. Finding her own way to the island she meets the charming sailboat racer Bill (Josh Dylan) who takes her to the docks and promises he will see her again.

As a storm breaks, Donna finds herself needing a bit of horse help when on the road she meets Sam (Jeremy Irvine) and her heart is captured and then broken.

Back to Sophie's life, the opening of the hotel is stressing her out as she turns to Sam (Pierce Brosnan) for support and wishes Dads Bill (Stellan Skarsgard) and Harry (Colin Firth) could be there. She does have Rosie (Julie Walters) and Tanya (Christine Baranski) who wouldn't miss the opening for anything. The two ladies are having emotional flash backs of their own.

When a storm hits and threatens to ruin all of Sophie's plans, it is those she loves who come to her rescue as the hotel opens as it always should have, especially when Grandma Ruby (Cher) shows up.

But, they are family and nothing is impossible with their love!

Seyfried returns as Sophie who has grown up a bit and decided that she wants to follow in her mother's footsteps by finishing what Donna started. Wanting to make the hotel a huge success also comes with allot of questions still about her mother and how they have all made it to this point in their lives. Seyfried sings beautifully and carries her role.

James as a young Donna is a chance for viewers to explore her side of the story and how she came to be part of the plan for the hotel. Along the way she just happens to meet three very different men who become an important part of her life - and then Sophie's. Lily is daring and at the same time very strong in her convictions as to what she wants and how she will get it.

Irvine as Sam gives us a look inside how deep the relationship was with Donna when they were young but also the truth behind the heart ache that would follow them both for so many years Brosnan as Sam has remained with Sophie as a support and a man who has settled into a life that works for him.

Dylan as a young Bill is the reckless one of the bunch and believes his charms will win the heart of Donna but she has other plans.  Skarsgard as Bill has mellowed a bit and even regrets his behavior towards Rosie. When he needs to be there for Sophie, Skarsgard gets a chance to play two roles in the film, even if only briefly.

Skinner as young Harry clearly is as uncomfortable in his youth as he continued to be into adulthood. Skinner manages to capture all of that angst it really works into understanding Harry later. Speaking of that, Firth as Harry is still so darn sweet and sensitive but starting to get a little more outspoken about what he wants in life.

Davies as young Rosie is just as cute and funny as Walters return as the more mature version. Dealing with a jolt from Bill has not changed her one bit and she's going to make sure he knows it. Wynn as a young Tanya is just as witty as her counterpart Baranski. These two actresses didn't miss a beat playing this character and I loved it.

Cher as Ruby was perfect with her drop in and drop dead look. Of course Cher is going to be amazing - she's Cher! I recently saw her in Las Vegas performing the song 'Fernando' and I just got a little fan crazy with my cheering. She continues to have a voice that is rich and memorable.

Garcia as Cienfuegos is charming and has a line for everything. That's not necessarily a bad thing as this character always shows up at the right time and always knows the right thing to say. He also believes in Sophie and that makes all the difference.

Other cast include Gerard Monaco as Alexio, Anna Antoniades as Apollonia, Panos Mouzourakis as Lazarus, Maria Bacratsis as Sophia, Naoko Mori as Yumiko, Tayo Igawa as Dr. Horvath and Susanne Barklund as Alma.

Universal Studios Home Entertainment has just added an amazing film to their library and making it available for us all to experience and re-experience in our own home theatres. There are films of every genre available from scary to drama to family films. For more of what they have to offer please visit www.uphe.com.

The Bonus Features of the 4K and Bluray include Deleted/Extended Songs and Scene with Commentary by Director/Screenplay Writer Ol Parker, Enhanced Sing-Alongs, Cast Meets Cast: Tanya Meets Tanya - Jessica Wynn interviews Christine Baranski about playing the sassiest Dynamo - Tanya, Rosie Meets Rosie - Alexa Davies interviews Julie Walters as the two actresses share their experiences playing Rosie, Cast Chats, High Jinks, Choreographing MAMA MIA! Here We Go Again, Dancing Queen: Anatomy of a Scene, Performing for Legends, and Class of '79.

Also on the Bluray/DVD and Digital are The Story - Producer Judy Craymer reveal how the MAMA MIA! legacy began, evolved into the first feature film and how she teamed with executive producer/co-writer Richard Curtis and director/screenplay writer Ol Parker to develop the perfect sequel, MAMA MIA! Reunited, Playing Donna, Meeting Cher, Costumes and The Dynamos, Curtain Call, NBC's Today Show Interview with Cher & Judy Craymer, Feature Commentary with Director/Screenplay Writer Ol Parker and Feature Commentary with Producer Judy Craymer.

MAMA MIA! Here We Go Again is a chance to get to know more about the characters that audiences embraced in 2008 with answers to the questions so many of us had. It's a story of family, relationships, the past, who comes into our lives and leaves footprints in our hearts. The characters learn understanding, love and that none of us is perfect in the choices we make but at least we get in the game and make them!

The cast mostly returns to have a little more fun with their musical talents and with the addition of Cher, well, it all works! The film is filled with the music audiences may have forgotten but it was all still in the back of our playbook minds as ABBA will always be one of my favorites. Along with the music is dancing and no one is immune to toe tapping and lip synching when watching the film or even after.

That's what makes musicals work on the big screen and now everyone has a chance to revisit the island again and again to laugh, dance and sing with MAMA MIA! Here We Go Again as a companion to the original film in your home entertainment library.

In the end - we get to once again have the time of our lives!

BENT Brings Mystery to Bluray

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to Bluray and Digital from writer/director Bobby Moresco and Lionsgate is a tale of deceit, corruption and a set up that give meaning to crime-thriller when everyone around you is BENT.

Danny Gallagher (Karl Urban) is a hard working cop who wanted to help his buddy in a drug bust when it goes horribly wrong. So wrong, in fact, that Gallagher ends up in prison and when released is seen as a cop killer. Knowing that he can't get his life back the way it was, he tracks down everything he remembers from that night including the car-bomb murder of an official’s wife.

Right away he knows there are people out to end him and at the same time people who want to help. Jimmy Murtha (Andy Garcia) is telling Gallagher to run as far away from everything as he can and buddy Eddie (Pat Asanti) is keeping the bugs off and the cars working. He also is being told by mystery woman Rebecca (Sofia Vergara) that there is more to this than he could possibly imagine but won't say more.

Gallagher knows that he is going to have to dig deeper into every aspect of what happened before going to prison, the trial and what ever else he might be missing. Rebecca is becoming scared when people who are part of everything start dying believing she and Gallagher are absolutely next.

That doesn't stop the ex-cop from pushing harder in every direction to bring who ever is responsible for everything that is happening out in the open. Could it be other cops, a drug lord with revenge in mind, a government agency or someone he never saw coming.

Urban as Gallagher comes on strong and always has that look like he knows when you are pulling his chain. This is a character that was happy pining for a singer and working cases and now spends his post-prison time just trying to stay alive. Urban gives a hard performance of a man who isn't untouchable and doesn't trust anyone - no matter how beautiful.

Vergara as Rebecca is a woman who knows more than she's saying but also realizes that what is happening around her is coming close to home. Knowing the players, she isn't always as candid with Gallagher and he knows it - and pillow talk doesn't make those answers come any quicker. She's in the same position as he is in that you don't know who to trust or what can be said without getting to those who want to kill you.

Garcia as Murtha greets Gallagher when is released from jail. Obviously wanting to make sure his friend is taken care of, he also sees that nothing he says will stop Gallagher from doing what ever he wants how ever he wants.

Other cast includes Grace Byers as Kate Trai Byers as Chuck, John Finn as Driscoll, Tonya Cornelisse as Helen, Patrick Brennan as Casey, Joe Pacheco as Bill Pierce, Andrea Bruschi as Tom Loach and Vincent Spano as Charlie.

Lionsgate is a global leader in motion picture production and distribution for theatres, television, home entertainment and more. Theatre franchises include THE HUNGER GAMES, and DIVERGENT along with JOHN WICK. Now, adding this film to its 16,000 motion picture and television titles you can see everything coming soon as well as available now at http://www.lionsgate.com.

The Bluray/DVD Special Features include Behind the Scenes of BENT Featurette along with Cast and Crew Interviews.

BENT is a thriller that will keep you guessing as to why all of this is happening, how did it get this far and ending with 'you have got to be kidding me!' in a good way. That's why the crime-thriller genre is still alive and well. It's fun to follow the clues and hope we get to the end faster than the film's ending.

It is the twists, turns and not wanting the facts to change our minds about the people we have invested in while watching the story unfold. When a crime-thriller is finally explained in its entirety, we are forced to decide who is right and who is justified in walking the fragile line of the law.

That's what BENT does, sends us on a journey to find out why anyone would do this to a good cop and jump on his every move to discover who is responsible. When that happens we all become part of the dilemma that Gallagher faces in the end. I think that's what

I enjoy most about this genre and I'm not the only one.

BENT is currently On Demand and arrives on Bluray, Digital and DVD May 15th.

In the end - follow your instincts!