This is a movie just for fans. The heart of this movie is that its "ABBA" in concert. Between songs we see the super group in interviews. A subplot has a D.J. trying to land an interview with them. If Mr. D.J. doesn't land the interview he will be out of a job. Hit songs performed include the classics "Dancing Queen", "Fernando", "Ring Ring" and "Thank You for the Music. Not out on Dvd. The director of this movie went on to become a big time Hollywood Director. If you thought this might be a movie "Based on the hit play Mama Mia" so sorry this is not that movie. A highlight of this is when the group invites a group of children to sing back up to "I have a Dream". The movie was shoot in and around 1976 or 1977 when the group was touring Australia. In all this movie is for fans of the group. If your not a fan you will be bored!
58 Reviews
S.O.S.....there's a bloated movie plot suffocating some good concert footage
highclark8 January 2005
Warning: Spoilers
CAUTION: THIS MOVIE CONTAINS A SPOILER.
Um, that would be Robert Hughes as the D.J. in search of the ultimate ABBA interview for the ultimate ABBA radio show on the ultimate radio station by his boss who gave him the original ultimatum. With all of his mishaps along the way you would think that GOD, short of killing him in a plane crash, personally didn't want him to interview the band.
This movie does have some very good moments besides the concert footage. The musical fantasy sequence during, 'The Name of the Game' was hilarious while being strangely erotic. Agnetha and Frida have the D.J. on the couch and the girls keep clamoring for the Mic in his lap. All of this is happening while Benny and Bjorn are slapping the D.J. on the back, giving out the 'thumbs up' sign or congratulating the D.J. for being alive or for making it with their wives, I'm not really sure. In any case it snapped me awake for a few minutes more in hopes that more strange and weird bits like this would come around.
The only other part I liked was the interview with the child ballerina who when asked about why she likes Abba said, "Because I sing it".
If you're a fan, you'll love the concert footage and you won't have much problem in traveling through all the bad D.J. parts, if you don't care for the band(you're not reading this now)take an ABBACAB somewhere else. It's too bad there was never a film on the greatness of, "The Brotherhood of Man". 6/10.
Clark Richards
Um, that would be Robert Hughes as the D.J. in search of the ultimate ABBA interview for the ultimate ABBA radio show on the ultimate radio station by his boss who gave him the original ultimatum. With all of his mishaps along the way you would think that GOD, short of killing him in a plane crash, personally didn't want him to interview the band.
This movie does have some very good moments besides the concert footage. The musical fantasy sequence during, 'The Name of the Game' was hilarious while being strangely erotic. Agnetha and Frida have the D.J. on the couch and the girls keep clamoring for the Mic in his lap. All of this is happening while Benny and Bjorn are slapping the D.J. on the back, giving out the 'thumbs up' sign or congratulating the D.J. for being alive or for making it with their wives, I'm not really sure. In any case it snapped me awake for a few minutes more in hopes that more strange and weird bits like this would come around.
The only other part I liked was the interview with the child ballerina who when asked about why she likes Abba said, "Because I sing it".
If you're a fan, you'll love the concert footage and you won't have much problem in traveling through all the bad D.J. parts, if you don't care for the band(you're not reading this now)take an ABBACAB somewhere else. It's too bad there was never a film on the greatness of, "The Brotherhood of Man". 6/10.
Clark Richards
pop culture time capsule
SnoopyStyle4 January 2020
DJ Ashley Wallace is ordered to get an interview with ABBA as they tour Australia. The DJ story has no comedy. At least, it has no comedy that works. Most of his footage can be cut out. I'd rather have more behind the scenes stuff with the band. This is nothing more than superficial surface material. There are the songs and the concerts. A straight up concert movie would be better. It's the height of their popularity. Other than a perfunctory exposition from the DJ, the audience does not get much in terms of their personal lives. They seem like a corny bunch but there isn't anything beyond the happy facade. It's strictly family friendly and kiddie fans prove it. I get more of a glimpse into their lives with Anni-Frid Lyngstad exercising with her trainer than anything. There is no drama of pulling off a tour. There is no tension of negotiating with a vendor. There is nothing compelling for non-fans. It's still interesting as a pop culture time capsule.
ABBA: The Movie
jcolyer12295 September 2005
ABBA: The Movie was a big success around the world but barely made a ripple in the U.S. It was 12 years before I saw it. It is about a deejay named Ashley who follows ABBA around on their Australian tour in hopes of getting an interview. They lead him to Sydney, Perth, Adelaide and Melbourne. Along the way, he tapes comments from fans. Mixed in with the plot are scenes from the concerts. Frida struts boldly in hot pants, prowling the stage like a female Elvis. Agnetha teases the crowd with her bottom during "Money Money Money." The group provides a cross section of what had been done up to that time: "Waterloo," "The Name of the Game" and "Ring Ring." The ladies make a real entrance for "Dancing Queen," ABBA's only number 1 record in the U.S. ABBA is a feminist group. The women are the stars. The men maintain a low profile. Benny Andersson later told of how The Movie started out as just their desire to have a personal record of their time in Australia and grew until it became a feature length film. The Movie was directed by Lasse Hallstrom, the same guy who directed ABBA's videos. They finish with their signature tune, "Thank You for the Music." I am an ABBA fan and wrote a book about the Fab Four from Sweden.
What were they thinking of?
neil-47613 August 2008
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.
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.
Any ABBA fan will want to watch it for the music. Anyone who is not an ABBA fan will probably not want to watch it at all.
JamesHitchcock21 April 2009
I am probably the only heterosexual British male of my generation who likes ABBA, or at least who likes them in a straightforward way and not in an ironic, postmodernist spirit of "I know they're naff, but then naff is the new cool!", although I have to confess that in my teenage years, which coincided with their heyday in the seventies, my interest was aroused as much by the good looks of the group's two female members as by their music. So when a film called "ABBA: The Movie" came on British TV recently (as part of Channel 5's "ABBA Night") I just had to watch it.
Films made to cash in on the success of pop groups rarely if ever make for great cinema."Spice World" was probably a horrible embarrassment even to the most ardent fan of the Spice Girls (and even more so to the group themselves). The various Beatles films have been praised for their visual style and occasional wit, although I suspect that they will prove a closed book to anyone who is not interested in the Beatles' music. The same applies to "ABBA: The Movie". It deals with ABBA's tour of Australia (a country in which they always enjoyed great popularity) in 1977. It is not, however, a straight documentary, although it probably should have been. Scenes of the band playing concerts in various Australian cities are combined with a feeble plot line about a radio DJ trying to get an interview with them, about which the less said the better. What any ABBA fan will want to watch it for is the music. Anyone who is not an ABBA fan will probably not want to watch it at all.
Even ABBA fans may be surprised by some of the music on offer here. Of course, when the film came out the group still had several years of stardom ahead of them and some of what we now think of as their greatest hits, such as "Chiquitita" and "The Winner Takes It All", were still to be written. Even so, the selection of songs may strike some as being slightly eccentric. We get to hear some more obscure offerings such as "When I Kissed the Teacher", "Tiger", the banal "Rock Me" and the shrill and strident "I'm a Marionette", these last two both qualifying for a place on any compilation album of ABBA's greatest misses, but there is no "Knowing Me, Knowing You", "Take A Chance On Me" or "I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do I Do", all of which had been written by 1977.
Nevertheless, we do get to hear most of ABBA's other great songs from the first half of their career- "Waterloo", "Fernando", "Mamma Mia", "Thank you for the Music", and a number of others. And, more importantly, we get to hear them performed in the original versions, not (as they were in the film version of "Mamma Mia") murdered by the likes of Meryl Streep and Pierce Brosnan, whose ability to kill a song stone dead proves that he is just as deadly an assassin as his best-known character. And for those whose interest in the group is not purely musical I can report that both Agnetha and Frida were at the height of their beauty in 1977 and both spend much of the film wearing their trademark scanty costumes. 6/10
Films made to cash in on the success of pop groups rarely if ever make for great cinema."Spice World" was probably a horrible embarrassment even to the most ardent fan of the Spice Girls (and even more so to the group themselves). The various Beatles films have been praised for their visual style and occasional wit, although I suspect that they will prove a closed book to anyone who is not interested in the Beatles' music. The same applies to "ABBA: The Movie". It deals with ABBA's tour of Australia (a country in which they always enjoyed great popularity) in 1977. It is not, however, a straight documentary, although it probably should have been. Scenes of the band playing concerts in various Australian cities are combined with a feeble plot line about a radio DJ trying to get an interview with them, about which the less said the better. What any ABBA fan will want to watch it for is the music. Anyone who is not an ABBA fan will probably not want to watch it at all.
Even ABBA fans may be surprised by some of the music on offer here. Of course, when the film came out the group still had several years of stardom ahead of them and some of what we now think of as their greatest hits, such as "Chiquitita" and "The Winner Takes It All", were still to be written. Even so, the selection of songs may strike some as being slightly eccentric. We get to hear some more obscure offerings such as "When I Kissed the Teacher", "Tiger", the banal "Rock Me" and the shrill and strident "I'm a Marionette", these last two both qualifying for a place on any compilation album of ABBA's greatest misses, but there is no "Knowing Me, Knowing You", "Take A Chance On Me" or "I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do I Do", all of which had been written by 1977.
Nevertheless, we do get to hear most of ABBA's other great songs from the first half of their career- "Waterloo", "Fernando", "Mamma Mia", "Thank you for the Music", and a number of others. And, more importantly, we get to hear them performed in the original versions, not (as they were in the film version of "Mamma Mia") murdered by the likes of Meryl Streep and Pierce Brosnan, whose ability to kill a song stone dead proves that he is just as deadly an assassin as his best-known character. And for those whose interest in the group is not purely musical I can report that both Agnetha and Frida were at the height of their beauty in 1977 and both spend much of the film wearing their trademark scanty costumes. 6/10
For devoted ABBA fans only
denizov4 January 2007
Forget the plot of the movie-it is banal and uninteresting,the jokes are shallow.Concentrate about the concerts footage of the film and the brilliant music which has already become a pop classic.I have been an ABBA fan since childhood and surprisingly I still think it to be one of the best musical groups in the second half of the 20th century.This film allows you to listen to one of their less-known songs not included in any of their 8 albums-"Get on the caroussel".It was one of the four songs from the musical"The girl with the golden hair".However it was later dropped and only the three others remained in "The Album"-1977.It is very similar to another song from the same album-"Hole in your soul".This film was planned as a documentary about their supersuccessful Australian tour in March 1977 and should have been made that way.Still ,watching ABBA on stage and (more rarely ) offstage is enough to justify watching the film.Long live Agnetha,Bjorn,Benny and Annifrid!!!
Everybody Loves Abba... Right?
hokeybutt5 February 2005
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.
Rare chance to see a supergroup in their prime - but for fans only.
Pedro_H8 April 2004
A journalist chases the Swedish supergroup Abba across Australia hoping to deliver a career saving interview to his boss.
Forget what I have just written, it isn't important. It is just an excuse to see a group about their work and learn just a little about their lives and personalities. The stress being on the word "little."
The setting of Australia is interesting because the group were about as big in Oz as any group has ever been anywhere at anytime - and I include the Beatles in that. They just had the widest fan base of any group I have seen. They closed whole cities centres down with people just wanting to see them no matter hear them play!
(For this reason alone we should be grateful that it is not just an in-concert film.)
Pop music is not known for its longevity, but lots of the material here is not only brilliant, but perfectly performed and eternal. Although I am almost fighting myself in saying it, they perfected the three minute pop song. When they burst in to Dancing Queen it sends a shiver down your spine - the girls voices just compliment each other so well that it is frightening. Agnetha and Frieda sing like a choir of angels - and yet there is only two of them!
Sadly they are not around anymore (as a group) and there is nothing to replace them. I loved everything about them from their naff 1970's satin clothes (for newcomers, they were even a joke at the time!) to their second language English which leads to bizarre grammatical errors ("for twenty years I have not seen you with a rifle in your hands(!)"). I feel for the kids today, there is nothing as good as this around. Watch this movie to see what a brilliant little pop music product they were.
Forget what I have just written, it isn't important. It is just an excuse to see a group about their work and learn just a little about their lives and personalities. The stress being on the word "little."
The setting of Australia is interesting because the group were about as big in Oz as any group has ever been anywhere at anytime - and I include the Beatles in that. They just had the widest fan base of any group I have seen. They closed whole cities centres down with people just wanting to see them no matter hear them play!
(For this reason alone we should be grateful that it is not just an in-concert film.)
Pop music is not known for its longevity, but lots of the material here is not only brilliant, but perfectly performed and eternal. Although I am almost fighting myself in saying it, they perfected the three minute pop song. When they burst in to Dancing Queen it sends a shiver down your spine - the girls voices just compliment each other so well that it is frightening. Agnetha and Frieda sing like a choir of angels - and yet there is only two of them!
Sadly they are not around anymore (as a group) and there is nothing to replace them. I loved everything about them from their naff 1970's satin clothes (for newcomers, they were even a joke at the time!) to their second language English which leads to bizarre grammatical errors ("for twenty years I have not seen you with a rifle in your hands(!)"). I feel for the kids today, there is nothing as good as this around. Watch this movie to see what a brilliant little pop music product they were.
an enjoyable time with ABBA on stage
tomboy7501922 January 2012
ABBA the movie tells us the story of Ashley Wallace, a country radio DJ. He is sent by his boss on a mission around Australia to get an interview of the famous pop band. This plot is a pretext to see ABBA perform on stage all along the movie.
The live footage is brilliant, you can really see them playing and singing like if you were at their sides. These moments are by far the bests of the movie. The DJ plot on the contrary is either boring or even stressful. Most of the time you can see the improvised interviewer running around chasing the group but only getting a few words from fans or informations and merchandising on that band he doesn't really like to begin with.
This makes you enjoy even more the on-stage performances that represent a dreamy break from the hustle and bustle of the big cities, crowds of fans and traffic. Some of the sequences though are original and even funny sometimes with a kitsch touch to it.
Definitely a must see if you're a fan but if not, I'd suggest you just watch video clips and live performances. In any case, there's not much to learn from this movie : no voice-over whatsoever and no text providing informations. As the radio boss puts it at the beginning of the movie : «it's not a documentary, it's an event !»
The live footage is brilliant, you can really see them playing and singing like if you were at their sides. These moments are by far the bests of the movie. The DJ plot on the contrary is either boring or even stressful. Most of the time you can see the improvised interviewer running around chasing the group but only getting a few words from fans or informations and merchandising on that band he doesn't really like to begin with.
This makes you enjoy even more the on-stage performances that represent a dreamy break from the hustle and bustle of the big cities, crowds of fans and traffic. Some of the sequences though are original and even funny sometimes with a kitsch touch to it.
Definitely a must see if you're a fan but if not, I'd suggest you just watch video clips and live performances. In any case, there's not much to learn from this movie : no voice-over whatsoever and no text providing informations. As the radio boss puts it at the beginning of the movie : «it's not a documentary, it's an event !»
OK, but not great.
asterix211230 December 2004
Though not out on DVD, this movie is currently playing in high def and Dolby 5.1 on INHD. Too bad the 'movie' is not very good. Basically it's the story of a DJ set out to interview ABBA, and he travels to Sidney to get the interview. A comedy of errors stops him from getting the interview throughout the whole movie. The plot is about as stupid as you can get, and ponderous to watch. However the movie has plenty of good concert footage (and a few shots from press conferences etc...). It's a shame most songs are not played in full (like SOS), but a few are (Dancing Queen at the end is incredible). Overall, OK for the ABBA completist, but to the average fan just give us a complete concert without the stupid 'plot'!
The only chance I'll get to see ABBA in concert.
jstream10006 June 2003
I saw this movie on Oprah Winfrey's Oxygen Network (thanks Oprah!). I had heard of it. I'm an ABBA fan. I love their music. I think Agnetha and Frida are two of the best singers I've ever heard. They're also very beautiful. Watching this movie is like being in a time machine. It brings back all of the memories of that time, you know, when music was still worth listening to. I wish someone would put this movie on DVD. The disc jockey stuff isn't bad. As a matter of fact it's kind of cool. He has a dream sequence that's interesting with Agnetha and Frida. Well anyway, I never got to see ABBA in concert so I'll really enjoyed this movie! I give it the highest rating possible. But then again, I'm a music nut!
More ABBA please!
droog-5693619 September 2019
Ok...so the reason this movie gets a 6 is not because of ABBA at all. Whenever they're in the movie it's amazing. Their genius in catchy pop is unparalleled. The problem is with the awful forced reporter story thrown into the mix. So a movie that could have focused on the interesting complex band members turns into this stupid staged comedy of a reporter trying to enter the world of ABBA. More time is given to this than actually getting to know ABBA...that is frustrating. The musical performances are top notch and show the greatness of the 70s greatest pop group.
Good, But Somewhat Disappointing
Dominik52812 June 2015
Warning: Spoilers
As a huge ABBA fan, I was expecting to see this reporter reach the band early on and actually spend time with them as he does the interview. Instead, the whole film has him trying to get close to them as they tour around Australia. We get some really good performances by ABBA, but the only song we hear completely is "Dancing Queen."
The man is told at the beginning that the station wants him to delve deep into the band members' mind and life, but I feel like we ourselves never got to know them. We only have a few clips of them being themselves where they get to talk and rehearse, and, aside from their live performances, they just feel like side characters. Most of the rest of the movie is devoted to having the reporter interview random people and children about their thoughts on the band.
It definitely has some funny moments, like the running gag about Agnetha's behind, but other than that, it's no A Hard Day's Night (1964).
I give it 5 stars mostly for ABBA's amazing performances.
The man is told at the beginning that the station wants him to delve deep into the band members' mind and life, but I feel like we ourselves never got to know them. We only have a few clips of them being themselves where they get to talk and rehearse, and, aside from their live performances, they just feel like side characters. Most of the rest of the movie is devoted to having the reporter interview random people and children about their thoughts on the band.
It definitely has some funny moments, like the running gag about Agnetha's behind, but other than that, it's no A Hard Day's Night (1964).
I give it 5 stars mostly for ABBA's amazing performances.
ABBA The Movie
njtoc28 April 2006
Now that it's out in DVD, the ABBA fans who missed the movie when originally released can delight in seeing their favorite group as they were then. Even though, the band has been disbanded for over 20 years, ABBA was unique for groups of the time, in that they left a fairly large legacy of surprisingly good quality videos of their music. This movie, although trite contains a fascinating video record of one of their most impressive tours. With the introduction of the musical Mamma Mia (based on ABBA songs) on Broadway several years back, which started an ABBA resurgence of sorts, the existence of videos like this one has let another whole generation get hooked on ABBA music. ABBA was an extremely attractive and very talented group which will live on through these videos. The video and sound quality of the DVDs ( I watch on an HD set ) is excellent considering the time period they were recorded. I liked ABBA back then, but never really followed their music closely. Now I'm hooked, and grateful for the video record that exists of " one of the greatest pop groups that ever was" ( from U2)
Australian Abbamania 1977
jubilee7716 May 2008
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.
The winner takes it all
Chase_Witherspoon21 January 2011
Freelance journalist (Hughes) is on the trail of super group ABBA to capture a scoop after a series of mishaps causes him to miss the arranged press interview leaving him without the crucial audio his boss believes he has secured. The film then revolves around his city hopping antics as he documents the events through interviews with fans, coming ever closer to the elusive interview with the group themselves.
Not an especially gripping yarn, Hughes however appears realistic as the intrepid disc jockey who'll stop at nothing to cobble together a documentary about the superstars. Along the way we're treated to actual concert footage and substantial song performances which should please fans. Local viewers might be attracted to the location work and nostalgia of late 70's Australian capital cities and fashion.
I caught this movie late one night on the ABC network and though not a fan, decided to watch for a minute or two just to appreciate the history - an hour and a half later I was surprisingly entertained. Despite the somewhat inane title, it's not a docu-drama or concert vignette, but a reasonable plot with an engaging central character and fluent narrative.
Not an especially gripping yarn, Hughes however appears realistic as the intrepid disc jockey who'll stop at nothing to cobble together a documentary about the superstars. Along the way we're treated to actual concert footage and substantial song performances which should please fans. Local viewers might be attracted to the location work and nostalgia of late 70's Australian capital cities and fashion.
I caught this movie late one night on the ABC network and though not a fan, decided to watch for a minute or two just to appreciate the history - an hour and a half later I was surprisingly entertained. Despite the somewhat inane title, it's not a docu-drama or concert vignette, but a reasonable plot with an engaging central character and fluent narrative.
Not much in the way of plot...mostly it's a chance to see and hear ABBA.
planktonrules21 July 2022
"ABBA: The Movie" is a testament to the popularity of this Swedish super-group. Because they were so popular, promoters were anxious to get them on film as there was a mint to be made with ANY movie featuring them. And 'any' seems to be the operative word. In other words, there really isn't much in the way of plot...and mostly the film consists of clips of the group in various concerts throughout Australia, where the fans went bonkers for them. Unfortunately, in some cases, the film only features a few clips of their songs...and fans, like me, would have probably preferred all the songs in their entirety. In fact, a video of one of their concerts would have been better than this film...as then you'd see and hear EVERYTHING.
As for the plot, such as it is. A completely incompetent and rather stupid DJ has been pushed by his boss to meet with ABBA and get an inside interview with them. Such interviews seem like the norm, but this bozo seems to have no idea HOW to get such an interview and he doesn't go through any channels to get it...he just keeps arriving too late to press conferences and photo ops. This is pretty much the entire plot!
This is a film you certainly DON'T watch for the plot and it really feels slapped onto the concert footage. Normally, this is bad...but here the fans just don't watch the film for the plot...they just want to see ABBA...and there is plenty of ABBA in the movie...though mostly it's just them in concert. Worth seeing IF you love ABBA...otherwise, you might find it hard going.
By the way, when reading through the many reviews for this film, I found that many were more about how they loved or hated the band. My score of 6 takes into account the band...which is as high as the score is. As for the plot and rest of the film....it's amazingly uninvolving and bad.
As for the plot, such as it is. A completely incompetent and rather stupid DJ has been pushed by his boss to meet with ABBA and get an inside interview with them. Such interviews seem like the norm, but this bozo seems to have no idea HOW to get such an interview and he doesn't go through any channels to get it...he just keeps arriving too late to press conferences and photo ops. This is pretty much the entire plot!
This is a film you certainly DON'T watch for the plot and it really feels slapped onto the concert footage. Normally, this is bad...but here the fans just don't watch the film for the plot...they just want to see ABBA...and there is plenty of ABBA in the movie...though mostly it's just them in concert. Worth seeing IF you love ABBA...otherwise, you might find it hard going.
By the way, when reading through the many reviews for this film, I found that many were more about how they loved or hated the band. My score of 6 takes into account the band...which is as high as the score is. As for the plot and rest of the film....it's amazingly uninvolving and bad.
Buy the Biggest Hits DVD instead of watching this
futuretype3 January 2018
Fortunately I caught on to the moronic plot early on and was able to fast forward through those connecting scenes. Actually I fast forwarded through most of the songs except for a half dozen of their best tunes. The photography was mediocre. It was no Woodstock. The best part was how the group came across as sincere, dedicated likeable performers.
Who can't say thank you enough for the music?
Cinema_Fan30 March 2007
Welcome to the movies. Elvis had done it, The Beatles had done it and now the nineteen-seventies super group ABBA have done it. Welcome to ABBA: The Movie. This semi-documentary movie footage of the pop sensation that stormed the world with its simple melodies, gentle harmonies and infectious lyrics is taken while on tour of the Southern Hemisphere during 1977.
It's a basic concept and the formula is unsurprisingly straightforward; ABBA are on tour of Australia and the group are being filmed as they progress to each new city, to each new concert hall and to each new horde of screaming and admiring fans that this access-all-areas pass via this fly-on-the-wall perspective shows us. We have the group interviews, we see them perform their multimillion best sellers such as "Dancing Queen", "The Name Of The Game", "Tiger", "Ring Ring", "Eagle", "Mamma Mia", and many others that include "Money, Money, Money" and "I'm a Marionette". They allow us to see their prepping-up toward the nights shows' and we are more than privileged to have this insight into this bandwagon on the road to fame and fortune amongst the real hustle and bustle of the press and TV crews that beg their attention.
ABBA: The Movie is a gloried extension of the pop video that has them on stage rather than in a studio setting. In-between this hectic life style is the misadventures of a local D.J. Ashley Wallace, played by actor Robert Hughes who having no idea of what lies ahead and whose soul mission is to get that all so important interview. This is a man on a mission, this is a man without a clue and an even smaller chance, will his luck, wit and desperation withhold the barriers of the Rock 'n Roll giant that stand between him and his goal.
While on the hunt for his four-piece dialogue, we see him up and down and across the country talking and interviewing the real fans that have come to see this band proper. On reflection, this is now a tiny snippet of the ABBA mania that took over the world in the same vain as Elvis in the 1950's and The Beatles during the 1960's and Madonna of the last twenty years, has there ever been another to have reached international mega stardom since?
Directed by the Swedish Lasse Hallström, who directed some of ABBA's pop videos while at their peak, he has Johnny Depp and a very young Leonardo DiCaprio in his repertoire in his movie What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993), Chocolat (2000) and along with The Shipping News (2001) and An Unfinished Life (2005).
ABBA: The Movie is a gentle reminder of this phenomenon of way back then, and that over the years even today has its admiration and respect of the easy beat and more than charming lyrics. This four-piece band had tapped into the imaginations of lovers of music and its players alike. The movie Muriel's Wedding (1994) and the stage play Mamma Mia can be seen as fitting tributes to this influential group, its cultural significance is beyond comprehension. The writing talents of Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus are truly on a similar par as Lennon and McCartney, drug free of course, a writing duo who for a short while conquered the world and who set the standard, as did too Lennon and McCartney, for the pop world for decades to come.
ABBA: The Movie is a fan's movie without a doubt, but to an outsiders viewpoint it is an insight into a different avenue of the Rock 'n Roll machine that is so fickle and delicate. ABBA have stood their ground and in the halls of fame and stardom their music have become an integral part of modern pop culture and society, and that is why talent like this has to be tapped, exploited, far reaching and timeless: Welcome to the movies? Welcome to ABBA.
It's a basic concept and the formula is unsurprisingly straightforward; ABBA are on tour of Australia and the group are being filmed as they progress to each new city, to each new concert hall and to each new horde of screaming and admiring fans that this access-all-areas pass via this fly-on-the-wall perspective shows us. We have the group interviews, we see them perform their multimillion best sellers such as "Dancing Queen", "The Name Of The Game", "Tiger", "Ring Ring", "Eagle", "Mamma Mia", and many others that include "Money, Money, Money" and "I'm a Marionette". They allow us to see their prepping-up toward the nights shows' and we are more than privileged to have this insight into this bandwagon on the road to fame and fortune amongst the real hustle and bustle of the press and TV crews that beg their attention.
ABBA: The Movie is a gloried extension of the pop video that has them on stage rather than in a studio setting. In-between this hectic life style is the misadventures of a local D.J. Ashley Wallace, played by actor Robert Hughes who having no idea of what lies ahead and whose soul mission is to get that all so important interview. This is a man on a mission, this is a man without a clue and an even smaller chance, will his luck, wit and desperation withhold the barriers of the Rock 'n Roll giant that stand between him and his goal.
While on the hunt for his four-piece dialogue, we see him up and down and across the country talking and interviewing the real fans that have come to see this band proper. On reflection, this is now a tiny snippet of the ABBA mania that took over the world in the same vain as Elvis in the 1950's and The Beatles during the 1960's and Madonna of the last twenty years, has there ever been another to have reached international mega stardom since?
Directed by the Swedish Lasse Hallström, who directed some of ABBA's pop videos while at their peak, he has Johnny Depp and a very young Leonardo DiCaprio in his repertoire in his movie What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993), Chocolat (2000) and along with The Shipping News (2001) and An Unfinished Life (2005).
ABBA: The Movie is a gentle reminder of this phenomenon of way back then, and that over the years even today has its admiration and respect of the easy beat and more than charming lyrics. This four-piece band had tapped into the imaginations of lovers of music and its players alike. The movie Muriel's Wedding (1994) and the stage play Mamma Mia can be seen as fitting tributes to this influential group, its cultural significance is beyond comprehension. The writing talents of Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus are truly on a similar par as Lennon and McCartney, drug free of course, a writing duo who for a short while conquered the world and who set the standard, as did too Lennon and McCartney, for the pop world for decades to come.
ABBA: The Movie is a fan's movie without a doubt, but to an outsiders viewpoint it is an insight into a different avenue of the Rock 'n Roll machine that is so fickle and delicate. ABBA have stood their ground and in the halls of fame and stardom their music have become an integral part of modern pop culture and society, and that is why talent like this has to be tapped, exploited, far reaching and timeless: Welcome to the movies? Welcome to ABBA.
good music, with an interesting premise
thewalkingpuns2 June 2022
The premise of the movie follows an Australian disc jockey called Ashley, as he tries to get an exclusive interview with ABBA themselves. Having the band members themselves in the movie and creating this concert as he pursues them was fun to watch and I enjoyed the performances throughout which cut through the main story. You find yourself relating to the people around, being a fan of the band myself helped make it more enjoyable and overall it was just a fun little movie.
I Don't I Don't I Don't I Don't I Don't
Lejink2 November 2021
What might have made this piece of movie fluff watchable is if it had been made three of four years later when the group was breaking up. What's the Swedish for "Let It Be"?
As it is, what we're left with is a skimpily plotted feature centred on an Australian Country and Western deejay (why?) who is pressed by his cranky boss to follow the Swedish superstars around their tour of the big cities there in the hope of bagging an exclusive interview with them for his radio station. And that's it, I've heard about writing a plot on the back of an envelope, but this one would still leave space on the actual stamp.
His various runnings-about are interspersed with musical clips of the group in concert, plus at the end, two promo-type studio clips for new songs "Eagle" and "Thank You For The Music" and several vox-pop interviews with members of their mostly adoring public, usually commenting on how clean-cut the group is. The film, not surprisingly, has little or no depth at all and it seems clear the director didn't trust the acting skills of any of the group members to bless them with more than a couple of lines at a time.
The music is mostly strong, although with ABBA there's always that swing from the good of "Name Of The Game", "Eagle", "Mamma Mia" and "S. O. S." through the bad - "When I Kissed The Teacher", "Why Did It Have To Be Me", to the downright ugly "He Is Your Brother" and "Thank You For The Music". The group sounds fine live and Agnetha and Frida shine out in front, although it's quite obvious that the director only used a limited number of camera set-ups for the concert footage.
The whole film, viewed today, is like opening a time capsule into the year 1977, as you look at the fashions, buildings and motor vehicles from almost fifty years ago, preserved in aspic.
Not that the group ever seemed to bother much with their public image or the brickbats of contemporary critics, but the latter sure are given plenty of ammunition in this cheese-fest.
There's little argument that ABBA's music, much maligned back in the day, has survived the test of time, but anyone expecting another artistic cinematic success for a big-name pop-group a-la "A Hard Day's Night" can say "So Long" to that idea.
As it is, what we're left with is a skimpily plotted feature centred on an Australian Country and Western deejay (why?) who is pressed by his cranky boss to follow the Swedish superstars around their tour of the big cities there in the hope of bagging an exclusive interview with them for his radio station. And that's it, I've heard about writing a plot on the back of an envelope, but this one would still leave space on the actual stamp.
His various runnings-about are interspersed with musical clips of the group in concert, plus at the end, two promo-type studio clips for new songs "Eagle" and "Thank You For The Music" and several vox-pop interviews with members of their mostly adoring public, usually commenting on how clean-cut the group is. The film, not surprisingly, has little or no depth at all and it seems clear the director didn't trust the acting skills of any of the group members to bless them with more than a couple of lines at a time.
The music is mostly strong, although with ABBA there's always that swing from the good of "Name Of The Game", "Eagle", "Mamma Mia" and "S. O. S." through the bad - "When I Kissed The Teacher", "Why Did It Have To Be Me", to the downright ugly "He Is Your Brother" and "Thank You For The Music". The group sounds fine live and Agnetha and Frida shine out in front, although it's quite obvious that the director only used a limited number of camera set-ups for the concert footage.
The whole film, viewed today, is like opening a time capsule into the year 1977, as you look at the fashions, buildings and motor vehicles from almost fifty years ago, preserved in aspic.
Not that the group ever seemed to bother much with their public image or the brickbats of contemporary critics, but the latter sure are given plenty of ammunition in this cheese-fest.
There's little argument that ABBA's music, much maligned back in the day, has survived the test of time, but anyone expecting another artistic cinematic success for a big-name pop-group a-la "A Hard Day's Night" can say "So Long" to that idea.
Very good
coco_bandicoot918 August 2005
ABBA are my favourite group and I rented the movie from the library. It is mainly showing their 1977 tour in Australia. They perform most of their popular hits such as Waterloo and Fernando. You will find it quite interesting as it just shows how popular ABBA were in the 1970's. The film is made into a story. Be entertained by this great documentary. I didn't know that you could still get it anyway, but I was really happy to ind it. I had always wanted to see it and I was very amazed when I saw it. If people like ABBA, they will enjoy the movie. Scenes include the press conference, concerts, the Radio DJ searching for them and also his dream.
I enjoyed spending some time with these Swedish superstars in the seventies.
cricketbat20 July 2022
ABBA: The Movie is a chance for the band to showcase their Australian tour with a paper-thin plot constructed around that concept. This pseudo-documentary doesn't really reveal any new information about the band, but if you're a fan of ABBA or just want to get to know them a little bit, this will keep you entertained. I enjoyed spending some time with these Swedish superstars in the seventies.
Will make you hate ABBA
clivey69 August 2008
This has some muddy nostalgia value as I recall seeing the film as a kid at the cinema with my sister and my Dad. Dad moaned to the management about how loud the music was, then was promptly ill in bed for the next two days.
Now, even at the time, having seen A Hard Day's Night and Help! where the Fab Four are at the forefront of events and let us into their world, it seemed that this film fobbed us off with the story of a hapless disc jockey trailing the band across their tour of Australia, under pressure to deliver an in-depth interview.
He misses press conferences, loses his press card, gets stuck in traffic jams. It quickly becomes tedious, repetitive and bad-tempered. All the more so because it depicts Abba as lovely untouchables at far remove.
And also because - wait for it- Abba are soon revealed as officially The Worst Band Ever. Yep. Given a chance to shine at a press conference, they exhibit the intellectual savvy of the Cheeky Girls and the energy and wit of former England manager Sven Goran Eriksson. It's like they're actually trying to be uninteresting. The biggest laughs come from a question asked by a journalist. Suddenly you can see why music hacks hated them at the time. And the blokes have all the charisma of John Major, they seemed nervy, like they're unwillingly backing into the limelight. The sexy blonde one has a low profile and the dark one seems a bit forward, a bit OTT. How I longed for the Beatles' four personalities: the knockabout Ringo, the rapier wit of Lennon, the wry sardonic wit of George and Paul's laid back, insouciant cool.
As I downed my third glass of Savignon Blanc I gloomily reflected that the band resembled the hosts of a Swedish suburban swinging club, where the evening would start off promisingly only to find yourself in the kitchen with Benny discussing the merits of the Yamaha synthesizer while the blonde one keeps out of sight...
But the songs! Well, yes, this was Abba at their height, but they don't make much impact, every other song being a forgotten album track sung by the blokes. All are taken from the concerts, which is visually repetitive and sees the girls bathed in red light; unlike The Beatles however much of their visual appeal came from their cute, quirky videos.
I gradually came to see the band in its imperial phase as a bunch of fascists taking over the world, only without the drive and ideology... Like the Beatles Love musical, this one will do what you never thought possible, and put you right off the band. Only latterly did I realise, with horror, that the hapless DJ spends the film being punished for not being an ABBA fan, and it's only after he's paid to see them in concert and is 'converted', bathed in an ethereal glow, that's he's allowed his time with them. Horrid. This was, of course, before ABBA became popular in an ironic, slightly indulgent way.
BTW the Swedish director went on to better things; Chocalet and The Shipping News.
Now, even at the time, having seen A Hard Day's Night and Help! where the Fab Four are at the forefront of events and let us into their world, it seemed that this film fobbed us off with the story of a hapless disc jockey trailing the band across their tour of Australia, under pressure to deliver an in-depth interview.
He misses press conferences, loses his press card, gets stuck in traffic jams. It quickly becomes tedious, repetitive and bad-tempered. All the more so because it depicts Abba as lovely untouchables at far remove.
And also because - wait for it- Abba are soon revealed as officially The Worst Band Ever. Yep. Given a chance to shine at a press conference, they exhibit the intellectual savvy of the Cheeky Girls and the energy and wit of former England manager Sven Goran Eriksson. It's like they're actually trying to be uninteresting. The biggest laughs come from a question asked by a journalist. Suddenly you can see why music hacks hated them at the time. And the blokes have all the charisma of John Major, they seemed nervy, like they're unwillingly backing into the limelight. The sexy blonde one has a low profile and the dark one seems a bit forward, a bit OTT. How I longed for the Beatles' four personalities: the knockabout Ringo, the rapier wit of Lennon, the wry sardonic wit of George and Paul's laid back, insouciant cool.
As I downed my third glass of Savignon Blanc I gloomily reflected that the band resembled the hosts of a Swedish suburban swinging club, where the evening would start off promisingly only to find yourself in the kitchen with Benny discussing the merits of the Yamaha synthesizer while the blonde one keeps out of sight...
But the songs! Well, yes, this was Abba at their height, but they don't make much impact, every other song being a forgotten album track sung by the blokes. All are taken from the concerts, which is visually repetitive and sees the girls bathed in red light; unlike The Beatles however much of their visual appeal came from their cute, quirky videos.
I gradually came to see the band in its imperial phase as a bunch of fascists taking over the world, only without the drive and ideology... Like the Beatles Love musical, this one will do what you never thought possible, and put you right off the band. Only latterly did I realise, with horror, that the hapless DJ spends the film being punished for not being an ABBA fan, and it's only after he's paid to see them in concert and is 'converted', bathed in an ethereal glow, that's he's allowed his time with them. Horrid. This was, of course, before ABBA became popular in an ironic, slightly indulgent way.
BTW the Swedish director went on to better things; Chocalet and The Shipping News.
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