The hit West End and Broadway musical inspired by the hit songs of ABBA that dominated much of the 1970s, “Mamma Mia!,” is now a movie starring Meryl Streep and Pierce Brosnan in singing roles. The stage musical is a rousing, joyous presentation that has been sending audiences dancing inside the theatre since it started its run in 1999. We don’t know if the movie would have the same effect, but you do go out of the moviehouse still humming some of the timeless songs in it. It does provide a very pleasant alternative to the action and fantasy flicks being released one after another in the US summer season.

Meryl plays Donna, the owner of a small tavern in a sunny Greek island.called Kalokairi. Twenty years ago, she got involved with three different men, none of whom she married, but one of whom fathered her daughter, Sophie (Amanda Seyfried of “Mean Girls”). Sophie stumbles upon her mom’s tell-all diary and learns about the three men in her life: Sam Carmichael (Brosnan), Harry Bright (Colin Firth) and Bill (Stellan Skarsgard). Sophie is about to marry Sky (Dominic Cooper). Curious to find out who her real dad is, she then sends them invitations coming from her mom to visit the island.

The three guys arrive, not knowing about each other or about Sophie. The film revolves on Donna and her two friends, Tanya and Rose (Christine Baranski and Julie Walters), and also Sophie and her own two friends, plus the three visitors. The next few days will change their lives forever.

The same creative team that mounted the stage musical also took charge in transferring it on the big screen: Phyllia Lloyd as director, Catherine Johnson as writer and Judy Craymer as producer. The three of them must be very rich by now as the stage productions reach their ninth year and is still going strong. How we wish that they were the same people that put up “Across the Universe,” a boring film that made poor use of the songs of The Beatles. Set on marvelous location in the islands of Greece, “Mamma Mia” is great escapist entertainment where you can tap your toes while witnessing a story about romance, friendship, secrets and other issues of the heart all tied together by the timeless songs of ABBA.

Meryl seems like she’s having real fun, not taking herself too seriously, and comes out outstanding as the doting mom who’s has a wild carefree life. She has sung before in Robert Altman’s last work “A Prairie Home Companion,” that was sadly never released here. Here, she gets to do some big numbers complete with dancing and trampoline moves and, whaddaya know, she pulls it off well with her warm expressive voice and impressive physicality. Why are some people born with all the talent? Don’t you think it’s just so unfair? She even has a truly touching scene when she sings “Slipping Through My Fingers” as she loses her daughter who’s getting married. For her rendition of “The Winner Takes It All,” she deserves to be nominated in the Oscars again after “The Devil Wears Prada.”

Julie Walters gets to deliver a lot of hilarious one liners as Rose and does a sweet version of “Take a Chance on Me” as she humors a reluctant suitor, but it’s Baranski who steals a lot of scenes as Tanya, a “salamat po doktor” retokada beauty with an eye for younger guys. The musical sequence on the beach with Pepper (Philip Michael) is riotous. She nails the song “Does Your Mother Know” totally. There are many other crowd-pleasing scenes, like when Donna and her friends put on their platform shoes and flashy dresses and do “Super Trouper.”

Walters and Baranski also have a rollicking version of “Chiquitita” that they sing while trying to make Donna feel better. With them, “Dancing Queen” becomes a call for woman empowerment and liberation. As a viewer, we advise to just let go and allow the music to carry you away.

The three guys have their own individual personalities. Firth as British banker Harry thinks he’s spontaneous but is really all bottled up, while Skarsgard as the adventurer Bill is more down to earth and ready for fun. It’s Brosnan as Sam, the New York businessman who’s the idealist and he forms a good team with Meryl. They all have fairly engaging voices. Amanda is delightful as Sophie and has very good pipes that she displays in various musical numbers bursting with infectious energy and executed with a charming sense of fun and abandon. Even the most dour and cynical viewer will have a good time, particularly in the fabulous curtain call finale where it’s best to just go with the flow.