Pierce Brosnan

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Stars come out for CNN Heroes ceremony

Pierce Brosnan, honoring a woman who started an anti-breast cancer project, created one of the evening's most emotional moments as he recalled his late wife's failed battle against the disease. She was a "magnificent mother, a wonderful actor," he said of Cassandra Harris, who died of ovarian cancer in 1991.

"There are too many of us who have lost someone to this brutal disease called cancer, and we are all sick and tired of cancer winning," he said in introducing breast cancer survivor Andrea Ivory, who runs a mobile mammography project in Miami that provides free screenings.The pair posed backstage for photos, Ivory glamorous in a gown with an oversized pink bow -- symbolic of the ribbons that mark the breast cancer battle.

"Stunning," Brosnan said, smiling broadly as cameras focused on her.

BY LYNN ELBER, AP Television Writer

From the News Tribune
http://www.newstribune.com/articles/2009/11/24/entertainment/nt039ent11heroes09.txt

More Than Kids Stuff: Doris Roberts

The fight between Ricky and Nana (Doris Roberts) is the comic highlight of the whole movie, while the way they manipulate him to make a fool of himself in front of Bethany is also very funny.

From The Weekend Post Online
http://www.weekendpost.co.za/entertainment/article.aspx?id=480836

Children fighting little green men more than just kids’ stuff

Steele Honored

Remington Steele, Seinfeld's "Elaine" Honored In SF

by Bay City News

September 13, 2009 6:41 AM

In celebration of the 25th anniversary of California Coastal Cleanup Day, Sunset magazine and the California Coastal Commission will hold a gala in San Francisco honoring nine California "coastal heroes" on Thursday, according to the Commission.

Actor Pierce Brosnan and actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus will be among those honored at the event, which is taking place at the Aquarium of the Bay, according to event organizers.

The program will include presentations by the chair of the White House Council of Environmental Quality and the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The nine honorees are being recognized for the work they have done to protect the California coast, and the event will focus on stewardship, organizers said. It will preview the 25th annual California Coastal Cleanup Day, which is scheduled for the following Saturday.

More than 80,000 volunteers are expected to help remove debris from coastal areas throughout the state on Saturday, according to the California Coastal Commission.

The cleanup day is a global event that draws volunteers to coastal sites in 120 countries, organizers said. Last year, California had the largest cleanup in the world with about 75,000 volunteers at more than 750 sites.

Pierce Brosnan vacations with family in Italy

AKA Sexy Irish hunk and family aboard a glorious yatch

From Gossip Thread
http://www.gossipthread.com/gossip/pierce-brosnan-vacations-with-family-in-italy/

TRICK OR TREAT WITH DORIS ROBERTS AT THE CHILDREN AFFECTED BY AIDS FOUNDATION’S DREAM HALLOWEEN® LOS ANGELES | Westside Today

TRICK OR TREAT WITH DORIS ROBERTS AT THE CHILDREN AFFECTED BY AIDS FOUNDATION’S DREAM HALLOWEEN® LOS ANGELES | Westside Today

Something's Fishy!

It's a Flash Sushi Night, From Deadline Press & Picture Agency

Flash Sushi is a favourite of top Hollywood celebrities, Tom Cruise, George Clooney, Pierce Brosnan, Julianne Moore and Harrison Ford.

Flash Sushi evening – a rare Japanese dining practice involving 10 courses of fishy rice and one naked woman.

http://deadlinescotland.wordpress.com/2009/08/23/8766-1665/

Maybe friendship marriages work best

An example of devotion is movie star Pierce Brosnan, a man of commitment to his first wife, who was 12 years older. After her sad death, Brosnan, who most famously played James Bond, who could have instantly married any number of women, waited until he found love again with the environmental journalist and actress Keely Shaye Smith.

From the Examiner
http://www.examiner.com/x-2108-Love-and-Marriage-Examiner~y2009m8d22-Maybe-friendship-marriages-work-best

Pierce Brosnan's Navan Home on the Demolition Block

Bulldozers to move on Brosnan's home - From Herald.ie

Doris Roberts Stars in New Indie Film

Doris Roberts, Andy Griffith star in new indie film ‘Play the Game’ - From the Pittsburg, KS - Morning Sun

Sweden's Ice Hotel

So much for the Bond naysayers that said it was impossible
http://tinyurl.com/DADicepalace

"There's a nuance here that escapes me."
--Remington Steele (Pierce Brosnan) to Anthony Roselli (Jack Scalia)
Remington Steele, "Steeled with a Kiss" (final episode)

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Potter's Kerb

Editor's note: Pattison was in Harry Potter?

From the Sunday Mail
http://www.sundaymail.co.uk/tv-showbiz-news/entertainment-news/2009/07/19/twilight-actor-overshadows-pierce-brosnan-on-film-set-78057-21532221/

Twilight actor overshadows Pierce Brosnan on film set

FORMER 007 hunk Pierce Brosnan has lost his license to thrill - to a younger rival.

The 56-year-old is being ignored on the set of his new movie as fans flock for a look at 23-year-old costar Robert Pattinson.

Security has been tightened around the New York set of Remember Me, in which Brosnan plays Pattinson's dad.

Diehard Brosnan fan Amy Feran said: "They didn't pay any attention to Pierce when he was walking around the set.

"Even when he tripped on the kerb, no one seemed to notice."

Meanwhile, Harry Potter heart-throb Pattinson's security team have to escort him everywhere.

Have your say on the latest news and sport in our Forums

"There's a nuance here that escapes me."
--Remington Steele (Pierce Brosnan) to Anthony Roselli (Jack Scalia)
Remington Steele, "Steeled with a Kiss" (final episode)

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Going Up in Smoke

Editor's Note: Talk about an embarrassing typo...

From Spice Zee News
http://spicezee.zeenews.com/articles/story35612.htm

Brosnan returns as Pattinson`s suave father in new movie

 London: Teen heartthrob Robert Pattinson has competition on the set of his new movie `Remember Me` from none other than former Bong star Pierce Brosnan, who plays his father in the movie.

The actor, who left his famous role of 007 to British actor Daniel Craig after his 2002 hit `Die Another Day`, looked his usual dashing self at the set of his new movie.

The 56-year-old actor was wearing his signature look, a well-cut suit and shirt and tie during the shooting of the movie in New York.

Brosnon has been cast as the father of `Twilight` hunk Robert Pattinson in the drama, which deals with a pair of star-crossed lovers who are brought together by family tragedy, Daily Mail reported.

Brosnan was last seen in musical comedy "Mamma Mia!".

Bureau Report

Double OHHH seven style

Showing off his 007 style. From the Daily Mail http://bit.ly/Szk0i 
 

"There's a nuance here that escapes me."
--Remington Steele (Pierce Brosnan) to Anthony Roselli (Jack Scalia)
Remington Steele, "Steeled with a Kiss" (final episode)

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More Remember Pix

 More pix of Pierce Brosnan on set of Remember Me: http://lnk.ms/16hm1

"There's a nuance here that escapes me."
--Remington Steele (Pierce Brosnan) to Anthony Roselli (Jack Scalia)
Remington Steele, "Steeled with a Kiss" (final episode)

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On set "Bonding"

Editor's Note: Methinks the infamous "Bond, James Bond" quote is a little off...

From Irish Central

Robert, Robert Pattinson may be James, James Bond

By KENNETH HAYNES, IrishCentral.Com Staff Writer

Robert Pattinson and Pierce Brosnan are wrapping up filming on "Remember Me," in which the Irish actor plays the father of teenage idol Pattinson.

Friday was one of their last days on the set — but insiders are betting that it's not the last time the two will be linked.

IrishCentral sources say the two have talked at length about the "James Bond franchise," in which Brosnan was a key player.. Pattinson made clear during the Cannes film festival that he loves the role of the supercool 007. Brosnan who played Bond before Daniel Craig took over the role, made clear to the young superstar that he feels the Brit could be next in line to play the role.

The two have "bonded" on the film set, and Brosnan also had words of advice for Pattinson on how to handle the pitfalls of fame and celebrity. Just a few years back, Brosnan was the hottest thing in movies — the place where Pattinson is now. Extra scurity had to be ordered during the final week of the shoot because there were so many female fans seeking to catch a glimpse of Pattinson.

Next up for Brosnan -- who also has his own film production company — will be a self-financed film, while Pattinson will star in the sequel to "Twilight."

Both men expect to stay in touch however, according to sources.

"There's a nuance here that escapes me."
--Remington Steele (Pierce Brosnan) to Anthony Roselli (Jack Scalia)
Remington Steele, "Steeled with a Kiss" (final episode)

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Steele waiting an update

A recent tweet from Pierce Brosnan: In New York City, taking a break from filming "Remember Me" and off to see Paul McCartney tonight. I'll let you know how the concert was.

 

"There's a nuance here that escapes me."
--Remington Steele (Pierce Brosnan) to Anthony Roselli (Jack Scalia)
Remington Steele, "Steeled with a Kiss" (final episode)

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Suited for "Me"

More Pix From Zimbio

http://www.zimbio.com/pictures/svbMVyYpJeK/Remember+Me+continues+filming/qbzP4bsaAz5/Pierce+Brosnan?pa=1

"There's a nuance here that escapes me."
--Remington Steele (Pierce Brosnan) to Anthony Roselli (Jack Scalia)
Remington Steele, "Steeled with a Kiss" (final episode)

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On Set Snub?

Editor's Note: Okay, girls: volunteers needed to make a fuss over Pierce.

Fans snub Bond in favor of Twilight star

By

ANTOINETTE KELLY

IrishCentral.com Staff Writer

Irish actor Pierce Brosnan usually attracts the crowds – and the ladies. But on the set of his new film "Remember Me," Brosnan is being snubbed by teeny boppers who prefer the younger, fresher "Twilight" actor Robert Pattinson.

The two Hollywood stars are on location in New York, where security has had to be drastically heightened in order to protect Pattinson from his crazed fans.

Brosnan, who plays Pattinson's father in the film, has said that diehard RPatz fans have been swarming the "Twilight" star since he's arrived. Many of them have tried to grab at the British actor, and even sent him running into a moving taxi cab as he flew across the street to escape the mob.

Ex-Bond star Brosnan may be shaken and stirred by all the commotion, but he doesn't seem to be bothered by the fact that he's not the most popular guy on set.

Brosnan fan Amy Feran snagged a spot outside the Plaza in New York to watch some of the "Remember Me" shoot.

While barricades were set up along the street to guard Pattinson from his teenage fans and their moms, who were all scrambling to take pictures of the sunglass-donning actor, Feran says "no one was interested in Pierce."

"They didn't pay any attention to Pierce when he was walking around the set," she said. "Even when he tripped on the curb, no one seemed to notice."

Meanwhile, Pattinson's security team escorted him everywhere, even from the short walk from the set to his trailer. Onlookers say that every time a car or truck would block the crowd's view of the actor's trailer, the girls would angrily scream until the driver got out of the way.

But Brosnan, as suave and gracious as ever, kept his cool amidst the hullabaloo, and even joked around with the mob of fans.

"Pierce turned around on the steps of the Plaza and took a picture of the crowd with his mobile, which got everybody laughing."

"There's a nuance here that escapes me."
--Remington Steele (Pierce Brosnan) to Anthony Roselli (Jack Scalia)
Remington Steele, "Steeled with a Kiss" (final episode)

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PBIC on Facebook

The Pierce Brosnan International Fan Club now on Facebook.
http://www.facebook.com/piercebrosnan

His heart is all a-twitter!

Follow Pierce on twitter.

Pining for Pierce

The Insider reports that actor Denise Richards, who starred in the 1999 film, The World Is Not Enough, wants to work with Pierce Brosnan again. She says:

“Pierce was sexy and a great kisser. I’d be his Bond girl again any day but unfortunately I’m probably past it now!”

Audience Gets a "kick" out of Doris

Doris's "turn" in Aliens in the Attic has this reviewer doing a double take.


Did Doris Roberts Just Do A Shoryuken?

Earlier tonight I went and saw Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. But even though I enjoyed my time watching the movie, something else caught my eye. What you ask? Doris freakin’ Roberts doing a shoryuken, that’s what.

In the trailer for the upcoming kids flick “Aliens in the Attic”, the elderly actress does in fact mess up a dude’s face with a perfectly placed shoryuken. See for yourself and be prepare to be amazed. (At about the 1:20 mark).

Before Their Time: License to Kill

Editor's Note: For my money, these articles complete with their revisionist Bond history, are increasingly ridiculous...

Abba bandmate sticks up for Sweden

ABBA's Benny Andersson recently talked about what it was like seeing some of the biggest stars in film singing their songs in Mamma Mia! Benny and his band play at the City of London Festival in Hampstead Heath on Saturday to celebrate Sweden taking over the EU presidency today. Here's a quote from the article.

Was it odd to see Pierce Brosnan and Colin Firth singing your hits in the film?
It was probably the most surreal moment of my life. Björn and I were on one side of the studio and on the other side were James Bond and Mr Darcy singing the chorus to Waterloo. They were probably thinking: ‘What am I doing here?

I'd Rather see Thomas Crown II

Nothing against Arnold, but when is TCAII going to production???


From CBC News

I'll be back: Schwarzenegger sci-fi hit Total Recall will be remade

Last Updated: Wednesday, June 3, 2009 11:32 AM ET
CBC News

Columbia Pictures is remaking the 1990 thriller Total Recall, which starred Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Kurt Wimmer, who scripted the 1999 version of The Thomas Crown Affair starring Pierce Brosnan, has been hired to work on an updated Total Recall, according to trade paper The Hollywood Reporter.

Columbia Pictures has said the remake will be a "contemporized adaptation." It has not said who will be starring in the main role.

Wimmer also wrote Salt, a spy thriller starring Angelina Jolie that is currently in production.
Based on a Philip K Dick story, We Can Remember It For You Wholesale, the Schwarzenegger film follows a man who has a persistent dream about travelling to Mars and being with a woman he has never met.

The man's life begins to unravel after he decides to go to a company that sells virtual adventures by implanted false memories. Schwarzenegger's character decides to buy a trip to Mars in which he plays a spy.

The movie continually teases the audience as to what may be real or imagined.

The film, which also starred Sharon Stone and Rachel Ticotin, became a cult classic.

Saving the whales

Here's a wonderful politico interview after Pierce's visit to the White House

Pierce Visits President Obama

This Washington Times article is a little tacky. Is the reporter claiming Pierce is anything less
than enigmatic? Or that his visit to the West Wing is baffling?

His one word answer is to the point. There is no mystery. And if the reporter knew his stuff, he'd realize that in addition to being the former James Bond, Pierce is an environmentalist. He dedicated the Malibu Whale Watch to his former wife, Cassie. They shared a love of whales, a love also shared by Keely Shaye Smith, his wife and the mother of his two young sons.

Remington Steele may indeed be a man of mystery. Pierce, however, is a man of his word and dedicated to saving our planet.

By the way, while this picture of him is one of my favorites, it's unappropriate for this article.

CoStar News: Doris Does the Derby.

Looks like Mildred loves the ponies (just like Mr. Steele).

CAPTION: Doris Roberts and a unidentified man arrive at the 135th running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs, Louisville, Ky, Saturday May 2, 2009.

-- Photo by Angela Baldridge (courtesy the State newspaper, Columbia, South Carolina).

Pierce endulges in "guilt-free" marguerita

In Touch 'zine has a great recipe similar to a Pierce favorite.

CoStar News: Stellan's a Dad!

Congratulations, Stellan!

Steele Sexy, Yes (but maybe thinning)

The debate rages on about Pierce's thinning hair. Bald spot? Or not? You decide.

Steele Sexy After All These Years

Gorgeous pix of Pierce Brosan shopping with his sons Dylan and Paris

Actor's voice can shape performance -- and career

There's an article circling the wires, written by Chicago Tribune writer Mark Cato. In it, he claims Pierce Brosnan is a lightweight Bond, largely because of his voice. Say waaa??? Who is this reporter kidding? Daniel Craig, charismatic? Brosnan a softee? This article borders on nonsensical fantasy. The best Bond since Sean Connery is and was Pierce Brosnan, who has the voice and the chops to prove it. Whatever happened to accuracy in journalism, not to mention research? Brosnan got his start in London experimental theatre. What voice-overs has Craig done, especially compared to Brosnan whose award-winning narratives have ranged from documentaries to animation and British folk-lore? How can Brosnan, an Irishman, have a "genteel" British voice? Oh, wait...isn't Bond supposed to be British? When it comes to an assessment of Bond, the only thing coming up lacking is this article.

Suite 1157 on Myspace

Laura Holt Steele invites you to our next open house, which will be held at Remington Steele Investigations, Suite 1157, Century Plaza, in Century City (Los Angeles). Clients, old and new and other friends of the agency are invited to attend.

Pierce says Thanks to President Obama

This is just the coolest. I think I died and have gone to heaven.

Remember those “Don’t Vote” videos that were popular right before the election? Well, Sierra Club has put together a similar, though more policy-oriented, version as a giant ‘Thank You‘ gift to President Obama. Pierce Brosnan is joined by Wilmer Valderrama, Tamara Feldman, Edward Olmos, Missy Higgins, Jillian Michaels, and others who show their appreciation.

http://www.ecorazzi.com/2009/01/12/pierce-brosnan-and-other-celebs-say-thank-you-to-president-obama/

Top Ten Ways to Describe PBs singing voice

It's a New Year and we're down to the top five...

1. A free download of Pierce Brosnan singing? Priceless! "Fries With That Zune? Fast Food, Slow Connection" by Staci D. Kramer, ContentMedia.

2. [TIE] “I think he has a great voice. He couldn’t sing Nessun Dorma but neither could I — and I was in ABBA.” Benny Andersson in the Sun (UK).

2 [TIE] Jonathan Ross: "Pierce Brosnan hasn't got the best voice in the business." Meryl Streep: "No, no! He's fabulous. He sounds like Tom Waits and Joe Cocker, a kind of mix." --From the Coventry Telegraph

3. [TIE] Its singing is variable, with Meryl Streep bang in tune at one end and Pierce Brosnan clutching at notes at the other like a man trying to catch flies on a windy day. ...Expect an Oscar nomination. Expect Streep to be indignant if she doesn’t win it. From Nigel Andrews in the Financial Times.

3 [TIE] “Everybody complains that Pierce can’t sing and it p****s me off. “It’s like saying BOB DYLAN can’t sing. It’s just not fair. He has a good voice.” Benny Andersson in the Sun (UK).

4. [TIE] And let's face it, nobody's going to complain if you, or I, drown out Pierce Brosnan with our equally inept rendition of "S.O.S." -- From the Orlando Sentinel

4 [TIE] “I’d like to forget the others—especially Brosnan, whose singing is the best imitation I’ve heard of a water buffalo.” — From New York Magazine

5. [TIE] {Pierce Brosnan’s singing is} a hilarious delight for the audience. -- From the India Times

5. [TIE] Pierce Brosnan’s singing appears to have been dubbed by Fozzie Bear.” — From Empire Online

6. “Among them is Pierce Brosnan as Sam (who sings like a lawnmower).” — From Teletex UK

7, [TIE] "And just wait until Pierce Brosnan warbles 'S.O.S.' You'll laugh. And then you'll be charmed." -- From Entertainment Weekly

7. [TIE] "...Brosnan's slack-jawed warbling was another matter..." – From Fishbowl LA

7. [TIE] “Pierce Brosnan’s walrus warble very nearly ruins the movie entirely.” — From AfterElton

8. The song stabbings...er, stylings of Pierce Brosnan...sounds like a drunk walrus singing through a foghorn. Or Foghorn Leghorn. Whatever's worse. — From the Palm Beach Post (Sing Along, Mamma Mia! August 28, 2008)

9. [TIE] High-pitched and only vaguely melodious. – From The Arizona Republic (Mamma Mia! Why did they let Brosnan sing? Jul. 18, 2008 )

9. [TIE] His raspy singing voice is no worse than Eric Clapton's, who is one of music's biggest stars... - From Broadway World

10. It doesn't match up with his robust, masculine image. - From The Arizona Republic (July 18, 2008 "Mamma Mia! Why did they let Brosnan sing?")

Don't think too hard--just sit back and enjoy

Articles like this one fascinate me. Why is it hard to conceive (no pun intended) that a girl who wants to know her father would invite all of them to the wedding? Why is it hard to fathom that our heroine, Donna, not want to admit publicly that she wasn't sure who the father was? Since when are affairs of the heart logical? Just because DNA testing is possible doesn't mean broadcasting her dilemna to the world is an option for either of them.

Despite the fact that many who review the musicial Mamma Mia! take it way too seriously for their own britches, I find it hard to understand why they are so critical of the characters. Growing up during the time of "the flower power" just like Stellen's character, it's certainly not hard for me to comprehend Sam being a flower poweresque Bee-Gee-like character. Any one who watches the rock opera "HAIR" would see any combination of those two characters....long as you can grow it hair, bell bottomed paints and all the rest. The Sex Pistols got their start in the mid-70s -- at the height of Disco-mania. In a range of years that encompassed flower flower, disco and punk rock -- from late sixties, 1969 through the mid-70s, it's easy to see how Donna's amorous lads could have co-existed in one era and woo her on a Greek Isle.

Less easy to explain is Sky's promise to put Donna "on the line." But if she met her beaus in the 70s and Sophie, the daughter in question, is now 20, that does put things in the realm of a budding new internet.

But Mamma Mia! wasn't meant to be studied like rocket science. It was meant to be enjoyed. For middle aged women, like me, it's a chance to recapture youth, our mistakes and our triumphs. It's a time to laugh at those flared sequined outfits, wild hair and sky high shoes (what were we thinking?) It's a time to reflect on our suddenly emptying nests and what the future may hold.

My favorite part of this article, of course the comment about Pierce: "At his age and his star power, he can do what he wants and not have to worry."

How wonderful to see that in print. Pierce, take note!

The funniest, oh Pierce. Seems no article leaves his singing prowess uncommented on. Brasor writes: "Staying on pitch appears to be more painful than those bone-crunching stunts he performed as James Bond." Gotta add that one to my top ten list.


From Aashi
Arts & Entertainment 2009:Don't think too hard--just sit back and enjoy
BY PHILIP BRASOR, CONTRIBUTING WRITER


Broadway musicals were mainly collections of songs held together by comic themes before "Oklahoma!" opened in 1943. Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, who wrote the songs for "Oklahoma!" made them serve a story. This "book musical" concept has been the norm ever since.

"Mamma Mia!" is different. It has been called a "jukebox musical," meaning its story is built around pre-existing songs, which in this case were all made famous in the 1970s and '80s by the Swedish pop group ABBA. Bjorn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson wrote each ABBA song as a separate pop entity, so using them to support a unified plot is tricky.

However, the huge worldwide success of the stage production, which premiered in London in 1999, proves that the book doesn't really matter. ABBA retired in 1982, so at the time "Mamma Mia!" was as close to a live rendering of the group's music as their fans would get. Reportedly, people danced in the aisles.

That's less likely to happen with the movie version of "Mamma Mia!" It's more difficult to ignore the gaps in logic between the lyrics and the story, which is ridiculous in the first place. Meryl Streep is Donna, a middle-aged single mother who runs a dilapidated hotel on a sun-drenched Greek island. Her 20-year-old daughter, Sophie (Amanda Seyfried), is getting married. Unbeknownst to Donna, Sophie has found her old diary, which reveals the names of the three men who dated Donna that summer when Sophie was conceived. Sophie secretly invites all three men to the wedding in order to find out which one is her real father.

Most musical comedies feature storylines that are just as silly. What makes "Mamma Mia!" exceptionally silly is its disregard for narrative coherence. Each of the possible fathers seems to represent a different pop culture moment. The travel writer Bill (Stellan Skarsgard) tells Sophie that he met her mother during the time of "the flower power," while divorced architect Sam (Pierce Brosnan) shows her a photo from his youth in which he looks like a disco-era Bee Gee. London banker Harry (Colin Firth) says he followed the Sex Pistols when he romanced Donna. If any of these men is really Sophie's father, they would have to have been with her mother in 1988, by which point hippies and punks were as dated as bloomers.

It would be easy to say this movie is dated, too, but ABBA's songs have demonstrated an admirable resilience to the effects of time. Ulvaeus and Andersson had an enormous talent for melodic hooks that attach themselves to the human brain so tenaciously even people who look down on "Euro pop" confess an inability to resist tapping their feet whenever they hear an ABBA song.

The lyrics, however, are very resistible. In the pivotal scene where Sam reveals to Donna that he considered their summer romance more than just a fling, the show's writer, Catherine Johnson, has decided to use the song "SOS" to explicate his regret over losing her. "It used to be so nice," Sam sings about their love. "It used to be so good."

Brosnan gives these lines an earnest delivery that's obviously meant to compensate for their strange lack of urgency. The inadvertent comic effect is compounded by Brosnan's vocal shortcomings. Staying on pitch appears to be more painful than those bone-crunching stunts he performed as James Bond.

At his age and with his star power, Brosnan can do anything he wants and not have to worry about his reputation. The same goes double for Streep, who actually has stage musical experience and signed on for "Mamma Mia!" because she thought it would be fun. She seems to be having a ball, even though the choreography makes her look as if she were auditioning for Billy's Boot Camp. Of course, that is the primary appeal of the movie. Even ABBA fanatics don't claim that these songs are deep. As an artistic experience, "Mamma Mia!" is the equivalent of a night out at a karaoke bar. Just sit back and enjoy the cheese.

Still, it could have been better cheese. Christine Baranski, who plays Donna's over-the-hill but nevertheless oversexed pal Tanya, really turns up the heat during "Does Your Mother Know" and Streep's histrionic version of "The Winner Takes It All," sung on a windy promontory without the distraction of a production number, is exhilarating.

Otherwise, all the people involved seem to be having such a good time that they can't be bothered with matters like production values. It's a proudly amateurish enterprise, not so much a "jukebox musical" as an "air guitar musical."

* * *

"Mamma Mia!" opens Jan. 30 at Nichigeki 1 in Tokyo and elsewhere.(IHT/Asahi: January 1,2009)