• THE CONSENSUS: Jeff thought it was dark ... in a really good way, though he thinks it's for more mature audiences (teenagers at least). Erica completely agrees with Jeff on one thing: Don't take the kids. "If you can't drive yourself to the theater, you might be too young."

Interesting side note: "I left the movie feeling so edgy," Erica said. "I snapped at my friend over the phone, talked loudly (louder than normal), didn't find anything funny, drove like a bat out of somewhere, and had to go home and find something sweet to eat to take the edge off.

"Ladies, if you're like me and you enjoy a good action flick with fun sequences and maybe a kiss or two — like 'James Bond' or 'Spider-Man,' this one isn't it. Let the men have a night out and catch the next one."

'Mamma Mia!'

• THE MOVIE: "Mamma Mia! The Movie" (rated PG-13). A big-screen adaptation of the hit Broadway musical, starring Meryl Streep and Pierce Brosnan.

• HE LIKED: Meryl Streep. Wow, Meryl Streep. Just when you think you've seen her do everything already, she shows a completely different side. Here, she does comedy and song-and-dance. And she is amazing. She's this film's biggest asset, besides the ABBA tunes.

• SHE LIKED: I'm probably not alone in leaving the theater and wanting to book a ticket to Greece — where the sea is an endless blue and the people are beautiful, too. Meryl Streep's acting was wonderful, as usual, though I found her singing only adequate (but it still worked). I also liked her two friends and the singing townsfolk. And the music, the music, the music!

• HE DIDN'T LIKE: Pierce Brosnan. Wow, Pierce Brosnan. There are things he does well, but singing and dancing are not among them. I think I'm still cringing from his tone-deaf screeching on "SOS." Make him stop, please!

• SHE DIDN'T LIKE: Pierce Brosnan. Wow, Pierce Brosnan. As nice as his eyes look against the blue sky, his singing became the comic relief of the movie (and it's not supposed to be). I kept trying to figure out who let Frankenstein join the party — turns out it was just Brosnan's singing. Umm ... Hugh Jackman, anyone? He's dashing, suave and he can sing.

• THE CONSENSUS: Jeff was surprisingly charmed by the movie, especially by possibly awards-worthy Meryl Streep's performance. Erica really liked the movie. "They didn't ruin it!" Having been a fan of the stage version for quite some time, "I won't trade in my Broadway soundtrack or my ABBA CDs for this, but the movie was a lot of fun."

Men, if you have to trade in a chick-flick IOU, this might be a good flick to pick.

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E-mail: jeff@desnews.com, ehansen@desnews.com