Have you ever met someone that was so over-the-top nice that you automatically suspected him or her of being phony and subsequently found them extremely annoying? Only, after a few more encounters with this person, you came to realize the truth, that this over-the-top niceness is genuine? And suddenly, without any real warning, you enjoyed this person's company almost in spite of yourself?

"Mamma Mia!" is that person.

From the opening frame to well into the ending credits, "Mamma Mia!" browbeats you with happy silliness and spontaneous song. And while you might walk into the theater convinced you're going to hate the next two hours of your life, you'll walk out wondering what the hell just happened ... because you will have to admit, "that was actually enjoyable!"

It's true. I don't remember exactly when it happened, but somewhere around 40 minutes in, the desire to punch the person laughing too loudly in the back of the theater subsided. And then suddenly, I caught myself tapping my feet during one of Meryl Streep's spontaneous musical numbers. The transformation was complete, I realized, when I was joining the person in back in laughing a little too loudly.

Now, believe you me, nobody is more horrified by this admission than me. I've spent the past several weeks counting down to July 18th on my blog because once "Mamma Mia!" was in theaters, the awful trailer would finally go away. I put off seeing the movie until Monday; I simply couldn't drag myself to the box office any sooner.

I even guilt-tripped my own mother and sister into coming with me just so I wouldn't have to admit to anyone I'd seen "Mamma Mia!" by myself. They were about as excited to go as I.

They, too, eventually relented to the onslaught of ABBA music and on-screen giddiness.

But before I lose all credibility with the male population, I should point out "Mamma Mia!" is by no means flawless. Unless you know exactly what to expect - and honestly I don't know how any sane person could - there is a definite acclimation period.

Before the turning point for me, "Mamma Mia!" felt like it was alternating between a VH1 montage and a bizarre acid trip. How else would you explain a movie that shifts without warning between seemingly normal dialogue and choreographed musical dance numbers and then back again?

And just as in an action film you must suspend your disbelief (yes, Bruce Willis just killed a helicopter with a car in "Live Free or Die Hard"), "Mamma Mia!" requires you to accept the ludicrous as the norm. The villagers, for example, join in many of the songs. How do they know the words? Does the whole island get together down on the pier and rehearse daily?

Finally, as clearly talented as Streep is musically, Pierce Brosnan is not. God bless him for trying, though. And truthfully, he pulls it off with just enough charm that I like the man even more for his lack of musical prowess. In fact, the biggest reason "Mamma Mia!" was able to win me over was because Streep, Brosnan, Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsg rd, Julie Walters and Christine Baranski are so on top of their games that the whole ridiculous concept actually works.

The story is just an afterthought. There's a wedding. There are three possible dads to Streep's daughter (Amanda Seyfried). Hilarity ensues.

And ABBA songs tie the whole thing together.

Look, I'm still a little confused too. But I can't lie to you. "Mamma Mia!" was downright enjoyable.