Film & TV

Film Review: Downton Abbey

Still from Downton Abbey

The hugely popular television series gets its feature debut.

With the popularity of shows like Game of Thrones and Stranger Things there is no question that TV Shows have made a resurgence as a comparable form of storytelling and drama. With no intention to be left out of this movement, Britain’s Downton Abbey came out in 2010 and attained a plethora of accolades and fanfare. Over 6 seasons and 52 episodes it became one of the biggest dramas the world over. With the final episode airing in December 2015 it was thought that the doors of Downton Abbey would be closed forever. Yet something as well received and loved as Downton Abbey doesn’t stay down for long.

It didn’t take long for rumours of a Downton Abbey movie to start swirling about and within three years the lords, ladies and staff of the House Crawley were lighting up the silver screen.

The Downton Abbey film has pulled off something that few other franchises can boast, a feature film that has all the production value and grandeur of a film while maintaining the charm of the original series. Set roughly in the middle of series the film follows the going-ons inside Downton before and during the royal visit of King George V and Queen Mary. This film is very much a standalone story contained within the Downton Abbey world, with little to no impact to the setting or characters. It can be said that this could have been more of a movie length special rather than a feature film, but that approach would not have done this grand series justice.

As expected, production values are up, just about all the characters are in attendance plus a few extra celebrity cameos. This is, more than anything, a reunion of the cast and characters and a revisiting of the famed house that brought it all together. This is the Downton Abbey that fans know and love with a lot of extra polish and shine. This is a love letter to everything Downton Abbey.

Fans will be well pleased with the same charisma, witticisms and drama that has been familiar with the show alongside, many, many sweeping shots of the surrounding landscapes. This film may not add anything of substance but if it ain’t broke don’t fix it. In a world of reboots and sequels this lack of change is a welcome change.

Dignified 4 stars

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