7/10 After spending a good amount of time watching the entire six seasons for the first time in preparation for this film, my time spent at Downton Abbey has finally come to a close with the completion of this film viewing. I do admit it is strange to go from watching full seasons that clock in around 10 hours with storylines and plots spaced out to a very condensed two-hour film. One complaint I had was that the film did feel slightly rushed with its running time, but that was probably inevitable. “Downton Abbey” has such a large ensemble cast with so many characters that to squeeze something for all of them to do in the time span of just over two episodes is hardly realistic. Unlike most seasons, not every character gets a lot to do in the film. One subplot with Edith’s husband having to go away was wrapped up super conveniently for my tastes and another involving a thief felt underdeveloped and slightly shoehorned in. A menacing character near the beginning of the film completely unnecessarily gives away his obviously nefarious intentions to Tom for no apparent reason. Matthew Goode as Mary’s husband, Henry, barely factors into the film, which was too bad. It would have nice to have seen Rose (Lily James) return as well. Finally, some of the political aspects were a bit unnecessary and heavy handed. Minor complaints aside, for having such limited time, this film does throw a lot at you and having the King and Queen visit Downton Abbey is a film worthy event. We get to enjoy many aspects of the show that we love and there are even some very emotional moments near the film’s end with Maggie Smith’s Violet character. Although some of the score replays the show’s themes, there is enough new score to perfectly fit the tone of the film. The production and costume design continue in the tradition of the show in being first rate and well done. There are a couple of moments of humor which I really enjoyed too. This is a feel good film and even though not 100% necessary, if you enjoyed the show, you will enjoy the film as well, even if like the silverware, the script could have used a little extra polish. Make yourself feel like a King or Queen and feel free to check into “Downton Abbey”.
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